Category: China

MIL-OSI: Wearable Devices Announces Full Year 2024 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

YOKNE’AM ILLIT, Israel, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wearable Devices Ltd. (Nasdaq: WLDS, WLDSW) (“Wearable Devices” or the “Company”), a technology growth company specializing in artificial intelligence (“AI”)-powered touchless sensing wearables, today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Asher Dahan, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wearable Devices, commented, “2024 was characterized by strategic capital allocation and the execution of our growth strategy as we delivered our Mudra Band for Apple Watch, and entered into several collaborations with companies and contractors at the forefront of their respective industries. With a strong focus on technological breakthroughs and innovation, we introduced the Mudra Link, a universal gesture control wearable wristband in September 2024. This launch marked a significant milestone in our neural interface technology, enabling seamless, touch-free interaction with a wide range of digital devices. The Mudra Link is open for orders, and we have started to ship the Mudra Link to customers in the first quarter of 2025. We invested significant resources in pursuit of these milestones, mainly due to strategic investments primarily in sales and marketing and research and development as we continue to innovate and showcase our technology, as well as an enhanced focus on business development on the business-to-business (“B2B”) side of our business.”

“Collaborations represent a key part of our business, and we expect our B2B offerings to be a significant driver of revenue for us as we grow. At the beginning of 2024, we launched the B2B Mudra Developer Kit (“MDK”), providing our B2B customers with enhanced capabilities and additional features that improve our B2B offering. The MDK allows original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) to design new, customized gestures to create a user interface specifically tailored to their needs. At the beginning of 2024, we announced a collaboration agreement with Qualcomm Incorporated (“Qualcomm”), for the development of products using the Qualcomm Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform. In October 2024, we announced an innovative collaboration with TCL-RayNeo™ (“RayNeo”), a leader in augmented reality (“AR”) technology, aiming at bringing mass-market neural interface wristband for AR glasses to life. We anticipate interest in our B2B product to grow as the market for wearable devices and AI-based technology expands, with more and more customers recognizing the value that our products can add to their operations.

“Our business-to-customer (“B2C”) product, the Mudra Band, is an award-winning aftermarket band for the Apple Watch that enables touchless control of multiple Apple devices. In addition, we’re seeing considerable interest in the Mudra Link, and during the first quarter of 2025 we commenced shipment of our first manufacturing batch to Mudra Link customers. 2024 was characterized by strategic capital allocation and the execution of our growth strategy, with a focus on three key areas: technological breakthroughs and innovation, adoption trends and market outlook, and strategic positioning for future growth.

First, we continued to lead in innovation with groundbreaking technologies that enable natural, touch-free interaction. Second, we are witnessing an increasing adoption trend in neural interface solutions, with growing interest from both consumers and business partners. Finally, we are well-positioned for future growth, supported by our marketing efforts, strong presence at leading trade shows such as CES and MWC, and the growing recognition of Mudra Link as a market-defining product. We continue to receive orders for the product and see significant growth potential as our technology and capabilities evolve.”

Mr. Dahan concluded, “We have a comprehensive strategy with innovative B2B and B2C offerings to maximize our presence in what we believe to be a market that is poised for tremendous growth. We are very encouraged by the progress that we made in 2024 and believe that Wearable Devices is positioned for transformation in coming years, as we continue to invest in our operations, bring innovative products to market, and showcase the breadth and depth of our technology.”

2024 and Recent Business Highlights:

Strategic Collaborations & Expansion

Signed a collaboration agreement with Qualcomm to elevate extended reality (“XR”) experiences using Mudra neural technology.
Collaborated with RayNeo to lead the neural control revolution for AR glasses, positioning Mudra ahead of competitors like Meta.
Signed a reseller agreement to scale licensing efforts in South Korea and China.

Product & Technology Innovations

Launched Mudra Link, the first AI Neural Interface Wristband for Android and beyond, expanding accessibility of neural gesture control.
Released the Mudra Developer Kit (MDK) for B2B customers, enabling OEMs to create tailored user interfaces.
Unveiled AI-powered Large MUAP Models to revolutionize gesture control with personalized neural interactions.
Showcased future AI-powered gesture personalization technology, advancing next-gen human-computer interaction.

Market Recognition & Sales Expansion

Awarded the CES 2025 Innovation Award in XR Technologies and Accessories for Mudra Link.
Chosen as Best Wearable of CES 2024 by SlashGear.com.
Featured in Mashable, VentureBeat, and leading tech magazines.

Strategic Deployments

Successfully completed the first-stage deployment testing for a leading XR glasses OEM, meeting key evaluation criteria.
Demonstrated Mudra technology integration with Qualcomm Snapdragon Spaces at CES 2025 and AWE 2024.
Showed positive results on Lenovo’s XR headset, validating Mudra’s neural technology for next-gen spatial computing.

Intellectual Property & Regulatory Progress

Filed a patent application for touchless pinch-to-zoom technology for AR/VR (virtual reality) applications.
Secured a Chinese patent for its AI Gesture-Controlled Interface.
Expanded international IP portfolio with a neural wrist technology patent filing in South Korea.

Full Year 2024 Financial Highlights:

Revenues: Revenues increased from $82 thousand in 2023 to $522 thousand in 2024, marking a significant step forward in the Company’s transition toward a commercially driven business. This growth was primarily driven by increased sales of the Mudra Band, demonstrating early market adoption and growing demand for neural interface technology. While revenues are still at an early stage, the upward trend reflects positive momentum and a foundation for future expansion.
Research and Development Expenses: Research and development expenses decreased by 11% to $3.0 million in the full year of 2024 compared to $3.3 million in the full year of 2023, reflecting the successful completion of key development phases, particularly Mudra Link, and a transition toward production and sales. The Company continued to focus on creating disruptive, industry leading technology that leverages AI and proprietary algorithms, software and hardware.
Sales and Marketing Expenses: Sales and marketing expenses increased by 4% to $2.1 million in the full year of 2024 compared to $2.0 million in the full year of 2023, related to the Company driving awareness of its technology and products across various channels including participation at multiple leading industry conferences.
General and administrative expenses: General and administrative expenses decreased by 1.3% to $2.8 million in the full year of 2024 compared to $2.9 million in the full year of 2023.
Net Loss: Net loss increased to $(7.9 million), or $(24.2) per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to a net loss of $(7.8 million), or $(38.4) per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2023.
The per share information reflects the Company’s 1-for-20 reverse share split, which became effective on October 10, 2024, and an additional 1-for-4 reverse share split, which became effective on March 17, 2025.

Cash Position: Cash and deposits as of December 31, 2024 were $4.0 million.
Inventory: Inventory increased to $1.2 million at the end of 2024, as part of the completion of the transition phase from research and development to production and to serve our planned B2C and B2B initiatives in 2025.

About Wearable Devices Ltd.

Wearable Devices Ltd. is a growth company developing AI-based neural input interface technology for the B2C and B2B markets. The Company’s flagship product, the Mudra Band for Apple Watch, integrates innovative AI-based technology and algorithms into a functional, stylish wristband that utilizes proprietary sensors to identify subtle finger and wrist movements allowing the user to “touchlessly” interact with connected devices. The Company also markets a B2B product, which utilizes the same technology and functions as the Mudra Band and is available to businesses on a licensing basis. Wearable Devices Is committed to creating disruptive, industry leading technology that leverages AI and proprietary algorithms, software, and hardware to set the input standard for the Extended Reality, one of the most rapidly expanding landscapes in the tech industry. The Company’s ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq market under the symbol “WLDS” and “WLDSW,” respectively.

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when we discuss the benefits, capabilities, advantages and expected demand, an increasing adoption trend in neural interface solutions, with growing interest from both consumers and business partners, momentum and growth of our products and technology, our expectation for the growth of the B2B market and that our B2B offerings will be a significant driver of revenue for us as we grow, our anticipation that interest in our B2B product will grow as the market for wearable devices and AI-based technology expands and our belief that Wearable Devices is positioned for transformation in coming years. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: our use of proceeds from the offering; the trading of our ordinary shares or warrants and the development of a liquid trading market; our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 15, 2024 and our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Investor Contact:

Michal Efraty
IR@wearabledevices.co.il

WEARABLE DEVICES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

	December 31
	2024			2023
	U.S. dollars in thousands
Assets
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents		3,089			810
Short-term bank deposits		862			4,045
Governmental grant receivable		17			108
Other receivables and prepaid expenses		322			757
Inventories		1,226			1,032
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS		5,516			6,752

NON-CURRENT ASSETS:
Long-term bank deposits		–			54
Right-of-use assets		330			592
Property and equipment, net		130			194
TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS		460			840
TOTAL ASSETS		5,976			7,592

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable		157			410
Advance payments		83			312
Convertible promissory note		770			–
Accrued payroll and other employment related accruals		402			579
Accrued expenses		392			190
Lease liabilities		291			297
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES		2,095			1,788
Lease liabilities		21			278
TOTAL LIABILITIES		2,116			2,066

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Ordinary shares no par value : Authorized 50,000,000 as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023; Issued and outstanding 707,463 shares as of December 31, 2024 and 254,843 shares as of December 31, 2023.		67			57
Additional paid-in capital		32,895			26,692
Accumulated losses		(29,102	)		(21,223)
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY		3,860			5,526
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY		5,976			7,592

WEARABLE DEVICES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

	Year ended December 31
	2024			2023			2022
	U.S. dollars in thousands (except per share amounts)

Revenues		522			82			45
Cost of revenues		437			(62	)		(10	)
GROSS PROFIT		85			20			35
Research and development, net		(2,964	)		(3,316	)		(2,271	)
Sales and marketing expenses, net		(2,096	)		(2,008	)		(1,370	)
General and administrative expenses		(2,845	)		(2,882	)		(1,948	)
Initial public offering expenses		–			–			(904	)
OPERATING LOSS		(7,820	)		(8,186	)		(6,458	)
Financing income (expenses), net		(52	)		372			(38	)
LOSS BEFORE TAX EXPENSES		(7,872	)		(7,814	)		(6,496	)
Tax expenses		(7	)		–			–
NET LOSS AND TOTAL
COMPREHENSIVE LOSS		(7,879	)		(7,814	)		(6,496	)

Net loss per ordinary shares,
basic and diluted *		(24.2	)		(38.4	)		(42.4	)
Weighted average number of
ordinary shares and pre- funded warrants outstanding basic and diluted *		325,690			202,515			153,465

* The share and per share information in these financial statements reflects the 1-for-20 reverse share split became effective on October 10, 2024 and an additional 1-for-4 reverse share split of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares became effective on March 17, 2025.

WEARABLE DEVICES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

	Year ended December 31
	2024			2023		2022
	U.S. dollars in thousands
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net loss		(7,879	)		(7,814)		(6,496)
Adjustments required to reconcile net loss to net cash used in
operating activities
Depreciation		107			68		23
Interest expenses on convertible promissory note		4			–		–
Accrued interest on deposits		(3	)		(45)		–
Share based compensation expenses		182			241		790
Unrealized gain from foreign currency derivative activities		68			(68)		–
Marketing expenses paid in ordinary shares		100			–		–
Provision for inventory write-off		75			–		–

Changes in operating assets and liabilities items:
Decrease in accounts receivable		–			–		8
Decrease (increase) in inventories		(269	)		(1,026)		5
Decrease (increase) in governmental grants receivables		91			(54)		8
Decrease (Increase) in other receivables and prepaid expenses		357			(136)		(496)
Increase (decrease) in advance payments		(228	)		(41)		79
Increase (decrease) in deferred revenues		–			(12)		(12)
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable		(253	)		254		84
Increase (decrease) in accrued payroll and other employment related accruals		(177	)		163		194
Increase in accrued expenses		212			36		99
Net cash used in operating activities		(7,613	)		(8,434)		(5,714)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of property and equipment		(43	)		(194)		(48)
Decrease (Increase) in deposits, net		3,240			(4,054)		–
Prepayments of leasing		–			–		(18)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		3,197			(4,248)		(66)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of shares issued in the public offering, net of issuance cost		1,578			1,670		–
Proceeds from issuance of units of ordinary shares and warrants in connection with the initial public offering, net of issuance expenses					–		14,319
Proceeds from issuance of SAFEs		–			–		500
Refund to SAFE investors		–			–		(100)
Proceeds from credit line		–			–		800
Repayment of credit line		–			–		(800)
Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares as a result of exercise of warrants		–			1,449		160
Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares associated with the SEPA		4,353			–		–
Proceeds from issuance of convertible promissory note		1,920			–		–
Repayment of convertible promissory note		(1,156	)
Net cash provided by financing activities		6,695			3,119		14,879

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		2,279			(9,563)		9,099
Cash and Cash Equivalents at the beginning of year		810			10,373		1,274
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of year		3,089			810		10,373
Supplemental Disclosure:
Interest paid		49			–		40
Interest received		(144	)		(305)		–
Conversion of SAFEs to equity		–			–		400
Right-of-use asset recognized against lease liability		–			644		229

The MIL Network –

March 20, 2025

MIL-OSI Submissions: Hong Kong: Article 23 law used to ‘normalize’ repression one year since enactment – Amnesty International

Source: Amnesty International

Just one year after its passage, Hong Kong’s Article 23 law has further squeezed people’s freedoms and enabled authorities to intensify their crackdown on peaceful activism in the city and beyond, Amnesty International said.

“Over the past year, Article 23 has been used to entrench a ‘new normal’ of systematic repression of dissent, criminalizing peaceful acts in increasingly absurd ways,” said Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks.

“People have been targeted and harshly punished for the clothes they wear as well as the things they say and write, or for minor acts of protest, intensifying the climate of fear that already pervaded Hong Kong. Freedom of expression has never been under greater attack.”

People convicted and jailed for peaceful expression

The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (known as Article 23) took effect on 23 March 2024. Amnesty International’s analysis shows that 16 people have since been arrested for sedition under Article 23. Five of them were officially charged under the law, and the other 11 were released without charge. None of those arrested is accused of engaging in violence, while the authorities have accused two of them of inciting violence without yet disclosing any details.

Three of the charged individuals – after facing around three months’ pre-trial detention – were convicted for, respectively, wearing a T-shirt and mask printed with protest slogans; criticizing the government online; and writing protest slogans on bus seats. They were sentenced to between 10 and 14 months in prison.

The remaining two charged people have been held in detention awaiting trial since November 2024 and January 2025, respectively. They are accused of publishing “seditious” posts on social media platforms.

Article 23 entrenches denial of bail

The presumption against bail in national security cases, originally imposed by the Beijing-enacted National Security Law (NSL), has now been extended to offences under Article 23. Among the five individuals charged under Article 23, the two who applied for bail had their applications denied because the magistrate believed they may “continue to commit acts endangering national security” – the same reasoning used to deny bail to others prosecuted under the NSL, including newspaper founder Jimmy Lai and opposition politicians.

The remaining 11 individuals arrested under Article 23 are variously accused of publishing “seditious” posts, commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown and spreading “disinformation”. Despite having been released by the police without official charge, they remain at risk of prosecution at any time because Article 23 does not impose a time limit on bringing criminal charges.

“Article 23 has been wielded by the Hong Kong government as a tool to suppress critical voices with the ultimate aim of eradicating them. Alongside the NSL, it has handed the authorities virtually unchecked power to arrest and jail anybody criticizing the government. The result is a Hong Kong where people are forced to second-guess what they say and write, and even what they wear,” Sarah Brooks said.

“The now default use of pre-trial detention and refusal of bail are alarming examples of how Article 23 has been used to reinforce the repressive tools first introduced under the NSL.”

‘National security’ as a trump card overriding established laws

Article 23 has also been weaponized to impose additional punitive measures against dissidents already serving sentences. Under the existing Prison Rules, last amended in 2014, prisoners with good conduct were eligible for early release after serving two-thirds of their sentences. However, according to new rules set by Article 23, the prison authorities can waive this practice if the release would be “contrary to the interests of national security”.

Notably, at least two jailed activists have been denied early release, despite the fact that they were not convicted under Article 23 and had already begun serving their sentences before its enactment.

One of the activists – who was convicted of incitement to wound, a charge unrelated to any national security legislation – was barred from early release despite Article 23 expressly stating that the new rules apply only to prisoners convicted of offences endangering national security.

“Retroactively denying early release based on vague national security justifications undermines legal certainty and due process. The government’s failure to comply with the very text that it drafted further raises serious concerns about the arbitrary application of Article 23,” Sarah Brooks said.

Extraterritorial application against overseas activists

The worrying impact of Article 23 on human rights is not restricted to Hong Kong. Authorities have invoked Article 23’s extraterritorial scope to penalize a total of 13 Hong Kong activists residing overseas, including in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. These penalties have included the cancellation of passports, suspension of lawyer licenses, removal from company directorships and prohibition of financial transactions, restricting a range of human rights such as their freedom of movement, right to privacy and right to work.

These measures have been imposed alongside arrest warrants issued under the NSL, each carrying a HK$1 million (US$128,700) bounty, for these 13 individuals and six other overseas activists.

“By sanctioning activists overseas, the Hong Kong government is attempting to extend its draconian laws beyond its borders to target potentially anyone, anywhere. The situation has resulted in a chilling effect on individuals who persist in exercising their freedom of expression, even after departing from the city. The international community cannot afford to ignore Article 23’s intended extraterritorial reach,” Sarah Brooks said.

“We urge the Hong Kong and Chinese governments to immediately repeal Article 23, the NSL and any other legislation which violates international human rights laws and standards. We also call on other governments to safeguard the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hongkongers, in particular those actively defending human rights, within their jurisdictions.

“The rising risk of transnational repression, which Amnesty has documented and which is explicitly tied to Hong Kong’s national security legislation, demands a response by governments worldwide. As a start, that means denouncing incidents of transnational repression and pursuing accountability for criminal acts targeting activists and others in the country of residence.”

Background

On 19 March 2024, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council unanimously voted to pass the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance based on Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.

The law, which took effect on 23 March 2024, introduced China’s definition of “national security” and “state secrets”, together with other broadly defined offences which further restricted freedom of expression and the right to protest. It also replaced a widely used colonial-era sedition law with its own provisions on sedition which now expressly cover acts or speech which do not incite violence. The maximum prison sentence for sedition was increased from two to seven years, or up to 10 years if involving “collusion with an external force”.

Amnesty International submitted an analysis of its proposals to the government during the consultation period, concluding that the offences and changes to investigatory powers are contrary to Hong Kong’s human rights obligations. After the law was passed, Amnesty International issued a briefing paperproviding an in-depth analysis of the effects of the law on both Chinese and non-Chinese individuals, in particular via its purported extraterritorial application.

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Tech – 48% of all 2025 unicorns work in AI sector – Finbold Research

Source: Finbold

Finbold research found that during the first quarter of 2025, as many as 48% of the 23 startups that attained unicorn status – exceeded $1 billion in valuation – were involved with the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.

Furthermore, 70% of these AI unicorns are concentrated in the top ten biggest startups, as seven out of eleven fall within the range between $1.6 billion and $2.8 billion.

Most artificial intelligence startups are from the US, though two emerged in the UK, one in Israel, and one in Sweden. Interestingly, given the recent developments in the country, none of the billion-dollar startups were located in China in 2025.

Regarding specialization, a plurality of 45% of these firms are involved with healthcare technology, including the biggest new unicorn: Abridge.

AI remains a powerful venture capital magnet

While there is a significant synchronization between company valuation and funding received, it is noteworthy that the second-smallest of the new unicorns – the UK’s Cera – received the most money from venture capitalists: $582 million.

Cera simultaneously showcases that many of these companies aren’t new, as it was founded in 2016, but also that AI continues to have the ability to draw massive investments from institutional investors as much as from retail traders.

As Andreja Stojanovic, a co-author of this research, pointed out:

“Given AI’s explosive growth, it’s surprising that even more AI unicorns haven’t emerged in 2025. Artificial intelligence has been a major driver of growth since the public release of ChatGPT in late 2022. Publicly traded companies that are either directly involved with the technology or strongly linked to the sector in investor perception have been some of the strongest stock market performers in recent years.”

At face value, it appears certain that 2025 will feature many more AI unicorns. However, recent disruptions in the sector that emerged from China, as well as the fears that the US may have already entered a recession, could still diminish venture capital spending.

Read the full story with statistics at: https://finbold.com/48-of-all-2025-unicorns-work-in-ai-sector/

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

March 20, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government of India Expands AI-Driven Skilling

Source: Government of India

Government of India Expands AI-Driven Skilling
India AI Mission Gains Momentum with 67 Proposals for Indigenous AI Models

Digital India Bhashini Initiative Boosts AI-Powered Vernacular Language Accessibility

Posted On: 19 MAR 2025 9:40PM by PIB Delhi

The Government of India emphasizes the concept of ‘AI for All,’ aligning with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision to democratise the use of technology. This initiative aims to ensure that AI benefits all sectors of society, driving innovation and growth.

India is regarded as the skills capital in technology and Artificial Intelligence. The most reliable ranking in AI is placing India among the top countries with AI Skills, AI capabilities, and policies to use AI. Stanford University has ranked India among the top four countries along with the US, China, and the UK in the Global and National AI vibrancy ranking based on 42 indicators. GitHub, which is community of developers has ranked India at the top with the global share of 24% of all projects.

Government is committed to harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the good of our people in various sectors. At the same time, the Government is cognizant of the risks posed by AI and the need to create guardrails to ensure that AI is safe and trusted.

The Government of Maharashtra has informed that Meta’s AI model is an informational chatbot which is currently in its preliminary stage.

Union Cabinet led by Hon’ble Prime Minister has approved the IndiaAI Mission on 7^th March 2024, a strategic initiative to establish a robust and inclusive AI ecosystem that aligns with the country’s development goals. This mission is driven by a vision to position India as a global leader in artificial intelligence by focusing on seven foundational pillars: IndiaAI Compute, IndiaAIFutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, IndiaAI Innovation Centre, IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Applications Development Initiative and Safe & Trusted AI.

One of the key pillars of the IndiaAI Mission is IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC), under which IndiaAI on 30^th January, 2025, launched a Call for Proposals inviting proposals from startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs to collaborate on building state-of-the-art foundational AI models trained on Indian datasets. The initiative aims to establish indigenous AI models that align with global standards while addressing unique challenges and opportunities within the Indian context.

In the first month, IndiaAI Mission has received a total of 67 proposals till 15th February 2025 aimed at building India’s foundation models, with contributions from both established startups and new teams of researchers & academia. 22 are focused on Large Language Models (LLMs) & Large Multimodal Models (LMMs), while the remaining 45 are centered on domain-specific models (SLMs). The majority of SLMs target key sectors such as healthcare, education, and financial services. Along with funding support, a wide range of GPUs have been requested by teams submitting these proposals.

Further, Government of India through MeitY implemented the Digital India Bhashini initiative to provide Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven language technology solutions through the Bhashini platform (https://bhashini.gov.in) for all 22 Scheduled Indian Languages including Marathi, providing voice-based access, and to assist in the creation of content in Indian languages. Digital India Bhashini aims to build speech-to-speech machine translation systems for various Indian languages and dialects and to evolve a Unified Language Interface (ULI). This initiative enabled citizens to access digital services in their vernacular languages, further increasing digital inclusion and accessibility, as recommended in SDG 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries). In collaboration with over 70 research institutes, Bhashini has been at the forefront of developing state-of-the-art language AI models for Indian languages. The platform currently hosts over 350 AI-based language models, encompassing Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Machine Translation (MT), Text-to-Speech (TTS), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and other services like Transliteration and Textual Language Detection, covering over 17+ language services.

Additionally, IndiaAI in collaboration with Meta has announced the establishment of the Center for Generative AI, Srijan (सृजन) at IIT Jodhpur, along with the launch of the “YuvAi Initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building” in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), for the advancement of open source artificial intelligence (AI) in India. The partnership will enable development of indigenous AI applications, advance skill development in AI, boost research capabilities with the aim of contributing to India’s AI mission of ensuring tech sovereignty and the vision of building AI solutions that are tailor-made for India. Through education, capacity building, and policy advisory, the Government of India will be empowering the next generation of researchers, students, and practitioners with the knowledge and tools necessary for the responsible development and deployment of GenAI technologies.

The Government of India is focused to meet the growing demand for professionals in emerging fields like data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI), some of the initiatives by the Government of India to integrate Al and cybersecurity training into existing skill development programs are as under:

MeitY through CERT-In conducts joint cybersecurity training programs in collaboration with Industry partners to upskill the cybersecurity workforce in Government, public and private organizations with the latest skills. Technical training sessions in the area of AI-powered cybersecurity threats were conducted with experts from Industry to help the participants understand the latest threat landscape and best practices. Also, CERT-In provided expert support in the Gen AI Exchange Hackathon organized by industry partners for working professionals, student developers, freelancers and entrepreneurs in October 2024.
MeitY has initiated ‘FutureSkills PRIME’ a programme for Re-skilling/Up-skilling of IT Manpower for Employability in new/emerging technologies namely Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, Augmented/Virtual Reality, Internet of Things, Big Data Analytics, Additive Manufacturing/ 3D Printing, Cloud Computing, Social & Mobile, Cyber Security, and Blockchain. Under the FutureSkills Prime program, there are 119 courses specifically focused on the cutting-edge fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
MeitY launched the Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme in 2014 with the objective of enhancing the number of PhDs in the country to compete globally in the knowledge-intensive sectors of Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES). Under the scheme, financial support is provided to Full-time & Part-time PhD candidates and Young Faculty who are undertaking research and technology development. The Scheme also provides infrastructure support to institutions.

MeitY through IndiaAIFutureSkills Pillar aims to increase the number of graduates, postgraduates, and PhD scholars in the AI domain while establishing Data and AI Labs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to offer foundational courses in Data and AI. As part of this initiative, IndiaAI Fellowships are awarded to students pursuing relevant undergraduate and postgraduate programs at Private or Centrally Funded Technical Institutes (CFTIs) recognized by AICTE, NBA, NAAC, or UGC. So far, 150 undergraduate students, 48 postgraduate students, and 3 PhD scholars have been selected for the fellowship. Additionally, IndiaAI has set up Data Labs at NIELIT’s Delhi centre and ICIT, Nagaland, with plans to establish 27 more labs in collaboration with NIELIT across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, details of which are placed in Annexure I.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology Shri Jitin Prasada in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

******

Annexure I

List of Data & AI labs planned by IndiaAI in collaboration with NIELIT in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across the country:

S.No.	NIELIT Centre	State/UT
1	Gorakhpur	Uttar Pradesh
2	Lucknow	Uttar Pradesh
3	Shimla	Himachal Pradesh
4	Aurangabad	Maharashtra
5	Patna	Bihar
6	Buxar	Bihar
7	Muzaffarpur	Bihar
8	Kurukshetra	Haryana
9	Ropar	Punjab
10	Haridwar	Uttarakhand
11	Bikaner	Rajasthan
12	Tezpur	Assam
13	Bhubaneswar	Odisha
14	Calicut	Kerala
15	Guwahati	Assam
16	Itanagar	Arunachal Pradesh
17	Srinagar	J&K
18	Jammu	J&K
19	Ranchi	Jharkhand
20	Imphal	Manipur
21	Gangtok	Sikkim
22	Agartala	Tripura
23	Aizawl	Mizoram
24	Shillong	Meghalaya
25	Kohima	Nagaland
26	Leh	Ladakh
27	Silchar	Assam

Dharmendra Tewari/Navin Sreejith

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(Release ID: 2113095) Visitor Counter : 29

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 20, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Terrorism remains an evolving challenge, use of advanced tech necessitates collaborative & action-oriented approach, says Defence Secretary at 14th meeting of ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism

Source: Government of India

Terrorism remains an evolving challenge, use of advanced tech necessitates collaborative & action-oriented approach, says Defence Secretary at 14th meeting of ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism

Calls for developing a ‘whole of government and whole of society’ approach to counter radicalisation & violent extremism and enhancing legal & financial frameworks to disrupt terror financing networks

Posted On: 19 MAR 2025 5:34PM by PIB Delhi

“India remains steadfast in its zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and believes in an approach that combines robust domestic mechanisms, enhanced intelligence-sharing, and strong regional cooperation,” said Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh during the keynote address at the 14^th meeting of ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) – Plus Experts Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi on March 19, 2025.

The Defence Secretary stated that terrorism remains a dynamic & evolving challenge, with threats increasingly transcending borders, and the use of advanced technology, cyber tools & unmanned systems by terrorist groups necessitates a cohesive, forward looking and action-oriented approach. He added that the Indo-Pacific region, given its geopolitical and economic significance, is particularly vulnerable to transitional terrorism and violent extremism, which calls for a comprehensive, adaptive, and deeply collaborative response.

Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh emphasised that, through the ADMM-Plus platform, India seeks to build synergy among the defence forces, security agencies, and policy frameworks to address emerging threat effectively. “In the complex, hyper-connected & fast-paced world, social and ecological systems are fragile. It is important to assess this risk to empower the Governments in priority setting and decision making. Terrorism can destabilise governments, undermine civil society, and threaten social & economic development. We have a collective obligation to provide the decision-makers guidance to understand uncertainty and better weigh the impact on decision making,” he said.

The event witnessed the handing over of ADMM-Plus EWG on Counter-Terrorism chairmanship to India and Malaysia from Russia and Myanmar for a three-year cycle. The Defence Secretary voiced the commitment of the new co-chairs towards ensuring that the efforts over this cycle yield practical and meaningful results. “By leveraging our collective expertise, enhancing capacity-building, and fostering deeper trust and cooperation, we can significantly strengthen regional security and counter-terrorism preparedness,” he said.

Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh stated that in the present cycle of EWG on Counter-Terrorism, the focus will be on strengthening regional cooperation and improving interoperability among the Armed Forces through structured joint initiatives. He added that the aim will be to counter the misuse of emerging technologies and addressing threats posed by terrorists through use of AI-driven propaganda, encrypted communications, drone technologies. Strengthening cyber resilience against online radicalisation and recruitment efforts will also be a focus area, he said.

Towards the latter half of the cycle, the Defence Secretary said, work will be carried out together towards capacity building through practical exercises wherein Malaysia will conduct a Table-Top Exercise in 2026, facilitating strategic-level decision making simulations to improve Counter-Terrorism planning and preparedness. In 2027, India will host a Field Training Exercise, aimed at stimulating real-world Counter-Terrorism scenarios, enhancing operational coordination, and testing rapid response mechanisms. He called for developing a whole of government and whole of society approach to counter radicalisation & violent extremism and enhancing legal & financial frameworks to disrupt terror financing networks.

Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh congratulated Malaysia for assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN for the year 2025, extending India’s full support. He acknowledged Malaysia’s effort in effectively steering ASEAN under the current geopolitical scenario with the theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’. He added that India is privileged to co-chair this crucial initiative alongside Malaysia, and appreciates the participation of representatives from the ASEAN member states, the Plus nations, the ASEAN Secretariat, and Timor-Leste. “Your presence reaffirms our shared commitment in combating terrorism in all its forms,” he said.

The Defence Secretary termed India’s relationship with ASEAN as a key pillar of its foreign policy, which is at the heart of Act East Policy. He reiterated India’s strong support to a stable and unified ASEAN which serves as an institutional anchor of an important region.

Delegations from 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand) and eight dialogue partners (Australia, New Zealand, RoK, Japan, China, USA and Russia) along with Timor Leste and ASEAN Secretariat are participating in the meeting. India is co-chairing the EWG on Counter-Terrorism for the first time.

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VK/Savvy

(Release ID: 2112877) Visitor Counter : 86

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Cornyn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and John Cornyn, along with Mark Warner, Todd Young, Angus King, and James Lankford, introduced the bipartisan Critical Minerals Security Act to help secure U.S. critical mineral supply chains and counter China’s dominance in the industry.
“The U.S. can’t lead the world in AI, quantum computing, and clean energy with China holding all the cards,” said Hickenlooper. “We can secure our future by working hand in glove with our allies to build a stable supply of critical minerals.”
“Despite the important role critical minerals play in everything from consumer electronics to military defense, we need more information to secure a reliable, long-term supply of these minerals,” said Cornyn. “This legislation would ensure the U.S. and our allies understand how critical minerals are controlled around the world so we can counter foreign countries of concern.”
Specifically, it would direct the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to evaluate the global supply and ownership of critical minerals, establish a process to help U.S. companies divest critical minerals operations in foreign countries, and develop a method for sharing intellectual property for clean mining and processing technologies with U.S. allies and partners.
In the 119th Congress, Hickenlooper has led and co-sponsored multiple other critical minerals related legislation, including:
The bipartisan STRATEGIC Minerals Act to foster critical minerals trade with our international allies, led by Senator Young.
His bipartisan Unearth Innovation Act to establish a DOE program for sustainable critical mineral research innovation and recycling.
His bipartisan Critical Materials Future Act to establish a pilot program for the Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical material processing projects.
Full text is available HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDONESIA – A ‘common vision’ for humanity and peace: Interview with the Indonesian Ambassador to the Holy See on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Agenzi Fides

by Paolo AffatatoRome (Agenzia Fides) – “Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia and the signing of the Istiqlal Declaration last September were a crowning achievement of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the Holy See,” says Michael Trias Kuncahyono, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Holy See, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the Holy See on March 13, 1950. Fides Agency asked him some questions- Ambassador, can you recall the historical and political context in which the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Indonesia took place, 75 years ago?Indonesia had recently completed the journey to gain independence from the Dutch colonizers: Indonesia proclaimed itself independent in 1945. But at that time, however, there were still colonial pressures from European powers, in the specific case of the Dutch. It was then the first native Indonesian bishop, Monsignor Albertus Sugiyopranoto who called on the Vatican to recognize Indonesian independence. Not only because of the assertion of the independence of the State but also because many missionaries were still imprisoned by colonial forces. This fact could have been a good push to get Indonesia’s recognition.- Was the personality of Albertus Sugiyopranoto therefore decisive?A bishop since 1940, he also made an important contribution during the occupation by Japanese forces in 1942, who had arrested priests and nuns. Bishop Sugiyopranoto took a very clear position. When Dutch forces attacked the Indonesians in 1947, he made an impassioned radio address urging Catholics to defend the homeland. He was an advocate for the involvement of Catholics in the independence movement. Meanwhile, he made contact with the Holy See, which sent one of its delegates in December 1947 and initiated direct relations with President Sukarno. Then the Apostolic Delegate, in agreement with Indonesian Vice President Mohamed Atta, dialogued to establish formal relations. Thus on March 13, 1950, the Holy See began diplomatic relations with Indonesia with the status of Apostolic Internunciature, which later became Apostolic Nunciature on December 6, 1966.- What were the respective goals on the two sides in establishing such relations?We know that the Holy See’s diplomacy is different from all other diplomacies in the world. The Vatican ambassador, today the Apostolic Nuncio, is sent to a State not only with the role of an intermediary between states but also to keep in connection and relationship the Church of Rome with the local Church, in the country in which it is located. At that time in Indonesia there was a great growth of the Catholic community, a phenomenon that aroused interest in the Holy See. So there was a need to facilitate the pastoral work and the life of the local Church. There was a need to follow and deepen the apostolic work in Indonesia. The goal of the Holy See is always to take care of the Catholic Church, and the Delegate was the Pope’s representative in this process.Indonesia, for its part, wanted to establish diplomatic relations because, as a very young country, it needed to be recognized in the international community. The international recognition by the Holy See was of immense value: the Holy See was the first European entity to recognize the Indonesian State. This then led other European States to follow the example. It was a decisive step.- Was the Catholic Church then already established in Indonesia? In what forms and with what configuration?The Catholic religion in Indonesia was already a well-established community, mainly thanks to some missionaries and “spiritual fathers” of the community, such as the Jesuit Franciscus Van Lith, who had been very involved in the apostolate of education, opening schools in Java, a work that was highly appreciated by Indonesian society at the time. The first Indonesian Bishop Sugiyopranoto was one of Father Van Lith’s students. Further east in the Flores area, then, a Catholic presence was already established thanks to the Portuguese. Let us remember that Christianity had arrived as early as the 7th century, and then in the 16th century several missionaries from Portugal had landed in Indonesia including Francis Xavier, passing through the Moluccas on his way to China.In addition, the fact that Indonesia, at its birth in 1945, was founded on the “Pancasila” the charter of five principles, one of which was faith in God; and that it adopted the principle of “diverse but one”: this made the Holy See realize that there was fertile ground in which all religions had a chance to flourish.- Was the “unity in diversity” approach a crucial point?That principle was the catalyst in diplomatic relations. But others, such as equality and brotherhood, are also in harmony with Christian values. The founding fathers were quite far-sighted in considering that a nation so rich in different cultures, ethnicities and religions could only survive by staying true to the motto “unity in diversity.” Pope Pius XII already appreciated this and Pope Francis also reiterated it, saying that the model should be taken as an example, especially in countries where there is great pluralism and it is difficult to remain united: we are different but we are brothers.- In Indonesian history, in designing the architecture of the Republic, the choice was made not to build a mono-religious state…It was: the first of the five founding principles was “faith in one God,” then that phrase should have continued by saying “in the Islamic way.” There was a great debate about it, then it was decided to leave only “faith in one God.” Mohammad Atta, the vice president, who was a Muslim and came from Padang a strongly Islamic city, pointed it out clearly because, he said, “we have to remain united.” It was a forward-looking vision.- What common points do you see between Indonesia and the Holy See today in their respective political and cultural approaches?Politically, Indonesia and the Holy See find themselves in a policy that is always in favor of humanity. The Holy See does not work for the maintenance of temporal power but for the development of man, his dignity and rights. I think Indonesia also has the same approach, as the Pancasila and our Constitution say, promoting equality, freedom, democracy as well as peace. These are points that Indonesia and the Holy See have in common.- Is there a common vision also in the use of the instrument of diplomacy?In the instrument of diplomacy, the aspect we have in common can be seen in the founding principles, such as freedom from colonialism and the promotion of peace: we see this in scenarios such as the Middle East, Ukraine, Myanmar. The “diplomacy of hope,” mentioned by Pope Francis in his recent address to the Diplomatic Corps, we understood it as diplomacy that wants to improve the world in a harmonious and comprehensive way. Hope must start from trust, which is the basis of relations between states. Hope for peace in the various conflict scenarios is generated on the basis of trust between the interlocutors.- What did Pope Francis’ trip to Indonesia in 2024 mean?Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia and the signing of the Istiqlal Declaration last September was a crowning achievement of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the Holy See. Not all countries with which the Holy See has relations are visited by the pontiff. And three Popes have visited Indonesia – Pope St. Paul VI (1970), Pope St. John Paul II (1989) and Pope Francis (2024).The trip was not perceived as a trip reserved for the Catholic community, but was perceived as a visit to all Indonesians, who welcomed the Pope with great warmth. The Pope became a model of a leader to follow: he was easy-going, showed himself in a non-luxury car, was always very humble, and stopped to greet everyone. Indonesia showed its true face, a plural face, composed of people of different cultures and religions who welcomed the Pope warmly and enthusiastically. Today, at the time of his illness, so many write to me, not only Catholics but also Muslims, saying: let us pray for him.- What do you hope for the future?We want to strengthen more and more the relations between Indonesia and the Holy See: and, since there is no political and economic aspect, to do it through culture. We intend to make the pluralism of Indonesian culture and its peaceful face better known. The Holy See is, for us, also a gateway to the rest of the world. Another field of fruitful cooperation is that of interreligious dialogue, according to the vision of Pope Francis. These are the paths for future relations. (Agenzia Fides, 18/3/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Massive brain drain from EU universities is an existential threat to Europe’s future – E-001033/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001033/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Nikos Pappas (The Left)

The European Union is facing a growing brain drain crisis, with the best young scientists, researchers and academics leaving Europe for countries such as the USA, Canada and China. This exodus undermines the EU’s strategic autonomy and its ability to innovate and compete globally.

Despite investments through Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, the reality is that funding is not enough to make European universities competitive alongside the world’s top institutions. Low salaries, a lack of cutting-edge research opportunities and cumbersome bureaucratic procedures discourage young scientists from staying or returning to Europe.

Given that this trend poses a serious threat to the EU’s knowledge economy and its leadership in key areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and climate innovation:

1.Does the Commission recognise brain drain from EU universities as a critical issue for the future of the Union?

2.How does the Commission intend to incorporate into the upcoming review of Horizon Europe mechanisms that will enhance the attraction and retention of scientific talent in Europe, preventing the brain drain of young researchers to third countries?

3.Is the Commission considering the creation of specific funds or targeted programmes to support the European academic community?

Submitted: 10.3.2025
Last updated: 19 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How Canadian small businesses can expand into Asian markets and reduce their dependence on the U.S.

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael Joseph Dominic Roberts, Associate Dean & Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Communications Studies, Mount Royal University

The recent escalation of trade tensions under United States President Donald Trump has significantly increased uncertainty for Canadian SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises), particularly in the high-value service sector.

Examples of this sector include financial technology and investment services, aerospace and advanced manufacturing, and clean technology sectors focused on renewable energy and sustainable resource management.

For decades, Canadian businesses have relied on a stable trade relationship with the U.S. But under Trump’s “America First” protectionist policies, that stability has crumbled.

With tariffs, trade barriers and shifting political dynamics making North American markets increasingly unpredictable, many Canadian businesses are searching for ways to reduce their dependence on the U.S. and expand elsewhere.

Expanding into Asia

Asia has emerged as an attractive alternative for businesses due to its rapidly expanding middle class, growing investments in infrastructure and technology, and rising demand for specialized expertise.

This trend is particularly evident in the energy sector. The Asia-Pacific region — though currently accounting for only eight per cent of the global market — is expected to grow significantly as countries expand energy infrastructure and seek advanced technologies to improve resource extraction for environmental sustainability.

Read more:
Trump’s tariff threat is a sign that Canada should be diversifying beyond the U.S.

This presents promising growth opportunities for Canadian businesses in sectors like engineering consulting, technology, energy and environmental services, where they already have a competitive edge.

However, entering Asian markets presents unique challenges, requiring businesses to rethink their strategies.

Breaking into Asian markets

Expanding into Asian markets is no easy task for SMEs. These businesses face substantial barriers, including significant differences in regulatory environments, business practices and customer expectations.

For service-based businesses, the challenge is even greater. Unlike physical products, which can be easily displayed and tested, services are harder to quantify and prove to new clients. This makes it more difficult for SMEs to build credibility and demonstrate their value in unfamiliar markets.

Our recent study explored how Canadian SMEs in the service sector can successfully overcome these barriers when entering Asian markets like China, India and South Korea.

We brought together industry experts, government officials and senior executives from SMEs already operating successfully in Asia for a two-day workshop. We analyzed their firsthand experiences, challenges and recommendations to develop a clear and actionable framework called the 4P strategy (potential, proposition, presence and policy).

These four steps offer SMEs a structured approach to understanding local conditions, differentiating offerings, establishing trusted partnerships and gaining government support.

1. Potential: Understand the local market

SMEs must understand Asian market regulations, business culture and market structures. Unlike North America’s relatively stable environment, Asian markets often feature rapidly evolving regulations and unpredictable policy changes.

Businesses should balance these regulatory uncertainties against economic opportunities and be prepared to swiftly adapt when necessary. For example, policy changes in Asian markets, such as shifting foreign investment regulations or evolving environmental standards, can create uncertainty for SMEs operating abroad.

Companies must remain agile to navigate regulatory shifts while leveraging the relative economic stability of the region.

Patience and flexibility are also critical. In many Asian markets, business deals take longer to close due to hierarchical, relationship-driven decision-making. SMEs should anticipate these extended timelines and factor them into their planning.

Our study found that deals that might be finalized quickly in North America can take years to develop in Asia, requiring firms to exercise patience before realizing significant profits. Successful market entry depends on a long-term approach and the ability to adapt to extended gestation periods.

2. Proposition: Adapt services to fit local needs

SMEs need to localize their offerings beyond language translation, adapting their branding, marketing and customer-engagement strategies to fit local contexts.

A clearly defined and differentiated service offering is critical. Businesses must clearly define what sets them apart from local competitors and ensure their services address specific market needs.

Pricing strategies should also align with local market expectations. Many Asian markets, especially in business-to-business services, are highly price-sensitive. SMEs must balance competitive pricing with value.

In some cases, businesses may need to use performance-based pricing models — where clients pay based on results rather than a fixed fee — to remain competitive while protecting profit margins.

3. Presence: Build a local network and partnerships

A strong local presence is vital for success in Asia. SMEs should invest in trusted local partnerships or regional offices to build credibility, facilitate smoother operations and better understand local customer needs.

Relationships play a central role in doing business in Asia. Unlike in North America, where successful transactions often lead to partnerships, in Asia, relationships must be built first.

This relationship-first approach is deeply embedded in business culture, requiring firms to prioritize long-term engagement over immediate gains. Research has shown that trust-building is essential for long-term success in Asian markets, as strong relationships ultimately lead to transactions.

Canadian SMEs entering these markets should be prepared to shift their approach, recognizing that sustained commitment and relationship-building are key to unlocking business opportunities.

4. Policy: Take advantage of government support

Many Canadian SMEs underestimate the extent of available government support and miss out on resources that reduce risks and make it easier to establish a foothold abroad.

Our study found that SMEs expanding to Asia can access valuable support from government departments and trade commissioners at Canadian embassies. In energy services subsectors, government and non-governmental organizations can assist SMEs in forming partnerships with Asian firms.

Additionally, agencies like Export Development Canada offer training, financial support and market-entry resources that many SMEs overlook. Taking advantage of these programs can help businesses navigate regulatory challenges and accelerate their international expansion.

Government-backed programs also support research, development and technology adaptation to help businesses tailor their services to local markets. Our study found that making use of these resources reduces barriers, lowers entry risks and significantly enhances businesses’ likelihood of success in Asia.

Seizing the opportunity

Rather than merely serving as an alternative to the increasingly restrictive U.S. market, Asia presents significant growth opportunities for Canadian SMEs but demands strategic patience, adaptability and sustained commitment.

However, success in Asia won’t come overnight. Unlike the relatively familiar North American market, expanding into Asia requires a patience, adaptability and a willingness to learn a different business culture.

By adopting the 4P strategies, Canadian businesses can effectively navigate market-entry barriers and position themselves for success in an era of shifting global trade dynamics.

Etayankara Muralidharan receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Michael Joseph Dominic Roberts does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How Canadian small businesses can expand into Asian markets and reduce their dependence on the U.S. – https://theconversation.com/how-canadian-small-businesses-can-expand-into-asian-markets-and-reduce-their-dependence-on-the-u-s-251991

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: The Australian economy has changed dramatically since 2000 – the way we work now is radically different

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland

The most striking feature of the Australian economy in the 21st century has been the exceptionally long period of fairly steady, though not rapid, economic growth.

The deep recession of 1989–91, and the painfully slow recovery that followed, led most observers to assume another recession was inevitable sooner or later.

And nearly everywhere in the developed world, the Global Financial Crisis of 2007–08 did lead to recessions comparable in length and severity to the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Through a combination of good luck and good management, Australia avoided recession, at least as measured by the commonly used criterion of two successive quarters of negative GDP growth.

Recessions cause unemployment to rise in the short run. Even after recessions end, the economy often remains on a permanently lower growth path.

Good management – and good luck

The crucial example of good management was the use of expansionary fiscal policy in response to both the financial crisis and the COVID pandemic. Governments supported households with cash payments as well as increasing their own spending.

The most important piece of good luck was the rise of China and its appetite for Australian mineral exports, most notably iron ore.

This demand removed the concerns about trade deficits that had driven policy in the 1990s, and has continued to provide an important source of export income. Mining is also an important source of government revenue, though this is often overstated.

Still more fortunately, the Chinese response to the Global Financial Crisis, like that in Australia, was one of massive fiscal stimulus. The result was that both domestic demand and export demand were sustained through the crisis.

The shift to an information economy

The other big change, shared with other developed countries, has been the replacement of the 20th century industrial economy with an economy dominated by information and information-intensive services.

The change in the industrial makeup of the economy can be seen in occupational data.

In the 20th century, professional and managerial workers were a rarefied elite. Now they are the largest single occupational group at nearly 40% of all workers. Clerical, sales and other service workers account for 33% and manual workers (trades, labourers, drivers and so on) for only 28%.

The results are evident in the labour market. First, the decline in the relative share of the male-dominated manual occupations has been reflected in a gradual convergence in the labour force participation rates of men (declining) and women (increasing).

Suddenly, work from home was possible

Much more striking than this gradual trend was the (literally) overnight shift to remote work that took place with the arrival of COVID lockdowns.

Despite the absence of any preparation, it turned out the great majority of information work could be done anywhere workers could find a desk and an internet connection.

The result was a massive benefit to workers. They were freed from their daily commute, which has been estimated as equivalent to an 8–10% increase in wages, and better able to juggle work and family commitments.

Despite strenuous efforts by managers, remote or hybrid work has remained common among information workers.

CEOs regularly demand a return to full-time office work. But few if any have been prepared to pay the wage premium that would be required to retain their most valuable (and mobile) employees without the flexibility of hybrid or remote work.

The employment miracle

The confluence of all these trends has produced an outcome that seemed unimaginable in the year 2000: a sustained period of near-full employment. That is defined by a situation in which almost anyone who wants a job can get one.

The unemployment rate has dropped from 6.8% in 2000 to around 4%. While this is higher than in the post-war boom of the 1950s and 1960s, this is probably inevitable given the greater diversity of both the workforce and the range of jobs available.

Matching workers to jobs was relatively easy in an industrial economy where large factories employed thousands of workers. It’s much harder in an information economy where job categories include “Instagram influencer” and “search engine optimiser”.

As we progress through 2025, it is possible all this may change rapidly, for better or for worse.

The chaos injected into the global economy by the Trump Administration will radically reshape patterns of trade.

Meanwhile the rise of artificial intelligence holds out the promise of greatly increased productivity – but also the threat of massive job destruction. Economists, at least, will be busy for quite a while to come.

John Quiggin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The Australian economy has changed dramatically since 2000 – the way we work now is radically different – https://theconversation.com/the-australian-economy-has-changed-dramatically-since-2000-the-way-we-work-now-is-radically-different-249942

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 20, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: In 2000, Australia was defined by the Olympics, border politics and reconciliation. So what really has changed?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Visitor, School of History, Australian National University

The world had its eyes on Sydney in 2000. A million people lined the harbour to ring in the new millennium (though some said it was actually the final year of the old one) on January 1.

US television reporters called it “the biggest party in Australian history”. Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, whose corporation seemed to represent the coming age, was among those watching on.

Sydney offered not only a world-leading party, but also a litmus test for the much-feared Y2K bug, which threatened to knock planes out of the sky and bring the global economy to a halt. Australia and New Zealand were said to be the “tripwire for the world’s computer systems”.

It was fine in the end, although plenty of work had in fact been undertaken behind the scenes to make Australia’s systems more millennium-proof than they might have been.

This was arguably the defining feature of Australia in the year 2000: a confident display for the world concealing a lot of angst and uncertainty. Australia was the “oldest continent on Earth”, the US broadcasters told their viewers, but it was “much more of an Asian nation”, and much closer to the rest of the world “thanks to technology”.

Those confident claims would probably have surprised many Australians. Theirs was an old country trying to keep up with a new, interconnected world, and also a relatively young one trying to reconcile itself with the ancient cultures that its settler forebears had dispossessed.

A curated Australia

In September, the world’s sporting and political elite, followed by a train of journalists, arrived in Sydney for the 2000 Olympic Games. It had been years in the making, and every level of government was involved. There were no fewer than 47,000 volunteers.

There was something for everyone in the well-curated opening ceremony. The event opened with the crack of a stockman’s whip and a fleet of flag-waving bushmen on horseback. There were highly sanitised displays of European arrival, pastoral settlement and a tribute to an armour-clad colonial Victorian bushranger that must have baffled those viewers watching from abroad who had not seen a Sidney Nolan painting before.

Ancient stories and new cultural sensibilities were on display too. There were stylised performances of the Dreaming, striking First Nations dances and the distinctive sounds of the didgeridoo. A section entitled “Arrivals” recognised the importance of migration in the nation’s story.

A young Aboriginal sprinter, Cathy Freeman, lit the cauldron in what became one of the iconic images of the year. The cauldron’s hydraulics unfortunately got stuck as it ascended, and the flame was mere seconds from snuffing out in what could have been a global embarrassment. But big ambitions incur big risks.

This global performance of Australian-ness was arrestingly simple: that of a nation confident in its own diversity and capable of catering to everyone’s tastes.

Even the musical selections seemed to reconcile the needs of the youth (with performances from a young Vanessa Amorosi and even younger Nikki Webster), and the more mature (represented by John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John).

Australia’s athletes had their best ever showing with 58 medals, including Freeman’s own gold.

Not quite comfortable, not quite relaxed

The Olympics masked as much as they revealed.

In 2000, many white Australians still weren’t sure if theirs was, or should be, a multicultural society.

The reactionary Pauline Hanson was out of parliament for the time being, but her One Nation Party had won 7.5% of the vote in New South Wales in the March 1999 state election, and nearly 23% of the vote in Queensland the year before.

Eight weeks before millennium day, Australians had roundly rejected two referendum proposals, one to become a republic, and for a Constitutional preamble that, among other things, recognised Indigenous Australians as “the nation’s first people”.

But whether Hanson liked it or not, her lifetime had coincided with great demographic and social change.

In 1976, roughly 1.8% of the population said they were born in Asia or the Middle East. In the 2001 census, 1.6% of the population were born in China or Vietnam alone, and many more were the descendants of migrants from these places.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population had more than doubled over the same period, while those identifying as Christian decreased from nearly 79% in 1976 to 56% in 2001.

This increasingly diverse Australia claimed to be on a journey to “reconciliation”. That process had been sorely tested during the nasty debates about land rights and the Stolen Generations.

Corroboree 2000, held on May 27 in Sydney, saw the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and the nation’s political leaders present their visions for the next phase of national healing. The leaders symbolically left their handprints on a “reconciliation canvas”.

The following day, 250,000 Australians walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a moving display of togetherness. John Howard, the prime minister, declined to participate.

But his treasurer, Peter Costello, made a point of showing up for a similar event in Melbourne that December, leading Victorian Liberals and another 200,000 or so Australians.

Their different approaches showed that the past was still a troubling present. Howard rebuffed suggestions of a treaty between Indigenous and settler Australians and maintained his refusal to apologise on behalf of the Commonwealth to the Stolen Generations, though all the states had done so by this time.

The idea of such an apology was not as popular then as it seemed later on. The prime minister was sensitive to the fact that his was “an unpopular view with a lot of people”, but an opinion poll in The Australian newspaper showed a majority of voters were opposed to a national apology.

Two survivors of the Stolen Generations, Peter Gunner and Lorna Cubillo, sued the Commonwealth for damages in 2000, giving their opponents the chance to challenge the legitimacy of their experiences. None of this looked like a nation that was as “comfortable and relaxed” as Howard had hoped it would be under his watch.

Border politics

Australian collective memory often gravitates toward 2001, the year of the Tampa affair and the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York.

But Australia’s border was already highly politicised in 2000.

In January, a boat arrived from Indonesia carrying 54 Christians fleeing religious conflict. They spent ten weeks at Port Hedland Immigration Detention facility, from which 39 went back to Indonesia and only 15 moved on to Adelaide to build new lives.

Port Hedland and other detention centres made the news for all the wrong reasons. There were riots, hunger strikes and multiple breakouts. Authorities responded with upgraded security perimeters, character checks, and strip searches without warrants.

Frustrated refugees set fire to South Australia’s Woomera facility, which former prime minister Malcolm Fraser publicly condemned as a “hell-hole”.

In an end-of-year reflection for The Age newspaper, Gary Tippet said there had been a “touch of mean-spiritedness” about the handling of it all. Chris Wallace rightly suggests 2000 was a crucial moment in the “march towards an absolute offshore, extraterritorial approach” to refugees in Australia.

In the intervening quarter-century, Australian officials have made mean-spiritedness an art form at the border and on the seas.

First-rate democracy, third-rate economy

Compared to the many legal challenges that came out of the US presidential contest in November 2000, Australia’s elections looked pretty smooth and sensible. The US seemed to have a backward democracy grafted onto its world-leading, information-age economy.

Australia looked the opposite: a first-rate democracy with what looked increasingly like a “branch-office economy”.

Reformers had tried for 20 years to make Australia efficient and competitive, but as one editorial in The Australian Financial Review explained, the country still suffered from its “old economy image”.

The tech boom would soon become the tech wreck.
Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Certainly, Australia still sold its minerals and farm products to the world in exchange for quality cars and cutting-edge computers.

With global capitalists still enthralled by the global tech boom (though it was soon to become the “tech wreck”), they had little need for the Aussie dollar.

The currency’s value declined through the year to just 50 US cents, and it would fall further in the following months. On its own, this mattered little, but a quarter of negative growth at the end of the year meant, as Paul Kelly later wrote, an “election-year recession” seemed a “real threat”.

In the meantime, the much-debated Goods and Services Tax took effect around midnight on June 30 (a few hours later for businesses trading through the night).

The 10% consumption tax was a big deal. Costello said in his memoir the “prices of three billion products were to change all at the same time”.

The measure was politically brave, but soon became unpopular, helping raise petrol prices and alienate small business owners.

The punters were pretty confident the Howard government was heading for defeat in 2001. They were wrong.

Between the old and new

The pace of social change accelerated from 2000.

In the 2021 census, 2.6% of the population said they were born in India, and a further 3.2% in China and Vietnam. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians had more than doubled over two decades, such that they made up 3.2% of the total population in 2021.

People increasingly related to their economy differently, too. Half of the workforce had been unionised in the 1980s, but coverage fell to roughly a quarter in 2000 and just 12.5% in 2022.

These and other changes make our politics look different from that of 25 years ago. Nailbiter elections are now more common than thumping majorities and attitudes toward the once-feared “minority government” have softened.

For all that, many of the challenges of 2000 are still with us.

Many Australians are less tolerant of overt racism than they once were, but the 2023 Voice referendum and our offshore detention regime remind us that race still matters in this country.

Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations in 2008, but Treaty and Truth-Telling are left unresolved.

And for all our talk about human capital and the digital economy, resources make up a much higher share of our total export mix today than in 2000.

A quarter-century on, Australia is still caught between the old and the new.

Dr Joshua Black is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Australia Institute.

– ref. In 2000, Australia was defined by the Olympics, border politics and reconciliation. So what really has changed? – https://theconversation.com/in-2000-australia-was-defined-by-the-olympics-border-politics-and-reconciliation-so-what-really-has-changed-250791

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, colleagues introduce bipartisan bill to strengthen medical supply chains

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act, bipartisan legislation to jump start trade negotiations to ensure that hospitals, doctors, and patients have access to critical medical goods. U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) introduced companion legislation in the House.
“Life-threatening shortages of testing kits, drugs, and masks during the COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how fragile our medical supply chains are. If we are caught off-guard like we were during COVID once again, more Americans will die,” said Senator Coons. “Working with our most trusted trading partners to make our supply chains more resilient will strengthen our response to future public health emergencies while ensuring that health care providers have access to essential medical products and patients have access to life-saving care.”
“The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is a critical step toward ensuring that America’s healthcare providers have reliable access to the essential supplies they need,” said Senator Tillis. “By strengthening trade partnerships with our allies and expanding domestic manufacturing, we can enhance our nation’s preparedness for future health challenges. I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort to reinforce our medical supply chains and protect public health.”
“America’s medical supply chains rely heavily on China, posing risks to U.S. national security and public health,” said Senator Bennet. “Our bipartisan bill will address this vulnerability by authorizing the president to deepen relationships with our trading partners.”
“During the pandemic, the U.S. faced severe shortages of medical supplies due to overreliance on foreign adversaries like China,” said Senator Cornyn. “This legislation would allow the U.S. to engage in trade negotiations with trusted allies for medical goods and services, helping ensure we’re better prepared to respond to future global health crises.”
“The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is the type of positive approach to trade America must embrace to deepen its economic partnerships with key allies,” said Brad Wood, Senior Director for Trade and Innovation Policy, National Foreign Trade Council.“By empowering the United States Trade Representative to negotiate new agreements with trusted trade partners, the United States has the opportunity to strengthen supply chain security, support U.S. innovation and jobs, and, ultimately, improve health outcomes. It is critically important that the United States collaborate with its allies to support the public health demands of our populations and prepare to meet the challenges of the next global health emergency. NFTC applauds Senators Tillis, Coons, Cornyn, and Bennet for championing this legislation, and urges Congress to support its swift passage.”
“Premier commends Senators Thom Tillis, Chris Coons, John Cornyn and Michael Bennet and Representatives Brad Schneider and Nicole Malliotakis for their bipartisan leadership in reinforcing the resilience of our nation’s healthcare supply chain,” said Soumi Saha, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Premier Inc. “Building a stronger, more sustainable, and secure supply chain demands a balanced approach – expanding domestic manufacturing while fostering strategic trade partnerships. The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is a critical step toward this goal by enabling the designation of trusted trade partners to diversify sourcing for medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Ensuring providers have reliable access to the essential supplies needed to deliver quality patient care is a paramount priority for our nation.”
“The Chamber strongly supports the Medical Supply Chain Resilience Act, which will strengthen supply chains for medical goods and services while bolstering manufacturing in the U.S. and among our close allies and partners,” said John Murphy, Senior Vice President for International Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Enhancing the resilience of medical supply chains is important to both our public health and our national security. The bill would direct the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate trade agreements with trusted allies to eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers that weaken the U.S. medical goods manufacturing base and that of our allies. These agreements would also support intellectual property protection, regulatory cooperation, and collaboration on public and private R&D efforts. Only close allies and partners would qualify for such agreements. Close consultation with the legislative branch would be essential, and Congress would retain a right to disapprove any agreements. This is practical legislation that, if enacted, will apply lessons learned in the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen America’s health preparedness. The Chamber urges Congress to pass it into law.”
“Authorizing the administration to negotiate meaningful trade agreements with trusted partners, including the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, would reduce trade barriers and strengthen medical supply chains. The biopharmaceutical industry, whose exports exceeded $101 billion in 2023, welcomes the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act and encourages the administration to embrace this pathway to expand trade with allies,” said PhRMA.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges for supply chains around the world, disproportionately hampering health care providers’ access to medical devices, treatments, and equipment at a time when these products were desperately needed. By expanding U.S. engagement with our allies across the globe, this legislation would combat shortages of medical products and supplies by strengthening supply chain resiliency and safeguarding against future health crises.
You can read the full text of the bill here.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Earth’s lungs are choking on plastic and smoke – scientists hope to unblock them

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

Martin.Dlugo/Shutterstock

A graph I saw in high school appeared to show the Earth breathing.

It was a graph that plotted carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the course of the 20th century and into the 21st. CO₂ had risen steadily, and then more rapidly, but it hadn’t gone up in a straight line. Each year it had fallen sharply before rising to a new peak, increasing over time in an upwards zig-zag.

What explained this annual, temporary fall in CO₂, the gas that is overwhelmingly responsible for climate change? The answer was photosynthesis, my physics teacher explained – the miracle by which plants turn light and CO₂ into food.

This is how our planet has regulated atmospheric carbon for longer than our species has existed. Fossil fuels are disrupting this equilibrium in several ways.

This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed.

Spring is dawning in the northern hemisphere, where most of the planet’s green land is situated. Trees are unfurling leaves that will soak up carbon in the air and turn it into new bark, roots and branches. On a global scale, it’s like a gigantic inhalation of carbon. In autumn, when trees shed their leaves, Earth will exhale again.

The air we all breathe is increasingly polluted by fossil fuels. That includes products of fossil fuels, like plastic, which is now so ubiquitous that research suggests simply breathing can introduce microscopic fragments into your brain.

Read more:
Breathing may introduce microplastics to the brain – new study

Something similar is happening in plants – and it could have global consequences.

Plants are losing their appetite

“Microplastics are hindering photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert energy from the sun into the fruit and vegetables we eat,” says Denis J. Murphy, an emeritus professor of biotechnology at the University of South Wales.

“This threatens massive losses in crop and seafood production over the coming decades that could mean food shortages for hundreds of millions of people.”

Photosynthetic algae feed the fish that ultimately feed us.
Sinhyu Photographer/Shutterstock

These are the conclusions of a recent study by researchers in China, Germany and the US. Murphy wasn’t involved, but his own research with plant cells – which the tiniest microplastics can infiltrate, and damage the organs involved in photosynthesis – has him worried.

Read more:
Microplastics: are they poisoning crops and jeopardising food production?

“Given the potential (albeit speculative) risk to global food production, more priority should be given to rigorous scientific research of microplastics and their effects on both crops and the marine life that supports fish and seafood stocks,” he says.

Not so long ago, people wondered if our fossil fuel habit might actually benefit plant photosynthesis. After all, plants eat CO₂. Flooding the atmosphere with more of it each year could only whet their appetites, right?

“The amount of CO₂ used by photosynthesis and stored in vegetation and soils has grown over the past 50 years, and now absorbs at least a quarter of human emissions in an average year,” say ecologists Amanda Cavanagh (University of Essex) and Caitlin Moore (University of Western Australia).

Most of this extra carbon absorption has come from crops and young trees, the pair say, less from mature forests where a lot of the world’s carbon is stored. Cavanagh and Moore say this carbon pump is slowing down, as the other necessary ingredients for photosynthesis – soil nutrients and water – have fallen or stayed the same.

Read more:
Carbon dioxide feeds plants, but are earth’s plants getting full?

Microplastics could slow the rate at which plants remove carbon further. And then there are the effects of climate change, like drought, fires and floods, which will intensify as long as we continue burning fossil fuels.

After monitoring forests and shrublands in Australia for 20 years, Moore and a team of six colleagues concluded that these ecosystems are at risk of losing their ability to bounce back, and continue absorbing carbon, after successive climate disasters.

Read more:
In 20 years of studying how ecosystems absorb carbon, here’s why we’re worried about a tipping point of collapse

Hacking photosynthesis

We may have done plenty to reduce global photosynthesis, but a team of scientists at the University of Oxford and the Fraunhofer Society in Germany is trying to turn things around. How? By hacking plants to help them get more out of the process.

“You would be forgiven for thinking nature has perfected the art of turning sunlight into sugar,” say Jonathan Menary, Sebastian Fuller and Stefan Schillberg.

“But that isn’t exactly true. If you struggle with life goals, it might reassure you to know even plants haven’t yet reached their full potential.”

The team say that plants tend to convert less than 5% of sunlight into new tissue – often as little as 1%. That’s because of a mistake plants regularly make, in which an enzyme involved in photosynthesis latches on to oxygen instead of CO₂.

“If we could prevent this mistake, it would leave plants more energy for photosynthesis,” they say.

Read more:
How scientists are helping plants get the most out of photosynthesis

Cyanobacteria are Earth’s most ancient photosynthesisers. Menary, Fuller and Schillberg say these microscopic organisms could possess useful genes for better sunlight management that might benefit crops like rice and potato plants. Another technique involves helping plants recover from high light exposure quicker.

Young potato plants in bloom.
George Trumpeter/Shutterstock

More efficient photosynthesis, with the help of gene editing and other tools, is not “a silver bullet”, the team stress. Certainly not while fossil fuels continue to drown our green planet in carbon it cannot metabolise.

However, this work is likely to prove useful as farmers seek to grow more in an increasingly volatile environment, while sparing enough land for nature.

“This research is about making sure we can grow enough food to feed ourselves,” the team say.

– ref. Earth’s lungs are choking on plastic and smoke – scientists hope to unblock them – https://theconversation.com/earths-lungs-are-choking-on-plastic-and-smoke-scientists-hope-to-unblock-them-252549

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: The CBSA launches investigations into the alleged dumping of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin from China and Pakistan and its subsidization by China

Source: Government of Canada News

March 19, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that it is initiating investigations to determine whether polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin originating in or exported from China and Pakistan is being sold at unfair prices in Canada and whether PET resin originating in or exported from China is being subsidized. These practices can harm Canadian industries by undercutting Canadian prices, which undermines fair competition.

The CBSA is investigating because of a complaint filed with the CBSA by Compagnie Alpek Polyester Canada (Alpek). Alpek alleges that as a result of an increase in the volume of the dumped and subsidized imports, they have suffered material injury in the form of price undercutting, price depression, lost sales, lost market share, reduced net income and profitability, and reduced employment.

The CBSA and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) both play a role in the investigations. The CITT will begin a preliminary inquiry to determine whether the imports are harming Canadian producers and will issue a decision by May 16, 2025. Concurrently, the CBSA will investigate whether the imports are being sold in Canada at unfair prices and/or are being subsidized, and will make a preliminary decision by June 17, 2025.

Currently, there are 158 special import measures in force in Canada, covering a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. These measures have directly helped to protect approximately 31,000 Canadian jobs and $11.6 billion in Canadian production.

MIL OSI Canada News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: European defence spending: three technical reasons for political cooperation

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesco Grillo, Academic Fellow, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University

How much would it really cost the European Union to defend itself against aggression? In the immediate term, that question, of course makes us think of Russia, but we can no longer exclude multiple other possibilities, including the potential need to defend territory – say, Greenland – from a former ally.

How much would it cost to defend Europe if we added in the need to defend the UK, Norway, Turkey or even Canada – and any other Nato country willing to pool resources to fill the void left by US disengagement? Is there an intelligent way to avoid painful trade-offs between this and, say, spending on healthcare or education?

It looks like EU institutions are finally “doing something” (as former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi recently asked them to do). They may even break the taboo of raising common debt in order to increase spending on joint defence procurements.

Yet, it also seems they are about to launch a plan that could change the very nature of the European Union without even tackling the question of its financial feasibility. The answer to how joint defence can be paid for certainly doesn’t come from the plan that the European Commission has unveiled on “rearming Europe”. At the very last line of that statement, a figure of €800 billion is posited, but it is not clear how the sum was calculated and quite a few critical qualifications are missing.

The debate over how much it costs to prevent a war (which is a very different notion from fighting one), has been dominated by what I would call “the fallacy of the percentage of GDP”.

In 2014 (at the time of Russia’s annexation of Crimea), the leaders of Nato countries agreed to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence (specifying that retirement benefits to veterans should be included). Yet by 2022, the overall ratio for Nato defence spending had, in fact, shrunk from 2.58% of GDP to 2.51% (thanks to the sharp reduction in the percentage of GDP contributed by the US). And, according to the European Defence Agency, the EU is spending around €279 billion, which is 1.6% of its GDP. Most likely, the €800 billion figure that European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was citing in her communique is simply an estimate of how much it would yield to increase that spending up to 2% of GDP for each of the next ten years.

Politicians sometimes need to make back-of-the-envelope calculations, but I would argue that here it points to a much broader problem. Europe hasn’t yet bothered to try to develop a strategy for how this additional money would be spent. A proper strategy should, in fact, start from three key technical considerations. To which I would add a no-less important political one.

1. Spending smart is better than spending big

Technologies (including AI) are radically changing the equation. The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza demonstrate that cheap drones are now the key to modern warfare – not super expensive F35 strike fighters. Why spend billions designing, building and maintaining 2,500 F35s when a drone the size of a mobile phone can cross enemy lines unnoticed?

In a world in which data is a weapon, and a large-scale attack can be mounted by taking remote control of pagers, what generals call “supremacy” doesn’t necessarily belong to the biggest spender.

Israel’s military budget is one-third that of Saudi Arabia, yet it dominates the Middle East because its perpetual state of conflict forces innovation. Russia spends less than half of the 27 EU member states, but it has much more experience in hacking other countries’ infrastructures. The EU spends as much as China, but China invests more than twice in research and development and is the world’s largest exporter of drones as a result.

2. Spending together is better value

The European parliament estimates that merging the 27 member states’ defence budgets would free up €56 billion (which is a third of what the defence bonds proposed by the Commission would raise).

Yet the trend is to spend more alone than together. According to the European Defence Agency, the bloc has more than doubled its expenditure on new digital technologies; yet the percentage of that going into joint projects between member states fell from 11% before Ukraine’s invasion to 6.5% in 2023.

Joint tech spending in Europe.
Vision, CC BY-ND

3. Homegrown suddenly looks safer

Any common defence would also have to rely on “buying European” as much as possible. The F35 fighter jet is another good example here. Denmark agreed to buy 27 of them (to the tune of around €3 billion) with an idea to station four of them in Greenland. The problem is that, according to the former president of the Munich security conference Wolfgang Ischinger, they cannot even take off if remotely disabled by the US. Again, Europe is not walking the walk. The share of equipment that European nations import from the US has massively increased in the last five years.

A new era for the union

Defence is probably the most important issue when talking about the Europe of the future. It provides a concrete opportunity to fill a technological gap out of the necessity to do so. Spending on defence in the interests of self-protection may have longer-term benefits beyond the military arena. It has been often the case that military research leads to major breakthroughs that can applied in public services. Who knows. Military innovations with drone or AI technology on today’s battlefields could lead to beneficial uses in peace time.

The historic opportunity to transform the way we protect ourselves may even force a radical rethinking of not just the EU treaties but of the nature of the EU. The idea of the “coalition of the willing” may, indeed, push Europe towards an alliance which does not include some of its members (such as Hungary) but does include non-members like the UK, Norway and even Turkey. New arrangements will need to be pragmatically flexible.

Europeans need much more strategy, whereas we now largely have rhetorical announcements with little substance. And we need much more democracy. After all, defence is one of the defining dimensions of the state. Having a common defence policy in Europe could make people feel more like European citizens. But that cannot happen without engaging citizens in an intelligent debate.

Francesco Grillo is affiliated with the think tank Vision.

– ref. European defence spending: three technical reasons for political cooperation – https://theconversation.com/european-defence-spending-three-technical-reasons-for-political-cooperation-252410

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI: BlueShift Exits Stealth with $2.1M in Pre-Seed Funding to Enable U.S. Self-Reliance Amid Changing Energy Landscape

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

BOSTON, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BlueShift, the electrochemical climate tech innovator, today emerged from stealth with the announcement of a successful $2.1 million pre-seed funding round. ConocoPhillips Company, Ridgeline and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), with participation from others, have provided funding to enable BlueShift to begin construction of its pilot facility.

Working out of North America’s largest climate tech incubator, Greentown Labs, and MIT’s The Engine accelerator, BlueShift will direct the bulk of its funding to the first pilot installation of its electrochemical technology in Boston Harbor.

Combining proprietary membrane-free technology from the University of Michigan, Harvard and supported by ARPA-E—along with additive manufacturing elements and existing infrastructure—BlueShift’s innovative electrochemical systems process alkaline industrial waste and seawater to isolate critical minerals using infrastructure commonly found at desalination and power plants. As a bonus, BlueShift’s low-cost, energy-efficient technologies also extract CO₂ directly from seawater as limestone, helping to address the growing environmental issue of ocean acidification.

“BlueShift was founded with the mission of promoting economic resilience by unlocking underutilized resources using advanced technologies,” said BlueShift Founder & CEO Deep Patel. “And there is perhaps no other class of resources better positioned to benefit from this mission today than that of critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs). Given the dramatic scale of environmental degradation, operational inefficiencies, and global trade imbalances plaguing this market, we felt it was imperative to develop a more sustainable, scalable, and geopolitically stable source of these vital resources. The result is a new system that addresses all of these issues while also offering a low-cost, energy-efficient method for direct carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from our Earth’s ailing oceans.”

Why a New Path to Critical Mineral Extraction Is Needed Now More Than Ever

Like most traditional mining practices, those used in the extraction of critical minerals and REEs cause significant environmental damage, including ecosystem destruction, water pollution, and toxic waste production.

Nonetheless, multiple trillion-dollar global industries depend on these raw materials to produce everything from steel and cosmetics to advanced battery technologies. Indeed, the demand for critical minerals for clean energy technologies is expected to nearly triple by 2030.

Adding to the challenge, China currently accounts for 70% of global REE extraction, 87% of global REE processing, and roughly two-thirds of the world’s processing and refining capacity for critical minerals. Domestic sources of these raw materials have become increasingly important for both the U.S. sustainable energy goals and national security.

A Closer Look at BlueShift’s Electrochemical Technology

Recognizing these problems, the BlueShift team developed its electrochemical systems to unlock resilient, rapidly scalable critical mineral supply chains. Past efforts at isolating these minerals from industrial waste have struggled to scale due to the high energy costs and intensive capital requirements associated with prevailing electrochemical processes.

This is where BlueShift’s innovations stand apart. Using efficient, modular electrochemical units combined with the power of the ocean, BlueShift’s system is up to 10 times more energy efficient than competing technologies. Furthermore, by avoiding the use of previous materials or bipolar membranes, BlueShift’s technology requires significantly reduced capital expenditures.

Simultaneously, these technologies offer a low-cost, energy-efficient means of combatting ocean acidification through direct carbon dioxide removal from seawater. In fact, within 14 months of its deployment, BlueShift’s Boston Harbor pilot facility is expected to see a 30x increase in total carbon dioxide removed annually.

How BlueShift’s Technology Is Advancing the Energy Transition

“Meeting our climate goals is going to require low-cost, large-scale carbon dioxide removal. BlueShift’s electrochemical technology is a promising new solution to this problem, while its domestic production of critical minerals could contribute to resilient supply chains for clean-energy industries,” said David Wilson, Investment Principal at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. “We’re delighted to be working with the team, as they build their company and pilot the technology in Massachusetts, and glad to have ConocoPhillips bringing its energy industry expertise and support.”

BlueShift’s business model comprises multiple distinct revenue streams, including the sale of: critical minerals such as nickel, REE products such as neodymium and dysprosium, carbon credits, and licensing and engineering packages to utilities, desalination plants, and others.

The BlueShift team has already secured several suppliers of input materials for the extraction of critical minerals and REE, including coal ash and olivine mining waste. Both inputs will be processed over the next three quarters as an initial go-to-market implementation of their electrochemical technology and carbon removal system. Additional capital will be used to acquire key production materials, fulfill various technical milestones, and recruit top-tier talent.

“BlueShift raises the bar for sustainable industrial innovation—advancing domestic critical-mineral production while capturing carbon from seawater. At Ridgeline, we’re proud to back a team proving we can unlock vital resources and build a more resilient future,” said Ridgeline Co-Founder & Managing Partner Ryan Clinton.

About BlueShift

Founded in 2024 by a small team of academics, engineers, and climate-tech veterans, BlueShift’s mission is to cultivate economic resilience and environmental sustainability by unlocking underutilized resources with advanced technologies. The company’s electrochemical mineral extraction with carbon removal system is designed to provide more sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective access to alternative critical mineral supply chains, while simultaneously helping to combat climate change. The company utilizes a redox-based, membrane-free electrochemical process to upcycle industrial waste into critical minerals like nickel, and rare earth elements like neodymium, while capturing carbon dioxide directly from the ocean—ultimately enabling industrial sectors to access sustainable sources of these vital materials while simultaneously removing gigatons of excess carbon dioxide from the Earth’s oceans. To learn more about BlueShift, please visit http://buildblueshift.com.

Media Contact:
Janabeth Ward
Scratch Marketing + Media for BlueShift
blueshift@scratchmm.com

The MIL Network –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: A ‘golden age’ of global free trade is over. Smaller alliances can meet the moment

Source: The Conversation – France – By Armin Steinbach, Professor of Law and Economics, HEC Paris Business School

The global trade landscape is shifting, and not in the way free traders had hoped. For decades, the belief that economic openness could foster peace and stability reigned supreme. Trade, it was argued, could transform authoritarian regimes into more peaceful players. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shattered this way of thinking. Rather than mourning the end of a multilateralism based on states’ commitments to jointly agreed trade rules, we should see it as a necessary adjustment to a world where economic security takes precedence over market efficiency, and resilience over cost minimization.

The World Trade Organization (WTO), which has constrained protectionism since its inception in 1995, is no longer the linchpin of global trade it once was. Multilateral trade talks have stagnated, and the WTO’s dispute settlement system is in paralysis. The US, once a champion of rules-based trade, now finds strategic advantage in a world where power dynamics outweigh legal frameworks. Years of negotiations on agriculture and fisheries subsidies have yielded little progress, underscoring the difficulty of reaching consensus among increasingly divergent national interests.

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Consider the Uruguay Round negotiations in the 1990s that led to the establishment of the WTO – a rare moment when 123 countries found common ground on liberalizing trade in goods, services and intellectual property. That success stemmed from a broad agenda that offered enough variety to create win-win scenarios for all. Today, narrow negotiation agendas make compromise far harder to achieve.

Free trade agreements are emerging less frequently: the average number of new trade agreements per year since 2020 is less than half the average of the previous decade. Meanwhile, protectionist measures have proliferated: there were about five times as many in 2023 as in 2015. Regardless of US President Donald Trump’s tariff frenzy, governments are erecting trade barriers and adopting policies that favour domestic industries, driven by the need to secure critical supply chains.

The trend is clear: trade liberalization is no longer the top priority for most countries. Instead, security concerns are reshaping trade policy, echoing the arguments of the 18th-century philosopher Adam Smith. In The Wealth of Nations, Smith argued that national defence is more valuable than economic wealth. (“Defence,” he wrote, “is of much more importance than opulence”). This idea feels particularly relevant today. In a world of geopolitical conflict, trade is often yielding to strategic concerns.

The United Nations, despite its mission to maintain peace, has struggled to prevent conflict. If international law cannot deter aggression, economic policy must step in.

Security-driven trade

For the EU, this translates into using its trade policy instruments, especially vis-à-vis China, on the basis of a careful dependency analysis that identifies strategic commodities and products. As the European Commission sets self-sufficiency benchmarks for green technologies following the bloc’s Net-Zero Industry Act, it errs if it sees the substitution of domestic products for imports as the right way to reduce dependencies. In most cases, reducing import concentration will require diversifying suppliers rather than European self-production.

Security-driven trade requires shifting away from fragile multilateralism toward more selective, regional alliances. These “trade clubs” would align economic interests with shared security priorities. The EU’s strengthening ties with the South American Mercosur states, a group of non-hegemonic countries reliant on open trade, exemplify this approach. Intensifying trade with targeted countries could be the best response to Trump’s tariffs, avoiding the lose-lose outcome of tit-for-tat tariff wars. The goal of autonomy from an unpredictable US offers a good framework for crafting new bilateral relationships.

Another example is the idea of a “climate club”, which policy-makers have discussed for some time. Climate clubs would consist of countries that agree on joint strategies to reduce carbon emissions while fostering energy security and protecting their economies from competitors without adequate carbon pricing.

À lire aussi :
Trump protectionism and tariffs: a threat to globalisation, or to democracy itself?

The challenge is to distinguish between “legitimate” and “illegitimate” security claims. The latter refer to countries’ growing abuse of the national security card to justify trade policies. WTO dispute settlement panels ruled against the “self-judging” character of national security claims, hence subjecting them to legal scrutiny, but this “rule of law” approach has only heightened rejection of the WTO system on the US side. To limit abuse, the EU should seek alignment with the US on issues of common concern, such as responding to industrial overcapacity or preventing technology leaks. A joint approach could avert nationalist unilateralism.

A new focus for the WTO

Some worry this shift away from multilateralism could disadvantage poorer nations, leaving them vulnerable to the whims of powerful ones. However, regional trade alliances can empower smaller states. For example, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) gives African nations collective bargaining power they might lack individually. Since its inception with 22 signatories, AfCFTA has grown to include 48 countries, enhancing the continent’s influence in global trade.

Abandoning multilateralism doesn’t mean sidelining the WTO entirely. Instead, the WTO can refocus on smaller, “plurilateral” agreements among like-minded countries. This “coalition of the willing” approach has already proven effective in areas like e-commerce and investment facilitation. The WTO can remain a forum for building consensus, but its future lies in fostering flexible partnerships rather than pursuing grand, all-encompassing trade deals. In a fragmented world, these smaller agreements could yield the most meaningful progress. Nascent but promising plurilateral efforts are under way to tackle fossil fuel subsidies and environmentally sustainable plastics trade.

The golden age of global free trade may be over, but that doesn’t spell disaster. As nations grapple with security challenges, trade policy must evolve to reflect new priorities. Strategic alliances, diversified supply chains and targeted trade agreements will shape the future of global commerce. Rather than lament the decline of multilateralism, we should embrace this shift as a necessary response to a more volatile world. In doing so, we can craft a trade policy that prioritizes resilience and security, safeguarding both economic stability and national interests.

Armin Steinbach ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

– ref. A ‘golden age’ of global free trade is over. Smaller alliances can meet the moment – https://theconversation.com/a-golden-age-of-global-free-trade-is-over-smaller-alliances-can-meet-the-moment-251438

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Securing the future of aviation
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

Speech

Securing the future of aviation

Secretary of State for Transport outlines next steps for modernising the aviation sector at the AirportsUK annual dinner.
Good evening, everyone, and thank you Karen for inviting me tonight (18 March 2025).

I know better than to stand between people and their dinner, so rest assured I will keep my remarks brief.

And despite this being my second aviation speech in less than a month, you’ll be glad to know I haven’t run out of things to say. I haven’t even exhausted my best material about feedstocks and revenue certainty mechanisms – so brace yourselves.

But, seriously, it really is a pleasure to be here. I hope you feel, as I do, that these are exciting times for your sector, with much to focus on in 2025 and beyond.

But let me start with the remarkable year you’ve just had. Bristol exceeding 10 million annual passengers for the first time. Or the busiest year on record for Manchester and Stansted. All told, passenger levels at UK airports were 7% higher in 2024 than the previous year.

I know none of this happens by accident. Much is down to the changes you’ve made to the passenger experience. The technology you’re implementing. And the investments you’re making to increase capacity.

Looking longer term, it’s clear this is a trend, not an unusual year. In fact, everything points to a record-breaking 2025 – and it’s easy to see why.

The world has never been more interconnected. The desire for travel never stronger. Global forecasts show a near doubling of passengers and cargo in the next 20 years

So the demand is there. It’s growing. And if we don’t seize it, we not only risk being outpaced by European competitors, but we will be on the wrong side of public aspirations.

Obviously, I’m preaching to the converted here. But it is brilliant that, right across our airports, we’re seeing palpable optimism for the future.

Heathrow’s £2.3 billion investment to overhaul its infrastructure. The best ever financial results for Newcastle, ahead of a £17 million investment to resurface its runway and taxiway. And European Cargo’s decision to choose Cardiff as its second UK base – with regular flights to China.

But these impacts aren’t just felt within the industry, but outside too. Take Leeds Bradford. Where plans to upgrade its terminal will see a £940 million boost to the local economy, creating thousands of new jobs.

These investments reveal airports not only as hubs for travel, but hubs for growth – driving jobs, creating opportunity and facilitating the trade which underpins our way of life.

Now more than ever, you need a government that recognises this. That’s why we see airports as a crucial pillar of our Plan for Change. And it’s why we’ve acted, and acted quickly, across 3 areas – starting with expansion.

It’s no secret that long ignored capacity issues in the south-east, has meant some of our major airports are now bursting at the seams.

And yet – when it came to expansion – too many people stuck their heads in the sand. It left the industry in a perpetual holding pattern, with decisions circling around Whitehall for years, waiting for a clear signal.

Earlier this year, the Chancellor gave that signal – taking the brakes off growth by welcoming plans for a third runway at Heathrow. Britain’s first full-length runway in nearly 25 years.

Now, my job has to be balancing the economic benefits of expansion with our social and environmental commitments.

That underpinned my announcement a few weeks ago on Gatwick, where I set a clear path for expansion if certain conditions are met.

And, of course, I’ll be making an announcement on Luton very shortly.

But while I cannot go into any more details tonight – let me say this. I will never accept the false trade off that pits growing aviation against protecting our environment. I honestly believe we can, and must, do both. And how we do that is already being answered – by many in this room.

Firstly, we cannot hope for quieter, cleaner and greener flights if our most critical piece of infrastructure is stuck in the past.

Modernising our airspace will create more efficient flight paths, ensure quicker climbs and smoother descents, and help meet our commitments to noise and emission reduction.

So, I was grateful for the views you shared on the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) – the body that will drive this work. And you’ll have heard that the Chancellor has now given the green light. Not just for a new UKADS but also to reviewing key processes behind modernising our airspace, and to an Airspace Design Support Fund to deliver faster progress.

We are now working with NATS on the shared goal that UKADS will be up and running this year.

Of course, to make progress on this critical reform agenda, we will rely heavily on your support and collaboration. Without that, we cannot maintain the pace we need. So I’m pleased that so many of you are already working constructively with airlines and local communities on your proposals.

Alongside this, we must ramp up work on reducing emissions. Green flight isn’t only essential for the industry, it’s existential.

Of course, sustainable aviation fuels will play a major role. It’s why we’ve signed the SAF Mandate into law.

It’s why we’ve now launched a consultation into a price guarantee for UK SAF producers and investors. And it’s why we’ve backed homegrown SAF projects to the tune of £63 million via the Advanced Fuel Fund.

But SAF isn’t the only piece to this puzzle. Lighter wings and more efficient engines will play their part. As will new forms of zero-emission aircraft and supporting infrastructure.

Many of you have also set net zero targets for your airport operations in advance of 2040. And I’m thrilled to see you following through with solar panels helping power Birmingham and Newcastle airports. And hydrogen power being trialled on the ground at Exeter and Bristol. 

All this matters. Expansion. Modernisation. Decarbonisation. These 3 areas will secure this industry’s future.

It’s why the government has wasted little time in:

consulting on reforms

getting legislation on the books

making the crucial decisions on expansion and growth

And doing in 8 months, what previously has taken years.

Of course, challenges remain – I’m not blind to that. But throughout, I promise I will be working with you to remove the barriers holding you back.

Thank you.

Updates to this page

Published 19 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Florida Attorney Sentenced to 102 Months for an Attempted Bombing Near the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

WASHINGTON – Christopher Rodriguez, 45, of Panama City, Fla., was sentenced today to 102 months in federal prison for the September 2023 attempted bombing near the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, D.C., and for the November 2022 bombing of a satirical sculpture depicting communist leaders Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong in San Antonio, Texas.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division.

Rodriguez, a licensed Florida attorney and a U.S. Army veteran, pleaded guilty August 2, 2024, to damaging property occupied by a foreign government, explosive materials—malicious damage to federal property, and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device).

In addition to the 102-month prison term, U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Rodriguez to serve three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, on September 23-24, 2023, Rodriguez drove from his home in Panama City, Fla., to Northern Virginia with a rifle and 15 pounds of explosive material. On the way, he stopped in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, Va., to buy a black backpack, nitrile gloves, and a burner cell phone. On September 24, he parked his car in Arlington, Va., and used the burner phone to arrange for a taxi to drive him to within a few blocks of the Chinese Embassy. Between midnight and 3 a.m. near the back wall of the Embassy in Northwest Washington, Rodriguez placed the explosives-filled backpack next to a streetlight. Rodriguez then attempted to detonate the explosives by shooting at the backpack with a rifle. Rodriguez missed his target, and the device failed to detonate. Law enforcement officers later recovered the backpack containing explosive material, three shell casings, and bullet fragments from the ground along the outer perimeter wall of the Chinese Embassy. Impact marks were found on the Embassy wall near the bullet fragments behind the backpack.

According to court documents, DNA obtained from the black backpack was found to be consistent with DNA evidence obtained from a previous arrest of Rodriguez in June 2021 in California. During the California incident, Rodriguez possessed three firearms and apparent explosive material consistent with the explosives used during the Chinese Embassy attack. DNA evidence obtained from Rodriguez pursuant to a buccal swab warrant later confirmed this DNA match.

Between November 5 and 7, 2022, according to court documents, Rodriguez rented a vehicle in Pensacola, Fla., and drove to San Antonio, Texas. At about 2:25 a.m. on November 7, Rodriguez scaled an eight-foot fence to enter a courtyard on the 300 block of West Commerce Street, San Antonio. Inside the courtyard, he placed two canisters of explosive materials at the base of a satirical steel sculpture titled “Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head.” At 2:30 a.m., Rodriguez used a rifle to shoot at the canisters at the base of the statue, causing an explosion that caused damages of at least $325,000 to the Miss Mao sculpture.

Law enforcement arrested Rodriguez on November 4, 2023, in Lafayette, Louisiana. He has been held since that date.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Washington Field Division. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Florida, the Western District of Louisiana, and the Western District of Texas; the ATF’s Tampa, New Orleans, and Houston Field Divisions; the FBI’s Washington and San Antonio Field Offices; the San Antonio Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Secret Service, Uniformed Division and Foreign Missions Detective Unit; the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security; and the Metropolitan Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jolie F. Zimmerman and Stuart D. Allen. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maeghan Mikorski and Kelly Stephenson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McCarthy.

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MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Only 15 countries have met the latest Paris agreement deadline. Is any nation serious about tackling climate change?

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Doug Specht, Reader in Cultural Geography and Communication, University of Westminster

Svet Foto/Shutterstock

The latest deadline for countries to submit plans for slashing the greenhouse gas emissions fuelling climate change has passed. Only 15 countries met it – less than 8% of the 194 parties currently signed up to the Paris agreement, which obliges countries to submit new proposals for eliminating emissions every five years.

Known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs, these plans outline how each country intends to help limit average global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, or at most 2°C. This might include cutting emissions by generating more energy from wind and solar, or adapting to a heating world by restoring wetlands as protection against more severe floods and wildfires.

Each new NDC should outline more stringent emissions cuts than the last. It should also show how each country seeks to mitigate climate change over the following ten years. This system is designed to progressively strengthen (or “ratchet up”) global efforts to combat climate change.

The February 2025 deadline for submitting NDCs was set nine months before the next UN climate change conference, Cop30 in Belém, Brazil.

Without a comprehensive set of NDCs for countries to compare themselves against, there will be less pressure on negotiators to raise national ambitions. Assessing how much money certain countries need to decarbonise and adapt to climate change, and how much is available, will also be more difficult.

While countries can (and some will) continue to submit NDCs, the poor compliance rate so far suggests a lack of urgency that bodes ill for avoiding the worst climate outcomes this century.

Who submitted?

The 15 countries that submitted NDCs on time include the United Arab Emirates, the UK, Switzerland, Ecuador and a number of small states, such as Andorra and the Marshall Islands.

Cop30 host Brazil submitted a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 59-67% by 2035, compared to 2005 levels. This is up from its previous commitment, a 37% reduction by 2025 and 43% by 2030. Unfortunately, Brazil is not on track to meet its 2025 target and has set a more recent emissions baseline that will make any reductions more modest than they’d otherwise be.

Japan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% in 2035 and 73% in 2040, compared to 2013 levels. Japan’s previous target was for a 46% reduction by 2030. This demonstrates how the ratchet system is supposed to work.

The UK’s NDC, which pledges to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels, was described by independent scientists as “compatible” with limiting global heating to 1.5°C.

The US submitted a plan to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 61-66% below 2005 levels by 2035. However, this was before Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Paris agreement (for the second time), so the commitment of one of the world’s largest polluters is in doubt.

Who didn’t submit?

Some of the world’s largest emitters failed to submit new NDCs, including China, India and Russia.

India pledged to reduce its emissions by 35% below 2005 levels by 2030 at the signing of the Paris agreement. All of the country’s subsequent NDCs have been rated as “insufficient” by independent scientists. India’s recent national budget announcement offered scant additional funding for climate mitigation and adaptation measures.

China also made big promises in 2015 with its aim to lower its CO₂ emissions by 65% by 2030, from a 2005 baseline. However, China has been responsible for over 90% of global CO₂ emissions growth since the Paris agreement was signed. China and the US also suspended formal discussions on climate change in 2022. Increased economic competition between these two nations has resulted in export control restrictions and tariffs which have made green technologies like electric vehicles more expensive, which is certain to slow down the shift from fossil fuels.

Russia joined the Paris agreement in 2019. Its first NDC was labelled “critically insufficient” by scientists, and its follow-up in 2020 did not include increased targets. Russia is maximising the extraction of resources such as oil, gas and minerals and its 2035 strategy for the Arctic included plans to sink several oil wells on the continental shelf.

With the USA’s 2025 NDC in limbo, President Trump is eyeing mineral reserves in Ukraine and Greenland, further ramping up oil production and cutting international climate research funding.

The European Union could have positioned itself as a leader of global climate action, in lieu of US involvement. But the EU, which submits NDCs as a bloc alongside individual country submissions, also failed to submit on time.

Global shifts

The failure of most nations to submit new emission plans suggests that the era of cooperation on climate change is over. The largest and most powerful of these nations are growing their military and diplomatic presence around the world, particularly in countries with large reserves of critical minerals for electric vehicles and other technology relevant to decarbonisation. The lack of NDCs from these nations may be less a matter of middling green ambitions, more an attempt to disguise their planned exploitation of other countries’ resources.

If countries keep failing to submit enhanced NDCs, or even withdraw from their commitments entirely, scientists warn that global heating could reach a catastrophic 4.4°C by 2100. This scenario assumes the continued, unabated use of fossil fuels, with little regard for the climate.

In a more optimistic scenario, countries could limit warming to around 1.8°C by 2100. This will require global cooperation and significant investment in green technology, and entail a transition to net zero emissions by mid-century. This is a process that must include everyone. Simply having the most powerful nations decarbonise by exploiting and hoarding resources will imperil this critical target.

The actual outcome will probably fall somewhere between these two scenarios, depending on forthcoming NDCs and how quickly and thoroughly they are implemented. All of the scenarios envisaged by climate scientists will involve warming continuing for decades.

The effects of this warming will vary, however, based on the path we choose today.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Doug Specht does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Only 15 countries have met the latest Paris agreement deadline. Is any nation serious about tackling climate change? – https://theconversation.com/only-15-countries-have-met-the-latest-paris-agreement-deadline-is-any-nation-serious-about-tackling-climate-change-250847

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Mobile service revenue in China to increase at 2.5% CAGR over 2024-2029, forecasts GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

Mobile service revenue in China to increase at 2.5% CAGR over 2024-2029, forecasts GlobalData

Posted in Technology

The total mobile services revenue in China is poised to increase from $139.2 billion in 2024 to $157.3 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5%, mainly driven by healthy growth in mobile data services segment, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s research reveals that growth in mobile data service revenues will offset the decline in mobile voice service revenues during the forecast period. While mobile voice service revenue will decline at a CAGR of 10.4% between 2024 and 2029, mobile data revenue will increase at a CAGR of 5.2% over the same period, primarily driven by the increasing adoption of higher average revenue per user (ARPU) 5G services.

Srikanth Vaidya, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, says: “The average monthly mobile data usage in China is expected to increase from 15.2 GB in 2024 to 28.3 GB in 2029, driven by the growing consumption of online video and social media content over smartphones, thanks to the widespread availability of 5G services.”

GlobalData is optimistic about the country’s mobile broadband services outlook with 5G services leading the way. 5G subscriptions are estimated to account for 89.6% of the total mobile subscriptions in 2029, driven by the ongoing 5G network expansion and modernization efforts of the operators. For instance, China Mobile has commercially deployed 5G-A network in more than 280 cities till June 2024, with the goal of establishing the world’s largest 5G commercial network.

Government’s policies and initiatives for promoting 5G adoption in the industrial sector will also lend traction to the 5G market in the country. For instance, MIIT, China’s telecom regulator had announced to develop more than 10,000 5G factories to drive industrial applications of 5G, particularly in manufacturing.

The advancements in 5G technology will also drive robust growth in M2M/IoT subscriptions, which are expected to increase at a CAGR of 13.3% over the period 2024 to 2029.

Vaidya concludes: “China Mobile will retain its leading position through 2029, supported by its ongoing 5G network expansions to cater to the rising demand for high-speed services by residential and enterprise segments. Till June 2024, the operator deployed over 2.29 million 5G base stations, including 705,000 700MHz 5G base stations. China Mobile had invested about CNY31.4 billion ($4.3 billion) on 5G infrastructure in H1 2024, of the total CNY173 billion ($23.8 billion) planned for the entire year.”

MIL OSI Economics –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: APAC deal activity faces challenges in early 2025, but some pockets of growth exist, finds GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

APAC deal activity faces challenges in early 2025, but some pockets of growth exist, finds GlobalData

Posted in Business Fundamentals

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) deal landscape has experienced a notable shift in early 2025, reflecting a complex interplay of market dynamics and economic conditions. In the first two months of 2025, the total deal volume* in the APAC region has seen a decline of approximately 8% compared to the same period in 2024. However, few countries in the region witnessed an increase in deal volume, reflecting that some pockets of growth still exist for funding activity, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Analyzing the trend across various deal types and key markets reveals both challenges and opportunities that stakeholders must navigate.”

An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that the overall downturn is majorly driven by a significant reduction in venture financing activity, which contracted by around 13% during January-February 2025 compared to January-February 2024, reflecting a cautious approach from investors in the current economic climate.

The impact was pronounced in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, which contracted by 5%. M&A transactions, traditionally a barometer of corporate confidence and strategic growth, appear to be under pressure as companies reassess their expansion strategies.

Conversely, private equity deals have shown resilience, with deal volume mostly remaining at the same level during the review period.

Bose adds: “Meanwhile, a closer examination of the deal volume across select top markets within the APAC region reveals a mixed picture.”

China, historically a powerhouse in deal-making, experienced a substantial decline of more than 20% in deal volume. This drop can be attributed to regulatory challenges and economic slowdown. In contrast, India emerged as a bright spot, with a growth of more than 10% in deal volume. This growth underscores India’s potential as a burgeoning market for deal-making.

Japan has also demonstrated remarkable resilience with a growth rate of around 35%. Meanwhile, Australia and South Korea have both seen significant declines. These declines highlight the challenges faced by these markets, including economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions that may be impacting investor sentiment.

Other markets such as Singapore and Malaysia have also reported declines. This trend suggests that even established financial hubs are not immune to the broader market pressures affecting the region.

Bose concludes: “Although the APAC deal landscape in early 2025 is characterized by a decline, pockets of growth, particularly in India and Japan, suggest that opportunities still exist for savvy investors.”

*Coverage includes mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing deals

Note: Historic data may change in case some deals get added to previous months because of a delay in disclosure of information in the public domain

MIL OSI Economics –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: BYD’s fast-charging tech ignites influencer buzz, reveals GlobalData
Source: GlobalData

BYD Co Ltd (BYD) has become a trending company among social media influencers on the third week of March 2025, driven by the unveiling of its new electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging technology. The announcement, boasting the capability to charge a vehicle for approximately 400+ kilometers in just five minutes, has sparked significant interest. Influencers are actively discussing the potential implications of this technological advancement, particularly in the context of the EV market and BYD’s growing influence, reveals the Social Media Analytics Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Shreyasee Majumder, Social Media Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Influencers are expressing optimism, fueled by the potential of the fast-charging technology to revolutionize EV adoption. The ability to charge an EV nearly as quickly as refueling a gasoline car is viewed as a pivotal development that could address a major barrier for potential EV buyers. Several influencers highlight the convenience and practicality this technology could bring to EV ownership, making it a more attractive alternative to traditional vehicles.”

Below are a few popular influencer opinions captured by GlobalData’s Social Media Analytics Platform:
1. Assaad Razzouk, Chief Executive Officer at Gurīn Energy:
“Tesla who? BYD just unveiled new EV tech to charge a vehicle enough for 400km in just 5 minutes. 5 minutes! More evidence that China is the decisive leader of the world in clean tech innovation – by some distance.”
1. Kim, Technology Expert:
“EV: charging 100km in 2 seconds! BYD Breakthrough How comes that every big news is now from China? BYD unveils battery system that charges EVs in five minutes This is a huge breakthrough. And should it prove to be true, it would be a huge step forward. Robotics would also benefit massively from it. “BYD’s new EV platform will allow cars to reach a speed of 100 kilometers per hour in 2 seconds, Wang said at the event at the carmaker’s headquarters in Shenzhen.”
1. Glen Gilmore, Founder at Gilmore Business Network:
“China takes another tech win: Chinese automaker BYD shows off new battery and charging system capable of providing 470 kilometers (292 miles) of range in 5 minutes…”
1. Dan Primack, Business Editor at Axios:
“This could be an EV game changer: BYD unveils a new system for electric cars that the Chinese automaker says will allow them to charge almost as fast as it takes a regular car to refuel”
1. James DePorre, CEO at Shark Investing:
“$TSLA BYD Co. unveiled a new system for electric cars that the Chinese automaker says will allow them to charge almost as fast as it takes a regular car to refuel. BYD’s new battery and charging system was capable of providing 470 kilometers (292 miles) of range in 5 minutes in tests on its new Han L sedan, Chairman and founder Wang Chuanfu said Monday. The manufacturer will start selling vehicles with the new technology next month. Being able to charge a car in the time it takes a combustion engine vehicle to pull in and out of a gas station could convince drivers who aren’t willing to make lengthy stops to go electric.”
1. Dirk Harbecke, Chairman of Rock Tech Lithium Inc:
“Chinese #EV giant BYD achieves petrol-like 470km in 5 minutes charging. China expected to add >460,000 EV chargers this year. BYD looking for further plant locations in Europe. Plant constructions in #Hungary and #Turkey ongoing. Tough for EU car makers.”
MIL OSI Economics –
March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI: Santech Holdings Announces Completion of Issuance of Ordinary Shares

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HONG KONG, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On March 17, 2025, Santech Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: STEC) (the “Company”), entered into a share subscription agreement and raised additional capital to fund its current operations. Pursuant to the share subscription agreement, the Company will issue to Carmel Holdings Limited 112,000,000 restricted ordinary shares of the Company (the “Subscription Shares”) for a total consideration of approximately US$1.0 million.

With the approval of all independent directors of the Board of Directors, issuance of the Subscription Shares has been completed on March 19, 2025. The total proceeds to the Company are approximately US$1.0 million, which will be used to support the Company’s liquidity and working capital needs.

Carmel Holdings Limited is a company duly incorporated and validly existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, controlled by Lawrence Wai Lok, Chief Executive Officer. This issuance of ordinary shares marks the completion of another key step in the Company’s ongoing efforts in restructuring and business reorganization.

About Santech Holdings Limited

Santech Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: STEC) is a consumer-focused technology company. The Company historically served a large number of high net-worth clients in China in financial services and health management, and accumulated a large customer base. The Company has exited or disposed of its historical businesses in financial services and is actively exploring innovative new opportunities in technology, including but not limited to new retail, social e-commerce and metaverse. For more information, please visit https://ir.santechholdings.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “plan,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “expect,” “aim,” “believe,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “is/are likely to,” “could” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Investor Contact:

Santech Holdings Limited
Email: ir@santechholdings.com

The MIL Network –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: REPORT: Energy Storage’s Meteoric Rise Breaks Another Record

Source: American Clean Power Association (ACP)

Headline: REPORT: Energy Storage’s Meteoric Rise Breaks Another Record

• Annual energy storage installations increase 33% YoY • Residential installations hit new record for second straight quarter • 2025 installations projected to increase 25%

HOUSTON/WASHINGTON, D.C., March 19, 2025 — The U.S. energy storage market set a new record in 2024 with 12.3 gigawatts (GW) of installations across all segments, according to the latest U.S. Energy Storage Monitor report released today by the American Clean Power Association (ACP) and Wood Mackenzie.
The report shows a total of 12,314 megawatts (MW) and 37,143 megawatt hours (MWh) deployed, representing increases of 33% and 34% respectively over 2023 numbers.
Record Growth for Grid-Scale Storage While Q4 grid-scale energy storage deployments were down 20% compared to Q4 2023, this was primarily due to the delay of 2 GW of projects in late-stage development from Q4 2024 to 2025.
Texas and California continue to lead the market, with 61% of the total installed capacity in Q4, while the remaining 39% was installed across 13 states, expanding storage deployment beyond the leading markets. Grid-scale storage installations are forecasted to reach 13.3 GW in 2025.
“After another year of record deployment, energy storage is solidifying its place as a leading solution for strengthening American energy security and grid reliability in a time of historic rising demand for electricity,” said ACP VP of Energy Storage Noah Roberts. “The energy storage industry has quickly scaled to meet the moment and deliver reliability and cost-savings for American communities, serving a critical role firming and balancing low-cost renewables and enhancing the efficiency of thermal power plants.”
“Energy storage has entered a new phase of growth with its first year of double-digit deployment. We are increasingly seeing the industry’s growth diversified across geographic regions, with 30% of storage capacity additions in Q4 2024 represented by New Mexico, Oregon, and Arizona,” said Kelsey Hallahan, ACP Sr. Director of Market Intelligence. “With a robust pipeline, and forecasted sustained growth, the industry is on a path to surpass 100 GW of grid-scale storage deployed by 2030.”
Residential and CCI See Strong Year The residential storage market exceeded 1,250 MW in 2024, marking its highest year on record and 57% above 2023 totals. A record-breaking 380 MW of residential storage was installed in Q4 2024, a 6% increase over the previous quarter.
145 MW of community-scale, commercial and industrial (CCI) storage was installed in 2024, a 22% increase over the previous year. California, Massachusetts, and New York accounted for 88% of installed CCI capacity.
2025 Forecast Sees Continued Growth Forecasted installations for 2025 have increased 7% over last quarter’s forecast. Across all segments, 15 GW of storage is expected to be installed this year, marking a 25% increase over 2024.
“Activity has been strong and our forecast for this year has expanded,” said Allison Feeney, research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “However, due to policy uncertainties, growth will likely slow down this year and in subsequent years. Growth will pick back up toward the end of the decade, with a projected 81 GW total installations from 2025 to 2029.”
Allison Weis, global head of storage of Wood Mackenzie noted that the uncertainties surrounding the continuation of current tax incentives and the implementation of tariffs could change the long-term outlook.
“It’s still too early to determine the final form of IRA tax incentives over the coming year,” said Allison Weis, global head of storage for Wood Mackenzie. “The combination of new tariffs on China and other countries with continued 45x and domestic content bonus adder incentives would make US-based systems more competitively priced. However, many domestic providers are not set up to meet quick demand. If higher pricing is combined with ITC tax incentives phasing out beginning in 2028, it could lower our five-year deployment outlook by as much as 19%.”

###
For further information, contact:
Wood Mackenzie’s media relations team:
Mark Thomton +1 630 881 6885 Mark.thomton@woodmac.com
  Hla Myat Mon+65 8533 8860   hla.myatmon@woodmac.com
  The Big Partnership (UK PR agency) woodmac@bigpartnership.co.uk
About Wood Mackenzie Wood Mackenzie is the global insight business for renewables, energy and natural resources. Driven by data. Powered by people. In the middle of an energy revolution, businesses and governments need reliable and actionable insight to lead the transition to a sustainable future. That’s why we cover the entire supply chain with unparalleled breadth and depth, backed by over 50 years’ experience in natural resources. Today, our team of over 2,000 experts operate across 30 global locations, inspiring customers’ decisions through real-time analytics, consultancy, events and thought leadership. Together, we deliver the insight they need to separate risk from opportunity and make bold decisions when it matters most. For more information, visit woodmac.com.

MIL OSI Economics –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Fires, wars and bureaucracy: The tumultuous journey to establish the US National Archives

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elizabeth Call, University Archivist, RIT Libraries and Archives, Rochester Institute of Technology

The 1952 procession to deliver the Declaration of Independence and Constitution from the Library of Congress to the National Archives included military guards and a tank. National Archives

Some of the United States’ most important historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Emancipation Proclamation, are housed in the U.S. National Archives. Beyond these high-profile items, it also preserves lesser-known but no less vital records, such as national park master plans, polar exploration documents and the records of all U.S. veterans. Together, these materials stand as a testament to the country’s commitment to preserving its history.

While these crucial documents in U.S. history now have a home in the National Archives, the road to establishing this institution was paved with catastrophic losses and bureaucratic inertia.

Creating the National Archives required decades of advocacy by historians, politicians and government officials. The National Archives was not simply an administrative convenience – it was a necessity born from repeated disasters that underscored the fragility of government records. And with President Donald Trump’s firing of the head archivist in February 2025, as well as the loss of several high-level archives staff members, the organization faces a new era of uncertainty.

Documentary heritage – the recorded memory of a nation that preserves its cultural, historical and legal legacy – is essential for a country as it safeguards its identity, informs its governance and ensures that future generations can understand and learn from the past.

I am a university archivist with two decades of experience in the library and archives field. I oversee the preservation and accessibility of historical records at Rochester Institute of Technology, advocate for inclusivity, and engage in national conversations on the evolving role of archives in the digital age.

Understanding the precarious nature of historical records, it’s clear to me that maintaining, staffing and funding the National Archives is a necessary safeguard against the destruction of the nation’s documentary heritage.

People line up to view the original Emancipation Proclamation on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19, 2004, at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C.
Tim Sloan/AFP-Getty Images

Destroyed by fire

The idea of preserving the government’s records dates back to the country’s founding. Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution and then secretary of Congress under the Articles of Confederation, recognized the need for proper storage of the Congress’ records.

But the young nation lacked the money and infrastructure to act. Many of the Continental Congress’ records were kept by Thomson himself for years, and while some were later transferred to the Department of State, others were lost.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, fires repeatedly ravaged federal records. Fires were very common in the 19th century due to a combination of highly flammable building materials, open frames used for lighting and heating, and the lack of modern fire safety measures such as sprinklers and fire-resistant construction.

In 1800, a blaze destroyed the War Department’s archives, a loss that severely hampered government operations. In 1810, Congress authorized better housing for government records, but the law was never fully executed. Instead, different parts of the government, from the Department of State to the Department of Treasury, continued maintaining their own records.

The Treasury Department suffered fires in 1801 and again in 1833, further erasing crucial financial records. The Patent Office, home to invaluable documentation of American innovation, burned in 1877, having already been damaged by an 1836 fire.

Storage at the federal Office of Indian Affairs in 1935.
National Archives Foundation

One of the most devastating losses occurred in 1921 when a fire at the Department of Commerce destroyed nearly all records from the 1890 federal census. This loss had far-reaching consequences, particularly for genealogical and demographic research.

Fires weren’t the only threat to the government’s records.

“It is a matter of common report that during the civil war, great quantities of documents stored in the Capitol were thrown away to make quarters for soldiers,” Historian and founding member of the American Historical Association J. Franklin Jameson noted in a 1911 Washington Post article.

“At a later date,” he added, “the archives of the House of Representatives were systematically looted for papers having a market value because of their autographs.”

Jameson spent decades lobbying Congress for a centralized repository. His persistence, coupled with the advocacy of key officials, laid the groundwork for future action.

A bound copy of George Washington’s account of expenses while commander in chief of the Continental Army.
National Archives and Records Administration

These repeated disasters illuminated a glaring issue: The federal government lacked a centralized, protected repository to safeguard its records.

Finding a home

Momentum for a dedicated archives building gained traction in the late 19th century. In 1903, a bipartisan bill passed Congress giving the OK to purchase land in Washington, D.C., for a Hall of Records.

But the legislation didn’t lead to any action. Government records remained scattered, vulnerable and neglected. That same year, Congress authorized that any records not needed for daily business be transferred to the Library of Congress.

In 1912, President William H. Taft issued executive order 1499, aptly named Disposal of Useless Papers, requiring agencies to consult the librarian of Congress before disposing of documents.

This established a formal review process for government document disposal, but agencies still discarded records, often haphazardly, until stricter records management laws were enacted.

In 1926, Congress passed the Public Buildings Act, authorizing construction of an archives facility in Washington, D.C. Departing president Herbert Hoover laid the cornerstone of the new building on Feb. 20, 1933. He then deposited facsimiles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, an American flag and daily newspapers from that day underneath the cornerstone.

Growth and standardization

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who took office two weeks later, was himself a meticulous record-keeper. He understood the importance of historical preservation. Roosevelt kept all of his personal and presidential records and books in a fire-safe space he built on his Hyde Park, New York, property, which he donated to the government after he died. This building and the materials inside became part of the National Archives as the first U.S. presidential library.

The National Archives, an independent agency, was officially established under Roosevelt in the 1934 National Archives Act. The head archivist was to be appointed by the president. The first archivist, Robert D.W. Connor, took office that year with a mandate to organize, preserve and make accessible the nation’s records.

Initially, the National Archives was simply a building – an impressive neoclassical structure in Washington, D.C., that opened in 1935. The very first records deposited there came from three World War I-era regulatory agencies – the U.S. Food Administration, the Sugar Equalization Board and the U.S. Grain Corporation.

Initially, the Archives lacked a formalized records management program. There were no clear guidelines on what to keep and what to discard, so agencies made their own decisions. This led to inconsistent preservation.

The creation of the first federal records administration program in 1941, together with the 1943 Records Disposal Act, codified things. These policies granted the National Archives authority to establish a structured approach to determining which records held historical value and should be preserved, while allowing for the responsible disposal of other documents.

A 1950 law gave the National Archives more power to decide what should be kept and what could be discarded, creating a more organized and accountable system for preserving the nation’s history.

As the volume of records increased and their formats changed, the archives adapted. By 2014, amendments to the Federal Records Act explicitly included electronic records, recognizing the shift toward digital documentation.

Stacks at the National Archives in Washington in 1950, where rare photographs and national records are ordered and stored.
Three Lions/Getty Images

Ensuring accountability

Beyond mere storage, the National Archives plays a vital role in upholding democracy.

It ensures transparency by preserving government accountability, preventing manipulation or loss of records that could distort historical truth. The National Archives also provides public access to documents that shape civic awareness and historical knowledge, from the Declaration of Independence to declassified government files.

In an era of digital misinformation and contested narratives, the National Archives stands as a guardian of primary sources. Its existence reminds the nation that history is not a matter of convenience, but a cornerstone of informed governance.

Elizabeth Call is a member of the Society of American Archivists.

– ref. Fires, wars and bureaucracy: The tumultuous journey to establish the US National Archives – https://theconversation.com/fires-wars-and-bureaucracy-the-tumultuous-journey-to-establish-the-us-national-archives-250857

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: School of International Cooperation Opens at HSE

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

© Higher School of Economics

School of International Cooperation created in the structure Faculty of World Economy and World Politics (FMEiMP) Vyshki. The school launches, promotes and implements programs of additional education and professional retraining, corporate education programs and international intensive trainings for working specialists and managers interacting with foreign government officials and businessmen, as well as foreign entrepreneurs, students and scientists.

Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Relations Anastasia Likhacheva, opening the presentation, emphasized that the main task of the school is to implement projects in the interests of the country, to promote Russian interests in the international arena. “There is no single formula for what key opens the hearts of partners. We are glad that our faculty is creating a platform that will unite enthusiasts of international cooperation,” said Anastasia Likhacheva.

Senior Director of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Andrey Lavrov noted that last year, during the elections of the Academic Council, a formula was developed that reflects the essence of the current HSE: a university for the development of all of Russia, open to the world. He called international cooperation a priority for HSE and the Faculty of World Economy and International Relations. Andrey Lavrov is confident that the opening of the School of International Cooperation will help to realize the most ambitious goals of developing additional professional education at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. “The development of adult education is an area where we can achieve great success. I am very glad that you have become pioneers in the new wave of development of additional professional education at HSE, congratulations,” Andrey Lavrov said, addressing the heads of the faculty.

“It’s nice to be pioneers,” Anastasia Likhacheva responded. She recalled that HSE began its turn to the East many years ago (700 students currently study Chinese at HSE) and expressed hope that the school will contribute to the development of Russian-Chinese cooperation.

Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Russia Zhao Wei read out a greeting from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China Zhang Hanhui, in which he congratulated HSE on the opening of the School of International Cooperation. HSE was described as a leader in the field of innovation development and a university that makes an invaluable contribution to the formation of the international agenda. In her congratulatory letter, the Ambassador emphasized the role of the Academic Director of the Faculty of World Economy and International Relations Sergey Karaganov in strengthening HSE ties with leading universities in China and developing bilateral cooperation.

Zhang Hanhui noted in his congratulatory letter: China and Russia have common positions in solving international problems and forming a fair world order. “I am convinced that the school will become the foundation for training new types of specialists with cross-cultural competence and skills in solving international problems. I hope that the establishment of the school will contribute to deepening Chinese-Russian cooperation in personnel training and strengthening cooperation with the countries of the Global South,” he emphasized.

According to FMEiMP research professor Fyodor Lukyanov, the university and faculty do not move at the mercy of the winds, but strive to create and strengthen these winds themselves. Now, he added, the world is in an amazing state, when what was impossible yesterday is obvious today, and tomorrow will be completely different from what we imagine. The professor noted: international cooperation is necessary in any situation in the world, it should be strengthened and supported. Now it is important to create new connections, while maintaining the old ones. “Support for the implementation of international cooperation projects, learning it throughout life – this is what we need to exist in, this is such an environment,” said Fyodor Lukyanov.

Now, he believes, the quality of expertise is extremely important, since no high-level manager operates in a vacuum, but operates in an environment with a large volume of events and trends, where when making decisions, not only knowledge is important, but also intuition, which develops, among other things, thanks to knowledge.

The head of the School of International Cooperation, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Relations for Continuing Education Yulia Belous noted: the school offers a wide range of continuing education programs, winter and summer schools for different categories of students.

The training programs are divided into four levels. The first one is “Starting a Career — Key to a Career” — for students and young professionals with 1 to 3 years of work experience. Next comes the “New Facets” stage — training in new skills for professionals with 3 to 5 years of experience, then “Time to Act” — for foreign professionals and those who need to enter a foreign market. And finally, the fourth level is strategic sessions for managers with leading experts in international relations, global economics, orientalists and regional experts who create a vision of the principles of work in eastern markets, the foundation for effective operations and competition with existing players. They are aimed at obtaining practice-oriented knowledge for work in different countries and regions.

Head of the professional retraining program of the Faculty of World Economy and International Relations “Eastern Perspective: Strategy and Tactics for Building a Business» Natalia Guseva noted that the program is aimed at developing an effective strategy for working in the East, understanding the specifics of business and entrepreneurship in these countries, as well as the practice of doing business in India, China, Japan and South Korea. This is a three-week program that involves developing one’s own projects.

A 10-day intensive programme has also already been formed. program for foreign entrepreneurs who want to work in Russia. They will learn about the peculiarities of the Russian financial and tax system, the specifics of business cooperation with Russia, and will gain an understanding of the cultural characteristics and values of Russia and its peoples. This is a program in which leading speakers and experts will speak.

Deputy Executive Director – Director of Strategic Partnerships at Innopraktika Anastasia Pavlenko spoke about the program for transferring competencies in the field of digitalization of public administration to African countries – an important international initiative that is being implemented Center for African Studies HSE University with the support of Innopraktika. She emphasized that Russia is currently one of the world leaders in the field of digitalization of the public sector, and the experience of overcoming sanctions pressure and repelling a large number of cyberattacks seems valuable for friendly countries, with which Russia is ready to exchange knowledge in this area.

Also in her speech, Anastasia Pavlenko mentioned the direction of Innopraktika’s activities to support the entry of private high-tech companies – “national champions” – into the foreign market and the promotion of their solutions in friendly countries. In conclusion, she drew attention to the high potential of international cooperation in the development of education, science and culture.

Deputy Director of the HSE Center for African Studies Polina Slyusarchuk added: the center held a series of workshops with experts and scientists from different African countries. One of the programs is dedicated to food security of countries and regions, within its framework, participants are invited not only to study the problem, but also to propose ways to solve it. The center also created a program of additional professional education on running a practical business on the continent.

Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council Ivan Timofeev noted: the concept of international cooperation is very broad and includes economic, scientific, military-technical and cultural interaction, each of which has its own characteristics. It is important to understand how different aspects of interaction, from chess to sensitive technologies, can be used as a country’s soft power, how to integrate their various elements into foreign policy.

“Your project is not an adventure, it is an initiative based on the ecosystem and human capital of HSE. Your programs will be in great demand,” Ivan Timofeev is confident.

Head of the Center for Educational Solutions and Work with Universities of the TMH Corporate University (TMH Group) Alexander Belyashin congratulated the faculty on the opening of the school. He said that in the modern world, educational partnership is an integral part of international cooperation and the opening of such an institute as the HSE School of International Cooperation is an excellent and timely decision. In turn, TMH JSC has been preparing and developing the company’s engineering potential for several years and this year, together with the Tashkent State Transport University, it created a scientific and educational center in Uzbekistan, on the basis of which it is planned to train design engineers and process engineers in joint master’s programs and additional professional education programs. He noted the high potential of the School of International Cooperation, where not only general problems will be studied, but also specific cases of bilateral and multilateral interaction.

Vice President of the Vyzov Foundation Elena Eremenko spoke about the Vyzov Foundation Prize, the international track “SCIENCE. DIALOGUE. TRUST”, within the framework of which an international assembly, seminars and scientific breakfasts on “scientific diplomacy” are held. Elena Eremenko also emphasized the desire to continue intellectual cooperation with the FMEIP on the “scientific diplomacy” track and in the line of interaction with students.

Roscongress Foundation Supervisory Board Member Dimitrios Velanis recalled that even during the most difficult periods of international relations, for example in the early 1980s, during the period of sanctions imposed on the USSR after the introduction of troops into Afghanistan, businesses, including those from Western countries, found opportunities to work in the Soviet Union.

Head of Corporate Programs for Universities at SberUniversity Natalia Konshina spoke about the case of training advanced engineering schools of Russian universities. Together with the head of the School of International Cooperation, they presented possible areas of cooperation on the international track – risks and barriers in international scientific and technical cooperation.

Anna Bessmertnaya, Chairperson of the Commission on Foreign Economic Cooperation with Partners from China of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, spoke about trends in training personnel for Russian-Chinese cooperation and the “Start Your Business with Moscow” project for young specialists.

The presentation of the School of International Cooperation was also attended by the head of the program “International cooperation in the context of global reassembly» HSE University, Deputy Head of the Department of International Relations of the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics of HSE University Dmitry Novikov. He spoke about the relevance and features of the program, its advantages.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI: Regula Blog Wins 2025 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

RESTON, Va., March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Regula, a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions, is proud to announce that its blog has been accoladed as the Best Cybersecurity Blog in the 2025 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards. Providing diverse expert content such as how-to guides, original analytics, and detailed visuals, the Regula Blog serves as a valuable resource for the general public and niche professionals.

The Regula Blog has been named the Best Cybersecurity Blog by the 2025 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards

For more than a decade, the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards have honored individuals, teams, and companies that demonstrate exceptional performance and innovation in cybersecurity.

The Regula Blog received the award for its expert insights, authoritative opinions, real-world fraud case analyses, practical guides, and forward-looking discussions on evolving security challenges.

With over 18,000 unique readers per month, the Regula Blog is a fast-growing knowledge hub for professionals in cybersecurity, forensic science, and identity verification. The blog provides in-depth content on deepfake detection, facial recognition, document authentication, forensic examination, and more, to ensure that businesses and professionals get the timely and relevant knowledge they need.

“In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, trust and security are more critical than ever. Our blog is more than just industry news—it’s a true knowledge hub designed to educate and empower professionals tackling identity fraud, document forgery, and cybersecurity risks. Winning this award is an honor and a testament to our team’s effort in providing actionable content that helps businesses navigate today’s complex security challenges,” says Ihar Kliashchou, Chief Technology Officer at Regula.

These are the current top 10 most-read Regula Blog articles:
- The series of articles, “Top-Notch ID Document Processing Worldwide,” with Mexico, China, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, USA, and Japan as best performers.
- The Most Beautiful Passports in the World: Regula’s Pick
- Masterpieces in Banknote Holograms Across the World
- A Tricky Part of MRZ Reading: What You Might Overlook
- The Impact of Deepfake Fraud: Risks, Solutions, and Global Trends
- How to Verify a Passport Like a Pro
- Should Businesses Prepare for the Surprising Shift Toward Portrait-Oriented IDs?
- RFID Technology for Identity Verification: A Comprehensive Guide
- Inside Passport Control: Primary and Secondary Inspections
- A Guide to Non-Destructive Methods for Examining Alterations in Handwritten Text
For more insights and expert analysis, visit the award-winning Regula Blog.

About Regula

Regula is a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions. With our 30+ years of experience in forensic research and the most comprehensive library of document templates in the world, we create breakthrough technologies for document and biometric verification. Our hardware and software solutions allow over 1,000 organizations and 80 border control authorities globally to provide top-notch client service without compromising safety, security, or speed. Regula has been repeatedly named a Representative Vendor in the Gartner® Market Guide for Identity Verification.

Learn more at www.regulaforensics.com.

Contact:
Kristina – ks@regulaforensics.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b43b713b-6760-4e89-8a88-6a6561fad951

The MIL Network –
March 20, 2025

MIL-OSI: Kingsoft Cloud Announces Unaudited Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results; First Time Operating Margin Profitable with Accelerated Growing Revenue of AI Cloud

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

BEIJING, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (“Kingsoft Cloud” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: KC and HKEX: 3896), a leading cloud service provider in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights

Total Revenues reached RMB2,232.1 million (US$305.8 million)¹, increased by 29.6% year-over-year from RMB1,722.5 million in the same quarter of 2023. Our business has experienced accelerated and high-quality growth and our revenue structure is well-balanced.
Gross profit was RMB426.0 million (US$58.4 million), representing a significant increase of 68.3% from RMB253.1 million in the same quarter of 2023. Our profitability has been fundamentally improved.
Non–GAAP EBITDA² was RMB359.7 million (US$49.3 million), compared with RMB-27.7 million in the same quarter of 2023. Non–GAAP EBITDA margin was 16. 1%, compared with -1.6% in the same quarter of 2023.
Operating loss was RMB43.5 million (US$6.0 million), compared with operating loss of RMB342.7 million in the same quarter of 2023.
Non–GAAP Operating profit (loss) turned profit for the first time, achieving RMB24.4 million (US$3.3 million), compared with RMB-187.6 million in the same quarter of 2023. Non–GAAP Operating profit (loss) margin was 1. 1%, compare with -10.9% in the same quarter of 2023.

Mr. Tao Zou, Chief Executive Officer of Kingsoft Cloud, commented, “We are very pleased to close Fiscal Year 2024 with historically strong financial performance. This quarter, we recorded positive non–GAAP operating profit (loss)for the first time, demonstrating our unwavering execution of the ‘High- quality, Sustainable Development Strategy’. Driven by the growing popularity of AI applications, we firmly believe that AI will continue to penetrate into various verticals, improving the efficiency of daily life. This quarter the gross billing of AI business increased by triple-digit year-over-year to RMB474 million. Both our public cloud and enterprise cloud businesses are harnessing the vast potential of AI cloud computing. Meanwhile, we have seen strong growth in demand from our ecosystem. Revenue from Xiaomi and Kingsoft Group increased by 76% year-over-year. We are well on track to build cutting- edge cloud infrastructure and technology to support our ecosystem and expand into the broader AI industry.”

Mr. Henry He, Chief Financial Officer of Kingsoft Cloud, added, “We are very pleased to highlight several significant achievements. First, we achieved profitability in non-GAAP operating profit for the first time since our inception in 2012, demonstrating our strong execution of our high-quality and sustainable development strategy in the past two years. Second, our revenue has been growing for three consecutive quarters year-over-year, and this quarter we achieved a high-speed growth rate of 30% in total revenue, reaching RMB2,232.1 million. Third, gross billing of our Al cloud business increased by around 500% year-over-year to RMB474 million, accounting for as high as 34% of our public cloud revenue. This marks a three-digit year-on-year growth or six consecutive quarters. Fourth, last December, our shareholders approved revenue from connected-party of Xiaomi and Kingsoft Group for next three years of RMB11.3 billion, around 10 times over the revenue of 2023, providing solid support for Company’s revenue and profit growth. We believe we are well on track to meet the ecosystem’s fast-growing demands and build a solid cloud infrastructure to support its AI development. Notably, in this quarter, we are thrilled to report that revenue from Xiaomi and Kingsoft Group increased by 76% year-over-year, validating the effectiveness of our ecosystem strategy.”

Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Total Revenues reached RMB2,232.1 million (US$305.8 million), increased by 29.6% year-over-year from RMB1,722.5 million in the same quarter of 2023 and increased by 18.4% quarter-over-quarter from RMB1,885.6 million in the third quarter of 2024. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to the expanded revenue from Xiaomi and Kingsoft Ecosystem and AI related customers, incremental demands and more projects delivered from enterprise cloud approaching year-end.

Revenues from public cloud services were RMB1,409.8 million (US$193.1 million), increased by 34.0% from RMB1,052.0 million in the same quarter of 2023 and increased by 19.9% from RMB1, 175.5 million last quarter. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to the growth of AI demands.

______________________
¹ This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi (RMB) amounts into U.S. dollars (US$) at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, the translation of RMB into US$ has been made at RMB7.2993 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on December 31, 2024 as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

² Non-GAAP EBITDA is defined as non-GAAP net loss excluding interest income, interest expense, income tax expense (benefit) and depreciation and amortization, and we define Non-GAAP EBITDA margin as Non-GAAP EBITDA as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

Revenues from enterprise cloud services were RMB822.3 million (US$112.7 million), representing an increase of 22.7% from RMB670.3 million in the same quarter of 2023 and an increase of 15.8% from RMB710.0 million last quarter. We keep focusing in selected verticals such as public services cloud, state-owned assets cloud, healthcare, financial services and private enterprise services, enhance our solutions with AI capabilities and take profitability and sustainability of the enterprise cloud projects as our priorities.
Other revenues were nil this quarter.

Cost of revenues was RMB1,806.2 million (US$247.4 million), representing an increase of 22.9% from RMB1,469.3 million in the same quarter of 2023, which was in-line with our revenue expansion. IDC costs decreased by 2.6% year-over-year from RMB740.4 million to RMB721.5 million (US$98.8 million) this quarter. The decrease was in line with the scale down of our CDN services and our strict control over procurement costs. Depreciation and amortization costs increased from RMB146.9 million in the same quarter of 2023 to RMB343.1 million (US$47.0 million) this quarter. The increase was mainly due to the depreciation of newly acquired servers which were related to AI business. Solution development and services costs increased by 10.8% year-over-year from RMB502.9 million in the same quarter of 2023 to RMB557.0 million (US$76.3 million) this quarter. The increase was mainly due to the solution personnel expansion of Camelot. Fulfillment costs and other costs were RMB102.4 million (US$14.0 million) and RMB82.2 million (US$11.3 million) this quarter.

Gross profit was RMB426.0 million (US$58.4 million), representing a significant increase of 68.3% from RMB253.1 million in the same quarter of 2023, demonstrating our improvements in revenue quality and structure, as well as strict cost control. Gross margin was 19. 1%, compared with 14.7% in the same period in 2023. Non–GAAP gross profit³ was RMB427.7 million (US$58.6 million), compared with RMB262.5 million in the same period in 2023. Non–GAAP gross margin³ was 19.2%, compared with 15.2% in the same period in 2023. The significant improvement of our gross profit and margin was mainly due to our strategic adjustment of revenue mix, expansion of AI revenues, optimized enterprise cloud project selection and efficient cost control measures.

Total operating expenses were RMB469.5 million (US$64.3 million), decreased by 21.2% from RMB595.9 million in the same quarter last year and decreased by 67.6% from RBM1,447.1 million last quarter. Among which:

Selling and marketing expenses were RMB115.8 million (US$15.9 million), decreased by 8.4% from RMB126.5 million in the same period in 2023 and decreased by 4.4% from RMB121.1 million last quarter, the decrease was due to the decrease of share-based compensation.

General and administrative expenses were RMB179.5 million (US$24.6 million), decreased by 39.0% from RMB294.2 million in the same period in 2023 and slightly increased by 5.4% from RMB170.4 million last quarter. The year-over-year decrease was mainly due to the decrease of credit loss expense.

Research and development expenses were RMB174.2 million (US$23.9 million), decreased by 0.6% from RMB175.2 million in the same period in 2023 and 26.2% from RMB235.9 million last quarter. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease of share-based compensation.

Operating loss was RMB43.5 million (US$6.0 million), compared with operating loss of RMB342.7 million in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB1,143.8 million last quarter. The improvement was mainly due to the increase of gross profit and our strict expenses control. Non–GAAP operating profit (loss)⁴ was RMB24.4 million (US$3.3 million), compared with operating loss of RMB187.6 million in the same quarter last year and RMB140.2 million last quarter. Our non-GAAP operating profit (loss) turned breakeven for the first time and verified our high quality and sustainable development strategy.

Net loss was RMB200.6 million (US$27.5 million), compared with net loss of RMB286.8 million in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB1,061.1 million last quarter. Non–GAAP net loss⁵ was RMB70.3 million (US$9.6 million), narrowed down compared with RMB250.4 million in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB236.7 million last quarter. The improvement was mainly due to the revenue quality increase, revenue mix adjustment, strict costs control and expenses control.
______________________
³ Non-GAAP gross profit is defined as gross profit excluding share-based compensation allocated in the cost of revenues and we define Non-GAAP gross margin as Non-GAAP gross profit as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

⁴ Non-GAAP operating loss is defined as operating loss excluding share-based compensation, impairment of long-lived assets and amortization of intangible assets and we define Non-GAAP operating loss margin as Non-GAAP operating loss as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

⁵ Non-GAAP net loss is defined as net loss excluding share-based compensation, impairment of long-lived assets and foreign exchange (gain) loss, and we define Non-GAAP net loss margin as Non-GAAP net loss as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

Non–GAAP EBITDA⁶ was RMB359.7 million (US$49.3 million), compared with RMB-27.7 million in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB185.4 million last quarter. Non–GAAP EBITDA margin was 16. 1%, compared with -1.6% in the same quarter of 2023 and 9.8% last quarter. The increase was mainly due to the expansion in gross profit and our strict control over costs and expenses.

Basic and diluted net loss per share was RMB0.05 (US$0.01), compared with RMB0.08 in the same quarter of 2023 and RMB0.29 last quarter.

Cash and cash equivalents were RMB2,648.8 million (US$362.9 million) as of December 31, 2024, compared with RMB1,617.9 million as of September 30, 2024. The increase was mainly due to the increased cash receipts from operating activities and the increase in bank loan drawdowns.

Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results

Total Revenues reached RMB7,785.2 million (US$1,066.6 million), representing an increase of 10.5% from RMB7,047.5 million in 2023. The increase was due to the strong demands from AI business and enterprise cloud projects increase, while partially offset by our proactive scale-down of CDN services within public cloud services.

Revenues from public cloud services were RMB5,007.3 million (US$686.0 million), representing an increase of 14.3% from RMB4,381.7 million in 2023.
Revenues from enterprise cloud services were RMB2,777.8 million (US$380.6 million), representing an increase of 4.3% from RMB2,664.0 million in 2023.
Other revenues were RMB0.1 million (US$0.02 million).

^{______________________
6} Non-GAAP EBITDA is defined as Non-GAAP net loss excluding interest income, interest expense, income tax expense (benefit) and depreciation and amortization, and we define Non-GAAP EBITDA margin as Non-GAAP EBITDA as a percentage of revenues. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

Cost of revenues was RMB6,444.3 million (US$882.9 million), representing a slight increase of 4.0% from RMB6, 197.3 million in 2023. Among which:

IDC costs decreased by 9.9% to RMB2,892.1 million (US$396.2 million) from RMB3,211.2 million in 2023. The decrease was in line with our cost control measures adjustment of CDN services. Depreciation and amortization costs were RMB1,090.1 million (US$149.3 million), compared with RMB774.0 million in 2023, mainly due to the depreciation of new acquired servers related to AI business. Fulfillment costs were RMB235.7 million (US$32.3 million), representing an increase of 2.7% from RMB229.5 million in 2023. The increase was in line with enterprise cloud projects increase. Solution development and services costs were RMB1,993.1 million (US$273.1 million) in 2024, compared with RMB1,804.8 million in 2023. The increase was mainly due to the revenue expansion of Camelot business.

Gross profit increased by 57.7% to RMB1,340.9 million (US$183.7 million) in 2024, from RMB850.2 million in 2023. Gross margin increased to 17.2%, from 12. 1% in 2023. Non–GAAP gross profit increased to RMB1,357.8 million (US$186.0 million) in 2024, from RMB859.9 million in 2023. Non–GAAP gross margin increased to 17.4% in 2024 from 12.2% in 2023. Such increases were primarily because of the optimization of revenue mix and our effective cost controls.

Selling and marketing expenses were RMB479.4 million (US$65.7 million), compared with RMB460.2 million in 2023. The increase was mainly due to the increase of share-based compensation.

General and administrative expenses were RMB834.9 million (US$114.4 million), compared with RMB1,060.0 million in 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease of credit loss expense.

Research and development expenses were RMB846.0 million (US$115.9 million), compared with RMB784.8 million in 2023. The increase was mainly due to the rise in personnel-related expenses.

Impairment of long–lived assets was RMB919.7 million (US$126.0 million), mainly attributable to impairment of long-lived assets dedicated to assets of low-margin services.

Operating loss was RMB1,739.0 million (US$238.2 million), compared with RMB2, 108.6 million in 2023. Non–GAAP operating loss was RMB431.3 million (US$59.1 million), significantly narrowed compared with RMB1,092.8 million in 2023. Non–GAAP operating loss margin was 5.5%, significantly improved from 15.5% in 2023.

Net loss was RMB1,979.0 million (US$271.1 million), significantly narrowed from net loss of RMB2, 183.6 million in 2023.

Non–GAAP net loss was RMB825.3 million (US$113.1 million), compared with Non-GAAP net loss of RMB1,291.1 million in 2023.

Non–GAAP EBITDA was RMB638.9 million (US$87.5 million), compared with RMB-265.1 million in 2023. Non–GAAP EBITDA margin was 8.2%, compared with -3.8% in 2023.

Basic and diluted net loss per share was RMB0.54 (US$0.07), compared with RMB0.61 in 2023.

Outstanding ordinary shares were 3,687,690,772 as of December 31, 2024, equivalent to about 245,846,051 ADSs.

Conference Call Information

Kingsoft Cloud’s management will host an earnings conference call on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 8:15 am, U.S. Eastern Time (8:15 pm, Beijing/Hong Kong Time on the same day).

Participants can register for the conference call by navigating to https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIc315136cafe94825b98dca6b37795790. Once preregistration has been completed, participants will receive dial-in numbers, direct event passcode, and a unique access PIN.

To join the conference, simply dial the number in the calendar invite you receive after preregistering, enter the passcode followed by your PIN, and you will join the conference instantly.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.ksyun.com.

Use of Non–GAAP Financial Measures

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial information is prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). In evaluating our business, we consider and use certain non-GAAP measures, Non-GAAP gross profit, Non-GAAP gross margin, Non-GAAP operating loss, Non-GAAP operating loss margin, Non-GAAP EBITDA, Non-GAAP EBITDA margin, Non-GAAP net loss and Non-GAAP net loss margin, as supplemental measures to review and assess our operating performance. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We define Non- GAAP gross profit as gross profit excluding share-based compensation allocated in the cost of revenues, and we define Non-GAAP gross margin as Non-
GAAP gross profit as a percentage of revenues. We define Non-GAAP operating loss as operating loss excluding share-based compensation, impairment of long-lived assets and amortization of intangible assets, and we define Non-GAAP operating loss margin as Non-GAAP operating loss as a percentage of revenues. We define Non-GAAP net loss as net loss excluding share-based compensation, foreign exchange (gain) loss and impairment of long-lived assets, and we define Non-GAAP net loss margin as Non-GAAP net loss as a percentage of revenues. We define Non-GAAP EBITDA as Non-GAAP net loss excluding interest income, interest expense, income tax expense (benefit) and depreciation and amortization, and we define Non-GAAP EBITDA margin as Non-GAAP EBITDA as a percentage of revenues. We present these non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by our management to evaluate our operating performance and formulate business plans. We also believe that the use of these non-GAAP measures facilitates investors’ assessment of our operating performance.

These non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. One of the key limitations of using these non-GAAP financial measures is that they do not reflect all items of income and expense that affect our operations. Further, these non-GAAP measures may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited.

We compensate for these limitations by reconciling these non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating our performance. We encourage you to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

Exchange Rate Information

This press release contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of readers. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars, in this press release, were made at a rate ofRMB7.2993 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on December 31, 2024 as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the Business Outlook, and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Kingsoft Cloud’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Kingsoft Cloud may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Kingsoft Cloud’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Kingsoft Cloud’s goals and strategies; Kingsoft Cloud’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; relevant government policies and regulations relating to Kingsoft Cloud’s business and industry; the expected growth of the cloud service market in China; the expectation regarding the rate at which to gain customers, especially Premium Customers; Kingsoft Cloud’s ability to monetize the customer base; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China; and the economy in China and elsewhere generally; China’s political or social conditions and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Kingsoft Cloud’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as ofthe date of this press release, and Kingsoft Cloud does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

About Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited

Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: KC and HKEX:3896) is a leading cloud service provider in China. With extensive cloud infrastructure, cutting-edge cloud-native products based on vigorous cloud technology research and development capabilities, well-architected industry-specific solutions and end-to-end fulfillment and deployment, Kingsoft Cloud offers comprehensive, reliable and trusted cloud service to customers in strategically selected verticals.

For more information, please visit: http://ir.ksyun.com.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited
Nicole Shan
Tel: +86 (10) 6292-7777 Ext. 6300
Email: ksc–ir@kingsoft.com

KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(All amounts in thousands)
	Dec 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2024
	RMB		RMB		US$
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	2,255,287		2,648,764		362,879
Restricted cash	234,194		81,337		11,143
Accounts receivable, net	1,529,915		1,468,663		201,206
Short-term investments	—		90,422		12,388
Prepayments and other assets	1,812,692		2,233,074		305,930
Amounts due from related parties	266,036		318,526		43,638
Total current assets	6,098,124		6,840,786		937,184
Non-current assets:
Property and equipment, net	2,186,145		4,630,052		634,315
Intangible assets, net	834,478		694,880		95,198
Goodwill	4,605,724		4,605,724		630,982
Prepayments and other assets	870,781		449,983		61,647
Equity investments	259,930		234,182		32,083
Amounts due from related parties	56,264		—		—
Operating lease right-of-use assets	158,832		137,047		18,775
Total non-current assets	8,972,154		10,751,868		1,473,000
Total assets	15,070,278		17,592,654		2,410,184

LIABILITIES, NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	1,805,083		1,877,004		257,149
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	2,838,085		3,341,990		457,851
Short-term borrowings	1,110,896		2,225,765		304,928
Income tax payable	63,961		69,219		9,483
Amounts due to related parties	931,906		1,584,199		217,034
Current operating lease liabilities	78,659		61,258		8,392
Total current liabilities	6,828,590		9,159,435		1,254,837
Non-current liabilities:
Long-term borrowings	100,000		1,660,584		227,499
Amounts due to related parties	40,069		309,612		42,417
Deferred tax liabilities	142,565		101,677		13,930
Other liabilities	634,803		790,271		108,267
Non-current operating lease liabilities	78,347		65,755		9,008
Total non-current liabilities	995,784		2,927,899		401,121
Total liabilities	7,824,374		12,087,334		1,655,958
Shareholders’ equity:
Ordinary shares	25,443		25,689		3,519
Treasury stock	(208,385	)	(105,478	)	(14,450	)
Additional paid-in capital	18,811,028		18,940,885		2,594,891
Statutory reserves funds	21,765		32,001		4,384
Accumulated deficit	(12,315,041	)	(14,291,957	)	(1,957,990	)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	555,342		566,900		77,665
Total Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited shareholders’ equity	6,890,152		5,168,040		708,019
Non-controlling interests	355,752		337,280		46,207
Total equity	7,245,904		5,505,320		754,226
Total liabilities, non-controlling interests and shareholders’ equity	15,070,278		17,592,654		2,410,184

KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)
	Three Months Ended												Twelve Months Ended
	Dec 31, 2023		Mar 31, 2024		Jun 30, 2024		Sep 30, 2024		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2024
	RMB		RMB		RMB		RMB		RMB		US$		RMB		RMB		US$
Revenues:
Public cloud services	1,051,966		1,187,370		1,234,542		1,175,535		1,409,804		193,142		4,381,741		5,007,251		685,991
Enterprise cloud services	670,331		588,162		657,238		710,039		822,338		112,660		2,663,993		2,777,777		380,554
Others	153		152		–		–		–		–		1,727		152		21
Total revenues	1,722,450		1,775,684		1,891,780		1,885,574		2,232,142		305,802		7,047,461		7,785,180		1,066,566
Cost of revenues	(1,469,312	)	(1,482,431	)	(1,573,433	)	(1,582,220	)	(1,806,170	)	(247,444	)	(6,197,292	)	(6,444,254	)	(882,859	)
Gross profit	253,138		293,253		318,347		303,354		425,972		58,358		850,169		1,340,926		183,707
Operating expenses:
Selling and marketing expenses	(126,477	)	(116,752	)	(125,708	)	(121,117	)	(115,792	)	(15,863	)	(460,221	)	(479,369	)	(65,673	)
General and administrative expenses	(294,240	)	(218,695	)	(266,249	)	(170,374	)	(179,536	)	(24,596	)	(1,060,022	)	(834,854	)	(114,375	)
Research and development expenses	(175,155	)	(231,963	)	(203,959	)	(235,912	)	(174,155	)	(23,859	)	(784,807	)	(845,989	)	(115,900	)
Impairment of long-lived assets	–		–		–		(919,724	)	–		–		(653,670	)	(919,724	)	(126,002	)
Total operating expenses	(595,872	)	(567,410	)	(595,916	)	(1,447,127	)	(469,483	)	(64,318	)	(2,958,720	)	(3,079,936	)	(421,950	)
Operating loss	(342,734	)	(274,157	)	(277,569	)	(1,143,773	)	(43,511	)	(5,960	)	(2,108,551	)	(1,739,010	)	(238,243	)
Interest income	12,442		8,370		9,945		4,517		4,176		572		78,410		27,008		3,700
Interest expense	(46,992	)	(51,066	)	(59,414	)	(57,404	)	(61,821	)	(8,469	)	(146,026	)	(229,705	)	(31,469	)
Foreign exchange gain (loss)	74,011		(42,737	)	(6,999	)	135,777		(105,572	)	(14,463	)	(57,211	)	(19,531	)	(2,676	)
Other (loss) gain, net	(16,741	)	(8,207	)	(7,829	)	6,046		(2,956	)	(405	)	(32,673	)	(12,946	)	(1,774	)
Other income (expense), net	33,776		(11,190	)	(4,961	)	4,433		5,336		731		100,363		(6,382	)	(874	)
Loss before income taxes	(286,238	)	(378,987	)	(346,827	)	(1,050,404	)	(204,348	)	(27,994	)	(2,165,688	)	(1,980,566	)	(271,336	)
Income tax (expense) benefit	(598	)	15,371		(6,891	)	(10,662	)	3,706		508		(17,959	)	1,524		209
Net loss	(286,836	)	(363,616	)	(353,718	)	(1,061,066	)	(200,642	)	(27,486	)	(2,183,647	)	(1,979,042	)	(271,127	)
Less: net loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(2,688	)	(4,206	)	(542	)	(3,931	)	(3,683	)	(505	)	(7,307	)	(12,362	)	(1,694	)
Net loss attributable to Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited	(284,148	)	(359,410	)	(353,176	)	(1,057,135	)	(196,959	)	(26,981	)	(2,176,340	)	(1,966,680	)	(269,433	)

Net loss per share:
Basic and diluted	(0.08	)	(0.10	)	(0.10	)	(0.29	)	(0.05	)	(0.01	)	(0.61	)	(0.54	)	(0.07	)
Shares used in the net loss per share computation:
Basic and diluted	3,570,915,939		3,614,662,846		3,649,307,331		3,655,882,906		3,710,632,202		3,710,632,202		3,558,354,940		3,658,088,876		3,658,088,876
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax of nil:
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(67,636	)	20,704		(530	)	(112,296	)	103,658		14,201		102,241		11,536		1,580
Comprehensive loss	(354,472	)	(342,912	)	(354,248	)	(1,173,362	)	(96,984	)	(13,285	)	(2,081,406	)	(1,967,506	)	(269,547	)
Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(2,662	)	(4,247	)	(570	)	(3,900	)	(3,667	)	(502	)	(7,334	)	(12,384	)	(1,697	)
Comprehensive loss attributable to Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited shareholders	(351,810	)	(338,665	)	(353,678	)	(1,169,462	)	(93,317	)	(12,783	)	(2,074,072	)	(1,955,122	)	(267,850	)

KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS
(All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)
	Three Months Ended						Twelve Months Ended
	Dec 31, 2023	Mar 31, 2024	Jun 30, 2024	Sep 30, 2024	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2024
	RMB	RMB	RMB	RMB	RMB	US$	RMB	RMB	US$
Gross profit	253,138	293,253	318,347	303,354	425,972	58,358	850,169	1,340,926	183,707
Adjustments:
– Share-based compensation expenses (allocated in cost of revenues)	9,330	5,814	5,076	4,252	1,726	236	9,757	16,868	2,311
Adjusted gross profit (Non-GAAP Financial Measure)	262,468	299,067	323,423	307,606	427,698	58,594	859,926	1,357,794	186,018

KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS

(All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)

Three Months Ended

Twelve Months Ended

Dec 31,
2023

Mar 31,
2024

Jun 30,
2024

Sep 30,
2024

Dec 31,
2024

Dec 31,
2023

Dec 31,
2024

Gross margin

14.7

16.5

16.8

16.1

19.1

12.1

17.2

Adjusted gross margin (Non-GAAP Financial Measure)

15.2

16.8

17.1

16.3

19.2

12.2

17.4

KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS
(All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)
	Three Months Ended												Twelve Months Ended
	Dec 31, 2023		Mar 31, 2024		Jun 30, 2024		Sep 30, 2024		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2024
	RMB		RMB		RMB		RMB		RMB		US$		RMB		RMB		US$
Net Loss	(286,836	)	(363,616	)	(353,718	)	(1,061,066	)	(200,642	)	(27,486	)	(2,183,647	)	(1,979,042	)	(271,127	)
Adjustments:
– Share-based compensation expenses	110,437		103,595		45,649		40,423		24,774		3,394		181,645		214,441		29,378
– Foreign exchange (gain) loss	(74,011	)	42,737		6,999		(135,777	)	105,572		14,463		57,211		19,531		2,676
– Impairment of long-lived assets	–		–		–		919,724		–		–		653,670		919,724		126,002
Adjusted net loss (Non-GAAP Financial Measure)	(250,410	)	(217,284	)	(301,070	)	(236,696	)	(70,296	)	(9,629	)	(1,291,121	)	(825,346	)	(113,071	)
Adjustments:
– Interest income	(12,442	)	(8,370	)	(9,945	)	(4,517	)	(4,176	)	(572	)	(78,410	)	(27,008	)	(3,700	)
– Interest expense	46,992		51,066		59,414		57,404		61,821		8,469		146,026		229,705		31,469
– Income tax expense (benefit)	598		(15,371	)	6,891		10,662		(3,706	)	(508	)	17,959		(1,524	)	(209	)
– Depreciation and amortization	187,542		223,146		305,304		358,540		376,100		51,525		940,482		1,263,090		173,043
Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP Financial Measure)	(27,720	)	33,187		60,594		185,393		359,743		49,285		(265,064	)	638,917		87,532
– (Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment	–		(23,821	)	–		(10,667	)	(10,137	)	(1,389	)	22,996		(44,625	)	(6,114	)
Excluding loss or gain on disposal of property and equipment, normalized Adjusted EBITDA	(27,720	)	9,366		60,594		174,726		349,606		47,896		(242,068	)	594,292		81,418

KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS
(All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)
	Three Months Ended												Twelve Months Ended
	Dec 31, 2023		Mar 31, 2024		Jun 30, 2024		Sep 30, 2024		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2024
	RMB		RMB		RMB		RMB		RMB		US$		RMB		RMB		US$
Operating loss	(342,734	)	(274,157	)	(277,569	)	(1,143,773	)	(43,511	)	(5,960	)	(2,108,551	)	(1,739,010	)	(238,243	)
Adjustments:
– Share-based compensation expenses	110,437		103,595		45,649		40,423		24,774		3,394		181,645		214,441		29,378
– Impairment of long-lived assets	–		–		–		919,724		–		–		653,670		919,724		126,002
– Amortization of intangible assets	44,656		43,517		43,415		43,460		43,104		5,905		180,459		173,496		23,769
Adjusted operating (loss) profit (Non-GAAP Financial Measure)	(187,641	)	(127,045	)	(188,505	)	(140,166	)	24,367		3,339		(1,092,777	)	(431,349	)	(59,094	)
– (Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment	–		(23,821	)	–		(10,667	)	(10,137	)	(1,389	)	22,996		(44,625	)	(6,114	)
Excluding loss or gain on disposal of property and equipment, normalized Adjusted operating (loss) profit	(187,641	)	(150,866	)	(188,505	)	(150,833	)	14,230		1,950		(1,069,781	)	(475,974	)	(65,208	)

KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS

(All amounts in thousands, except for percentage)

Three Months Ended

Twelve Months Ended

Dec 31,
2023

Mar 31,
2024

Jun 30,
2024

Sep 30,
2024

Dec 31,
2024

Dec 31,
2023

Dec 31,
2024

Net loss margin

-16.7

-20.5

-18.7

-56.3

-9.0

-31.0

-25.4

Adjusted net loss margin (Non-GAAP Financial Measure)

-14.5

-12.2

-15.9

-12.6

-3.1

-18.3

-10.6

Adjusted EBITDA margin (Non-GAAP Financial Measure)

-1.6

1.9

3.2

9.8

16.1

-3.8

8.2

Normalized Adjusted EBITDA margin

-1.6

0.5

3.2

9.3

15.7

-3.4

7.6

Adjusted operating (loss) profit margin (Non-GAAP Financial Measure)

-10.9

-7.2

-10.0

-7.4

1.1

-15.5

-5.5

Normalized Adjusted operating (loss) profit margin

-10.9

-8.5

-10.0

-8.0

0.6

-15.2

-6.1

KINGSOFT CLOUD HOLDINGS LIMITED
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
(All amounts in thousands)
	Three Months Ended						Twelve Months Ended
	Dec 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2024		Dec 31, 2024
	RMB		RMB		US$		RMB		RMB		US$
Net cash generated from (used in) operating activities	16,787		570,222		78,120		(169,070	)	628,419		86,093
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,414,761	)	(1,337,978	)	(183,302	)	(673,186	)	(3,620,445	)	(495,999	)
Net cash generated from (used in) financing activities	1,154,815		1,802,762		246,977		(227,852	)	3,255,418		445,990
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	1,013		(15,294	)	(2,095	)	25,863		(22,772	)	(3,119	)
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(242,146	)	1,019,712		139,700		(1,044,245	)	240,620		32,965
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	2,731,627		1,710,389		234,322		3,533,726		2,489,481		341,057
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	2,489,481		2,730,101		374,022		2,489,481		2,730,101		374,022

The MIL Network –

March 20, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Talk on Xi Jinping Thought held

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Civil Service College today held a talk on the topic of “Xi Jinping Thought on Culture”, delivered by Vice President of the National Academy of Governance Li Wentang.

Addressing the talk, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said that Xi Jinping Thought on Culture serves as the theoretical guidance for the development of a socialist culture with Chinese Characteristics for a new era.

Mrs Yeung noted that it emphasises strengthening cultural confidence, upholding openness and inclusiveness, and adhering to fundamental principles and breaking new ground.

The significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture lies not only in the inheritance and development of traditional Chinese culture, but also in providing spiritual strength for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through the promotion of building a strong cultural nation.

She pointed out that Hong Kong possesses a unique advantage in the integration of Chinese and Western cultures.

Hong Kong should leverage its role as a platform for cultural exchange between China and the West to promote the inheritance and innovation of the fine traditional Chinese culture, and facilitate the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and other cultures. Hong Kong should tell the international community the story of the successful implementation of “one country, two systems” in China to attract more talent from across the world for enhancing its international competitiveness and influence, and make greater contributions to the high-level opening up of the country, Mrs Yeung added.

About 160 senior officials and civil servants in the directorate, senior and middle ranks attended the talk.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 20, 2025

Category: China

Government of India Expands AI-Driven SkillingIndia AI Mission Gains Momentum with 67 Proposals for Indigenous AI Models

Expanding into Asia

Breaking into Asian markets

1. Potential: Understand the local market

2. Proposition: Adapt services to fit local needs

3. Presence: Build a local network and partnerships

4. Policy: Take advantage of government support

Seizing the opportunity

Good management – and good luck

The shift to an information economy

Suddenly, work from home was possible

The employment miracle

A curated Australia

Not quite comfortable, not quite relaxed

Border politics

First-rate democracy, third-rate economy

Between the old and new

Plants are losing their appetite

Hacking photosynthesis

1. Spending smart is better than spending big

2. Spending together is better value

3. Homegrown suddenly looks safer

A new era for the union

Security-driven trade

A new focus for the WTO

Securing the future of aviation

Updates to this page

Who submitted?

Who didn’t submit?

Global shifts

Destroyed by fire

Finding a home

Growth and standardization

Ensuring accountability

Government of India Expands AI-Driven Skilling
India AI Mission Gains Momentum with 67 Proposals for Indigenous AI Models