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☆ Amazon-backed humanoid firm Agility Robotics laid off a 'small number' of staff
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Agility Robotics said it laid off a "small number" of employees on Wednesday. The company told Business Insider that the job cuts affected a "small number" of employees. Amazon is testing its Agility's Digit robots in a research and development facility near Seattle. AdvertisementAn electrical engineer at the humanoid robotics firm shared in posts on LinkedIn and X that he was "one of the many laid off" at the company. AdvertisementJohnson previously told BI that it will churn out "hundreds" of its Digit robots in 2025 and then "ramp up capacity to thousands" in the years that follow.

Persons: —, Lisa Haugh, Crunchbase, it's, Peggy Johnson, Johnson, It's Organizations: Robotics, Service, Business, Industrial Innovation, LinkedIn, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Oregon, Seattle

☆ China vows to treat foreign firms equally as it seeks more international investment
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Guo Tingting, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, attends the China Development Forum in Beijing on March 25, 2024. "China will fully guarantee national treatment for foreign companies, so that more foreign companies can invest in China with confidence and peace of mind," Vice Commerce Minister Guo Tingting said at the China Development Forum in Beijing. China pledged on Monday to treat foreign companies the same way as domestic peers in a bid to attract more foreign investment, cooperation and expertise, as Asia's largest economy moves to upgrade and strengthen its industrial chains. In response, China has stepped up efforts to address concerns of foreign investors, pledging to protect the rights of foreign companies and promising to further enlarge entry into its markets. Over 100 overseas executives and investors have attended the annual China Development Forum since the weekend, including companies with deep supply chains in China such as Apple and Siemens .

Persons: Guo Tingting, Guo, Li Qiang, Stephen von Schuckmann, CGTN, We're, Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong, Jin, Kristalina Georgieva Organizations: Commerce, China Development Forum, Trade Organization, WTO, Sunday, ZF Group, Apple, Siemens, Industry, Information Technology, Monetary Fund's Locations: Beijing, China, consultancies, United States

☆ China may have to resort to a tried-and-tested tactic to power its 'new leap forward'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Liu Liqun | Corbis Documentary | Getty ImagesChina may want a "new leap forward" in "productive forces" — but President Xi Jinping may need to resort to an old tactic to hit the country's ambitious growth target this year, one economist warns. While scant on specifics, the work report appears to suggest Beijing is refraining from the aggressive, bazooka-like stimulus that some markets observers were expecting. China has historically resorted to infrastructure building as a short-term fix to boost growth, particularly after the 2008-09 financial crisis. Goldman Sachs economists said that this pledge is the "most important positive surprise" from this year's government work report. Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers a speech during the opening of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2024 in Beijing, China.

Persons: Liu Liqun, Xi Jinping, Wang Dan, Wang, Erica Tan, Goldman Sachs, Li Qiang, Li, Lintao Zhang Organizations: Bund, Getty, Hang Seng Bank, CNBC, China Investment Corporation, Maybank, Seng Bank, National People's Congress, of People Locations: China, Beijing, overcapacity, Covid, Gorges

☆ Humanoid robot startup Figure AI valued at $2.6 billion as Bezos, OpenAI, Nvidia join funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Founded in 2022, Figure AI has developed a general-purpose robot, called Figure 01, that looks and moves like a human. Figure's ultimate aim is for Figure 01 to be able to perform "everyday tasks autonomously." Tesla is also trying to build a humanoid robot, called Optimus, while robotics company Boston Dynamics has developed several models. Norwegian humanoid robot startup 1X Technologies recently raised $100 million with backing from OpenAI. WATCH: Tesla CEO Musk said it's more important to develop humanoid robot than new cars

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Tesla, Goldman Sachs, Tom Andersson, Andersson, OpenAI, Goldman, they've, Musk Organizations: Nvidia, Microsoft, Innovation Fund, Robotics, Boston Dynamics, OpenAI, Goldman, STIQ Ltd, Intel, Ventures, Parkway Venture Capital Locations: Norwegian

☆ Nvidia hit the quarter and guidance out of the park. We don't see that changing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Bottom line This was a very strong quarter, with almost nothing to nitpick. This year's rapid Data Center sales growth we've seen has been driven largely by cloud providers and enterprises. Sales to China and other impacted regions have, in the past few quarters, accounted for 20% to 25% of Data Center sales. However, the team added that they "believe the decline will be more than offset by strong growth in other regions." Guidance Looking ahead to Nvidia's fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, we once again got far stronger guidance than Wall Street was modeling.

Persons: We're, Ada Lovelace, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Jensen Huang Organizations: Nvidia, Revenue, Automotive, Data Center, Microsoft, Oracle, U.S, Data, Gaming, Ada, Nvidia's Automotive, Wall, CNBC, Getty Locations: China, Taiwan

☆ Amazon's latest warehouse robot is cute, but it's definitely not going to quell workers' fears of being replaced
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon says Digit is designed to "work collaboratively" with employees, not replace them. AdvertisementAdvertisementAmazon recently began testing a new robot in its warehouse operations — meet Digit, a humanoid bipedal robot with a turquoise torso and smiley eyes. However, most of the other warehouse robots have been cart-shaped or robotic arms, not humanoid like Digit. Unlike the company's other warehouse robots, Amazon says Digit is better designed to operate in spaces designed for humans. In community forums, warehouse workers discussed the possibility that Sparrow might result in empty warehouses, with only small teams of human employees to repair the robots.

Persons: —, they'll, — Bert, Ernie, Scooter, Kermit Organizations: Robotics, Service, Agility Robotics, Amazon, Innovation, tote, Workers

☆ Brazil paves way for semiconductor cooperation with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures near First Lady Rosangela "Janja" da Silva during a visit to Huawei's Research and Development Centre in Shanghai, China, April 13, 2023. Ricardo Stuckert/Handout via REUTERSBEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - China and Brazil agreed on Friday to set up a working group to pursue cooperation on semiconductors as the South American nation strengthens ties with Beijing in areas of sensitive technology. In an interview with Reuters, Lula's foreign policy advisor Celso Amorim said Brazil will not veto the installation of a Chinese semiconductor factory in Brazil, and is interested in developing the technology in cooperation with China. In the slew of MoUs China and Brazil agreed to "explore mechanisms to promote bilateral cooperation in scientific and technological research and industrial innovation." That would involve joint research and development activities between public, private and academic institutions, and the exchange of scientists and scientific papers.

☆ Lula courts Chinese tech for Brazil, brushes off "prejudices"
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday defended his country's pursuit of Chinese communication and semiconductor technology, brushing off security concerns from Western nations led by the United States. [1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures near First Lady Rosangela "Janja" da Silva during a visit to Huawei's Research and Development Centre in Shanghai, China, April 13, 2023. Brazil, however, is interested in attracting Chinese investment in these areas, despite recent U.S. pressure discouraging the use of 5G mobile equipment from Huawei. Among their accords, China and Brazil agreed to "explore mechanisms to promote bilateral cooperation in scientific and technological research and industrial innovation." That would involve joint research and development activities between public, private and academic institutions, and the exchange of scientists and scientific papers.

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - The European Union's executive body is set to provide permits, regulatory support and easier access to public and private funding for certain strategic green technologies, according to a draft document seen by Reuters. Certain technologies, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), were not included in the draft as potential candidates for the support scheme. The rules would also support auctions to deploy renewable energy sources, adapt innovation funds and provide easier access to public-private procurement. If the goals aren't achieved by 2030, the European Commission will propose "additional measures aimed at covering the identified gaps," the draft says. The European Commission declined to comment on the draft document, which an industry source said was expected to be released in the coming weeks.

☆ The threat of a transatlantic trade war is dominating Davos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Trade tensions between the EU and the US are dominating the talk in Davos. Transatlantic trade tensions are dominating conversations at the World Economic Forum this week. On the one hand, European officials are saying they will come up with more financial support for European firms. On the other hand, the business community is excited about green subsidies stateside and argue the EU needs to match what the U.S. administration is doing. At the same time we have to support our competitiveness," European Commissioner for Economics, Paolo Gentiloni, told CNBC in Davos.

The EU is concerned that European companies will move to the United States, which has a $369 billion scheme to subsidise green production. The EU will therefore provide money for its industry as well, von der Leyen said. "To keep European industry attractive, there is a need to be competitive with the offers and incentives that are currently available outside the EU," she said. For the medium term, we will prepare a European Sovereignty Fund as part of the mid-term review of our budget later this year," von der Leyen said. She said the Commission was now working on what the needs of the green industry were.

The proposal comes in an amendment to a statute on industrial innovation put forward by the economy ministry, raising the corporate income tax break to 25% from 15%. "Facing the new competitive pressure brought about by the restructuring of the global supply chain, the future development of Taiwan's industry is at stake," the ministry said in a statement. In the wake of a global chip shortage, governments around the world have been touting incentives to bring chip production onshore. The European Commission this year also unveiled a 45 billion euros ($46.6 billion) chip plan. ($1 = 0.9653 euros)Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Sarah Wu; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Buying other companies is one option to help maintain its historical 20%-plus annual revenue growth, a person familiar with Amazon's deal process said. While Amazon doesn't necessarily prey on companies in trouble, the company is extremely price disciplined, the person familiar with Amazon's deal process told Insider. Bertucci has been a part of some of Amazon's largest transactions, including leading the MGM and One Medical deals. According to the person familiar with Amazon's deal process, Amazon only brings in investment banks when acquisitions reach roughly the $1 billion mark. Indeed, the One Medical deal alone could have netted Goldman and Morgan Stanley, which repped One Medical, in the tens of millions in fees.

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