Friday, June 9, 2023
The Cipher Brief curates open source information from around the world that impacts national security. Here's a look at today's headlines, broken down by region of the world:
In the Americas
Trump Indicted in Classified Documents Case. A federal grand jury has indicted Former President Donald Trump over mishandling of classified documents, according to his lawyer and sources familiar with the case. Trump reportedly faces seven criminal charges in the case, including conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and willfully and illegally retaining classified documents under the Espionage Act. The indictment remains under seal. The U.S. Department of Justice has been investigating if Trump mishandled classified documents after he left office following the seizure of hundreds of classified documents from his Mar-a-Lago residence. Trump maintains he declassified the documents. The indictment will be the second Trump faces, after he was indicted in April for falsifying business records relating to hush money paid to a porn star prior to the 2016 election. Trump is also being investigated for alleged efforts to overturn 2020 presidential election results. CNN New York Times Reuters
Biden Says NATO Needs to Discuss Candidates for Next Secretary-General. President Joe Biden on Thursday said that NATO members need to discuss candidates for the alliance’s next secretary-general, as Jens Stoltenberg is leaving the position in September. When asked by reporters if it is time for a British NATO Secretary-General, Biden responded, “maybe.” The question came at the end of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit to Washington — he is believed to have raised the prospect of British Defense Minister Ben Wallace becoming the next NATO chief. Reuters
Pentagon Dismisses Reports of Chinese Spy Base in Cuba. The Pentagon on Thursday dismissed a report that China is secretly building an electronic eavesdropping facility in Cuba, describing the report as “not accurate.” A Pentagon spokesperson said “based on the information that we have… we are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station.” The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the alleged Chinese spy base in Cuba would boost Chinese surveillance efforts of shipping routes and the southeastern U.S., where several American military bases are located. Reuters Wall Street Journal
U.S., Iran Deny Report of Imminent Interim Nuclear Deal. Both the U.S. and Iran on Thursday denied reports that they are nearing an interim deal in which Iran would curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. London-based Middle East Eye reported on the “temporary deal,” citing two sources who said the arrangement would have Tehran stop enriching uranium to 60% purity or above and continue cooperation with the IAEA in return for it being allowed to export up to 1 million barrels of oil a day and regain access to “income and other frozen funds abroad.” The report added that talks for the deal were held between U.S. special envoy for Iran Rob Malley and Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, reversing Tehran’s refusal to directly negotiate with U.S. officials. A White House National Security Council spokesperson called the report “false and misleading,” and Iran’s mission to the U.N. said, “Our comment is the same as the White House comment.” Iranian officials told Reuters that there has been progress in nuclear talks but that no agreement has been reached. One official also claimed that Malley and Irvani have met with each other several times in recent weeks, without elaborating. Reuters
Senators Propose Banning FAA from Using Chinese Drones. Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn and Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Thursday that they have proposed legislation prohibiting the Federal Aviation Administration from purchasing or using Chinese built-drones. The proposed bill would give the FAA one year to replace any Chinese-made drones in use with a U.S. or allied-made drone. The bill would also ban the FAA from dispensing federal funds to foreign drone manufacturers in China, North Korea, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela. Blackburn asserted that "taxpayer dollars should never fund drones manufactured in regions that are hostile toward the U.S.,” and said that the law "helps curb the importation of drones produced by our adversaries, keeping our nation safer and encouraging manufacturing here at home." The FAA has not yet commented. The U.S. government has taken steps in the past to decrease the purchases of China-made drones, such as restricting exports on the world’s top drone company DJI in 2020 and grounding the U.S. Interior Department’s 800-strong fleet of Chinese-built drones three years ago. Republican Senator Marco Rubio last week requested that the U.S. Capitol Police cease using drones made by the Chinese manufacturer Autel Robotics. Reuters
US Senate Committee Approves Measure to Strip China of Developing Status. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday approved legislation that aims to strip China of its “developing nation” status at some international organizations. The “Ending China’s Developing Nation Status Act” would require the Secretary of State to pursue this change in China’s status. Supporters of the bill say China’s current “developing nation” status gives it special privileges in some organizations and treaties. Separately, the committee also approved the “Taiwan Protection and National Resilience Act” which would require agencies to report on possible responses to a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The measures, which demonstrate bipartisan support for a harder line on China, now go to the full Senate for approval. Reuters U.S. Congress
US Publicizes Re-Parole Procedure for Afghan Nationals in the Nation. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday revealed a new process that permits Afghan nationals living in the United States to renew their parole and continue living and working. The DHS said in a statement that the new system “is streamlined and will be at no cost, and will provide for a two-year renewal of parole for qualifying individuals," as well as support and encourage Afghan citizens to seek permanent residence in the U.S. The DHS will consider renewal requests on a case-by-case basis for dire “humanitarian reasons and for a significant public benefit." Reuters
Western Europe
Sweden to Base NATO Troops. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Defense Minister Pal Jonson said Friday that Sweden will allow NATO to station troops in Swedish territory even before the country formally joins the alliance. The two described any such arrangements as moves to “enable future joint operations” which “sends a clear signal to Russia.” Sweden’s NATO membership bid has been stalled by Turkey and Hungary; Stockholm hopes to join the alliance by the NATO summit in Lithuania next month. New York Times Reuters
Sweden Charges Man Suspected of Backing PKK. Swedish prosecutors on Friday charged a Turkish national on suspicion of gun crimes and raising funds for the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). It is the first time Sweden has charged someone for attempting to finance the PKK, which is designated a terrorist entity by Turkey, the E.U. and the U.S. The charges come as Sweden’s NATO membership bid remains stalled, mainly due to Turkey, which has withheld support over accusations that Stockholm harbors PKK members and supporters. Deutsche Welle Reuters
EU Agrees to ‘Historic’ Migration Deal. EU ministers signed a long-sought-after historic migration deal on Thursday, which aims to direct how the bloc will share responsibility for caring for migrants and refugees. Under the agreement, EU members will be made responsible for a set number of irregular migrants and refugees, but will not necessarily need to take them in. If a country is unwilling to receive arriving migrants, it can support a common EU fund for hosting migrants, with contributions amounting to around 20,000 euros a person. The deal will also introduce an expedited border process for migrants deemed unlikely to win asylum, which will prevent them from lingering in the bloc. In a key concession to get Italy’s support, the deal will allow individual EU nations to decide which foreign countries are “safe” to send rejected asylum seekers, though denied applicants must have a “connection” to said “safe third country,” meaning they must have “stayed” or “settled” there or have family members there. Financial Times France 24 Politico Reuters
France Knife Attack Leaves Several Wounded. On Thursday, four toddlers and one adult were hospitalized after a stabbing attack in a playground in Annecy, France. The motive for the attack is unclear, but a 31 year old suspect has been apprehended for the crime. CNN Reuters
Central and Eastern Europe
EU's Foreign Policy Chief Says Russia Responsible for the Destruction of Kakhovka Dam. EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell says that “everything indicates” that Russia is responsible for the Kakhovka dam breach. Borrell, echoing assessments by some analysts, says he believes that the dam was destroyed by explosives that were placed inside the dam near the turbines, an area that Borrell says is under Russian control. The destruction of the dam has been described as an ‘ecological disaster’ and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksiy says that hundreds of thousands of people are facing difficulties with having enough drinking water. France24
Ukrainian Counter-Offensive Operations Taking Place Along ‘Several Fronts’. Reports out of Russia indicate heavy fighting in Southern Ukraine around the Zaporizhzhia front and near the city of Orikhiv. The area is close to the strategically important ‘land bridge’ that connects Crimea with mainland Russia. Reuters and other media outlets are unable to verify the Russian claims, as Ukraine limits the presence of reporters from its side of the front line during offensive operations. Russian mil-bloggers have reported the first sightings of western armor in the fighting, with reports of German-made Leopard tanks and US-made Bradley fighting vehicles near the city of Orikhiv, which if confirmed would indicate that western-trained and supplied Ukrainian forces had joined the counter-offensive. Analysts say that the Ukrainian advances along a wide front line are operations designed to probe for weak spots in the Russian defensives, and to keep Russian forces guessing about the exact areas of major Ukrainian attempts to break through Russian defensive lines. CNN reports that Ukrainian forces in some areas have faced stiffer than expected Russian defenses, and have suffered losses that one US official described as ‘significant’. Ukrainian forces have managed however, to overrun some Russian positions around the embattled city of Bakhmut, and Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar says that a Ukrainian offensive is taking place along several fronts and that “today is a successful day for our forces”. Reuters Wall Street Journal CNN
Asia and Oceania
US Pressured by China’s Growing Nuclear Arsensal, Pentagon Official Says. U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Indo-Pacific Ely Ratner on Thursday said that the U.S. is feeling pressured to modernize its nuclear arsenal and expand its nuclear umbrella amid China and North Korea’s expansion of their own nuclear arsenals. Ratner said nuclear advancements in Beijing and Pyongyang are pushing Washington to improve its deterrence, both for itself and allies and partners. The U.S. has sought to achieve this in several ways, including through nuclear modernization — seen, for example, in projects for new submarine-launched capabilities — and strengthening collaboration with regional partners like South Korea, Japan and Australia. The State Department estimates that China, which has declined to join non-proliferation talks, is expected to expand its current nuclear arsenal of 400 warheads to approximately 1,500 by 2035. However, this will still be a fraction of the estimated 5,977 warheads held by Russia and the 5,428 held by the U.S., according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. South China Morning Post
Taiwan’s Acer Supplied Computer Hardware to Russia. Taiwanese computer manufacturer Acer has sent $70.4 million worth of computer hardware to Russia between April 2022 to May 2023, according to customs data. Records show the company has sent PC monitors, laptops and other computer displays and accessories to the Russian market through a subsidiary in Switzerland. Since the items were not shipped from Taiwan, they did not violate Taiwanese sanctions on Russia. They also did not violate Swiss export controls, as the items were delivered before restrictions were implemented. However, while the shipments were not illegal, they came despite Acer’s pledge that it would cease business with Russia following the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, like Western rivals like Dell and HP did. Reuters
Taiwan Foreign Minister to Visit Europe. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu is reportedly making a previously unannounced tour of Europe next week. Sources say Wu is expected to visit Brussels and attend a security conference in Prague, where he will reportedly meet with Czech President Petr Pavel. Such a meeting would be a diplomatic breakthrough as European leaders do not usually meet with top Taiwanese officials. Reuters
South Korea Releases New Security Strategy. South Korea unveiled a new National Security Strategy on Wednesday which highlights the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs as the “most pressing” threat to Seoul. The new strategy calls for the continued development of South Korea's military capability to counter this threat and promote regional stability. It adds that this will be helped in part with the continued strengthening of Seoul’s “combined defense posture” with the U.S. Notably, the strategy also highlights a “compelling need” to strengthen ties with Japan and calls for Seoul and Tokyo to overcome historical disputes to foster future cooperation. The Yoon administration’s approach differs different from the previous administration’s strategy, which was released in 2018 under former President Moon Jae-in and accused Japan of distorting history — namely over the disputed Dokdo islands, which Japan claims as its own and calls Takeshima — and urged for a peaceful resolution to tensions with Pyongyang. Nikkei Asia Yonhap News Agency
China Envoy in Seoul Warns Against 'Wrong Bets' on U.S., China Ties. Xing Haiming, the China’s ambassador to South Korea, on Thursday warned that South Korea may be making the “wrong bets” and “wrong judgment” on China due to its preferred ties with the U.S. In a meeting with the leader of South Korea’s main opposition party, Xing urged Seoul to restore economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing and cease “decoupling” with China, South Korea’s biggest trading partner, in the pursuit of stronger relations with the U.S. Xing said that "the blame does not lie with China" in regards to “difficulties” between Seoul and Beijing, adding that he hopes South Korea will not make the “wrong judgment” on China due to the “interference of external factors” like U.S. pressure. South Korea’s main opposition party has criticized the current government for what it calls a lopsided preference towards the U.S. alliance over China. South Korea’s first vice foreign minister Chang Ho-jin summoned Xing to warn against his “provocative” remarks, saying they could constitute interference in domestic politics. Reuters
Taiwanese Presidential Candidate Says Neither Mainstream Party Capable of Managing Relationship with Beijing. A Taiwanese presidential candidate says that Xi Jinping’s rule in China will not last forever, and that there is hope that political reform based on universal democratic values will occur in China. Ko Wen-je, nominee for the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) made the comments at an event in Japan where he also said that he told US officials in a recent trip to “never give up” in hoping for change in Beijing. Ko criticized the currently ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as losing control of the relationship with China and says the Kuomintang (KMT) is too ‘deferential’ to China. Ko says neither party is capable of resolving the tensions with China. China considers the self-governing island of Taiwan as part of mainland China and is expected to step up pressure on Taipei ahead of the January 2024 presidential elections. Nikkei Asia
Huawei Warns Against Proposed EU Ban on its 5G Products. Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co said Thursday that a potential EU ban on Huawei’s 5G products is unfair and unlawful. A Huawei Europe spokesperson said the plan is “based on non-technical judgments” and amounts to politicization of cybersecurity evaluations. The spokesperson added that the ban will “hamper innovation and distort the EU market,” resulting in higher prices for digital services. The spokesperson also maintained that Huawei has a good history in Europe, saying there is no record of backdoors in its products in the EU. If approved, the ban is unlikely to take effect before 2024. Studies show that Chinese vendors supplied over 50 percent of 5G equipment in 31 European countries by the end of 2022. However, the continent is increasing scrutiny of Chinese technology, in part due to U.S. security concerns. South China Morning Post
China, Iran, Pakistan to Hold Regular Anti-Terror Talks. China, Iran and Pakistan have agreed to conduct regular anti-terrorism talks after holding their first trilateral meeting on regional counterterrorism efforts on Wednesday. China’s foreign ministry said Wednesday’s talks, which included top diplomats from the three countries, focused on addressing “the cross-border movement of terrorists” and that follow-up talks will be held as part of China’s “Global Security Initiative.” Analysts say the dialogue will focus on containing Afghanistan-based militant threats, which has led to increased extremist activity in Iran and Pakistan. Such activity has sometimes targeted Chinese nationals, especially those working on Belt and Road Initiative projects in the region. South China Morning Post
South Korea Pledges to Back its Chip Industry. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met with dozens of chip industry leaders and government officials to discuss how Seoul can support its domestic chip industry. To address difficulties in the chip market, the South Korean government plans to further support chip research and development, back smaller chip firms, strengthen legal protections for chip technology and establish a chip testing facility. Yoon described the competition in the industry as an “all out war” amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and China. South Korea has specifically sought to stay out of the chip quarrel between China and the United States. The contentious dispute puts South Korea in a difficult position as chipmakers rely on U.S. technology and equipment but around 40% of its chip exports go to China, according to trade data. Reuters
Honduras’s Castro Arrives in China for First Time Since Severing Ties with Taiwan. Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Friday arrived in Shanghai for her first China visit after switching formal diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of Beijing in March. On her visit, which is set to end June 14th, Castro will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the next steps Chinese-Honduran relations and to “jointly plan for the future development,” according to Chinese state media. Associated Press
Middle East and Northern Africa
Saudi Arabia says US-China Relations Not ‘Zero-Sum Game’. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken where he said that the kingdom’s relationship with the US and China is not a ‘zero sum game’. Farhan played down reports that Saudi Arabia was moving away from the US in favor of Beijing, and says that the kingdom is capable of having multiple relationships that cross borders. China’s surprise diplomatic victory of brokering a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran caught the world by surprise earlier this year and signaled China’s growing presence in the region. Blinken, speaking at the press conference, says that the US has been very clear that it is not asking any country to ‘choose sides’. South China Morning Post
US-GCC Release Joint Statement. The U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) released a joint statement highlighting shared priorities and finding common ground even on some contentious issues the two parties do not normally agree on. The statement calls for a two-state solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict “along 1967 borders with mutually agreed swaps consistent with internationally recognized parameters and the Arab Peace Initiative”. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended the GCC meeting in which the statement was released, where he additionally pushed for the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab states, specifically Saudi Arabia. However, the statement made no mention of Arab-Israeli normalization. The statement unambiguously welcomed the reestablishment of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran after past U.S. statements previously showed reservation towards the Chinese brokered deal. Although the Biden administration had previously voiced opposition to its Arab allies rekindling ties with Syria, both sides appeared to find a consensus: the statement said that both sides agree that they support a political resolution to the crisis that preserves Syria’s unity. Notably, the statement also included support for a U.S. military presence in Syria to ensure that ISIS does not reemerge. Additionally, the GCC statement contained vague language surrounding the war in Ukraine, stressing territorial integrity and international law without specifically condemning the Russian invasion. Al Jazeera
Sub Saharan Africa
Rebels in Southern Sudan Mobilizing. A large rebel force has reportedly mobilized in Sudan’s South Kordofan State, according to residents there, raising fears that Sudan’s conflict is spreading to its southern regions. The rebel force, SPLM-N, is reportedly led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu and is estimated to contain tens of thousands of men and is armed with heavy weaponry. It is unclear what position Hilu will take in the conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The army has reinforced its positions in the south as SPLM-N forces have been spotted moving into several camps around Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan. Notably, there have been skirmishes between SPLM-N and the RSF in recent months. Reuters
Cyber and Tech
Biden, UK Prime Minister Sign ‘Atlantic Declaration’ on Tech, Economic Collaboration. A first-of-its kind “Atlantic Declaration” was signed Thursday by President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, joining the two countries in a partnership focused on advanced technologies, green energy, and critical materials. The safety of AI research and development was another key topic for the two leaders’ discussions, as Sunak confirmed that Britain would host the first summit this fall on ways AI risks can be mitigated through the efforts of the international community. At a joint news conference, Biden and Sunak said the two countries would expand cooperation on green energy and emerging technologies, especially technology that is central to national security. In the course of their meetings, Biden acknowledged the potential and challenges of artificial intelligence, which he described as “staggering.” Biden also said that he welcomed British leadership on the issue. For his part, Sunak acknowledged the need to shape AI technology to “make us more secure and not less,” adding that "the U.S. and the U.K. are the world’s foremost democratic AI powers. So today President Biden and I agreed to work together on AI safety, including multilaterally." Reuters USAToday UPI
U.S., China in ‘Neck-to-Neck’ Race in Quantum Witnesses Tell House Committee. Experts testifying before the House Science Committee have warned of a neck-to-neck race between the U.S. and China in quantum technology that requires reinforcement of resources available to American researchers through the National Quantum Initiative. Witnesses at the hearing said that academic experts struggle for access to needed equipment while startup companies are desperate for investments. As promising as quantum technology appears to be, a White House official said the forecast for practical applications is unclear. Charles Tahan, director of the National Quantum Coordination Office, said “We don’t know when quantum computers and at what scale they will start to be actually useful.” He added, “It could be the next five years. It could be longer than that.” Since the passage of the National Quantum Initiative Act in 2018, Federal funding has doubled to $1.2 billion through FY2023. Three times that amount has been invested in quantum R&D by the private sector. It was noted, however, that China’s investments are probably greater, and its output of patents and research papers has surged. Celia Merzbacher, executive director of the public-private Quantum Economic Development Consortium, noted that an increasing number of smaller quantum companies in the U.S. but cautioned that “there are no big quantum companies today, [and] the venture funding seems to be slowing. So it’s really important at this time for government to take measures to de-risk the technology and to bridge to the quantum economy of the future.” BreakingDefense
Chinese Quantum Computer 180 million Times Faster Than Supercomputer on AI Tasks. A Chinese research team has developed a quantum computer capable of performing tasks 180 million times faster than the world’s most powerful conventional supercomputer. Chinese university physicist Pan Jianwei, known as China’s “father of quantum,” led a team testing the Jiuzhang quantum computer in data mining and chemical modeling research, among other tasks. They described their work in the Physical Review Letters journal as a “step toward testing real-world problems using the existing noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers.” For the first time, the research team used Jiuzhang to implement and accelerate two algorithms commonly used in artificial intelligence — random search and simulated annealing. It took the quantum computer less than a second to complete processing of 200,000 samples, a task that would take the fastest conventional supercomputer, working at 700 seconds per sample, five years to complete. A synopsis of the Chinese research paper published by an American physics journal noted that the team’s work “extends the list of tasks for which today’s noisy quantum computers offer an advantage over classical computers.” South China Morning Post
Google DeepMind Lab Reveals ‘Breakthrough’ in Accelerating AI Algorithms. Google’s DeepMind artificial intelligence research lab has announced the discovery of a new AI system that employs reinforcement learning to discover faster algorithms for various computer science functions. The algorithm breakthrough could make computing more efficient in widely used tasks such as sorting and hashing, essential processes utilized trillions of times daily for data sorting, storage and retrieval. The discovery of faster sorting and hashing algorithms can “significantly reduce the resources needed for computing.” DeepMInd calls the new system AlphaDev and employs a form of machine learning in which computers develop strategies on their own. In applying AlphaDev to a C++ sorting library, the system was “up to 70 percent faster for smaller sorting tasks and 1.7 percent faster for large-scale sorting tasks.” AlphaDev discovered an algorithm in hashing functions that was 30 percent faster in the 9 to 16 bytes range. Daniel Mankowitz, a computer scientist who led the DeepMind team, commenting on the research results, said “we were a bit shocked. We didn’t believe it at first.” Pointing to the future, Mankowitz said the AlphaDev accomplishment could “inspire new perspectives and strategies for optimizing fundamental computer science algorithms and making them faster.” Google plans to make the new algorithms available through a standard sorting library, thereby allowing developers and companies in various industries worldwide to take advantage of the computing advance. Wall Street Journal Nature VentureBeat
Ex-Google CEO Urges Caution in AI Regulation, Advocates U.S. ‘AI Czar’. Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google and chair of CSC 2.0, the successor organization to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, has advocated the appointment of a U.S. AI czar to help address the complexities of AI development. Speaking at a panel session on the topic, Schmidt said governments are “screwing it up” in approaches to AI regulation. Arguing that authorities often emphasize the wrong risks with the technology, Schmidt said, “I would suggest that we not try to regulate the stuff that we all complain about until we have a more clear target.” In particular, Schmidt criticized the still-developing EU AI Act as overly restrictive and likely to prevent the use of open-source software for AI R&D. Speaking of the position of AI czar, Schmidt observed, “If you want something to happen at scale there needs to be a concerted owner.” He also pointed to inherent problems with the U.S. approach to AI and its national security impacts, describing the Pentagon as “risk averse” and frequently out of sync with Congress on funding priorities. Also participating in the panel was Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Cyberspace Solarium Commissioner, who expressed doubt as to whether traditional arms control agreements are useful for AI governance. He said that a first step should be to determine if the AI guidance the Pentagon has implemented can be reinforced and extended across the U.S. government. The Record
EU Approves $8.7 Billion for Investment in Advanced Technology Projects. State aid totaling $8.7 billion has been approved by the European Commission for technology projects in the microelectronics and communications sectors. The funding is a continuation of the EU’s ongoing program to establish world leadership in advanced technologies. Commenting on the latest investment, Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager told reporters, "We need to be pioneers. We need to develop truly innovative solutions and of course their first industrial deployments in Europe." The commission approved aid to 68 projects involving leading European tech firms such as Ericsson, ASML, and Airbus. Among the key areas of investment are materials and tools, chip design, and manufacturing processes. Also targeted are projects dealing with 5G and 6G telecommunications, autonomous driving, AI, and quantum computing. The new batch of projects join a set of investments in the same sectors approved in 2018. Products emerging from the innovation projects could be marketed by 2025, with an overall goal of completing the program in 2032. EU industry chief Thierry Breton pointed to an additional benefit of the projects, noting that they would accelerate development of a European supply chain for components for radar and space applications and contribute to developing cutting edge AI chips. Reuters
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