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Mid East Info
25-05-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
BEYOND Expo 2025 unites Asia's Tech titans to shape a smarter, sustainable Future - Middle East Business News and Information
Asia's most influential tech showcase, BEYOND Expo 2025, concluded yesterday at The Venetian Macao's Cotai Expo, celebrating its landmark fifth edition with record-breaking participation. Held under the visionary theme 'Empowering Asia, Bridging the World', the Expo hosted over 800 pioneering companies across sectors including AI, HealthTech, Clean Energy, Robotics, Lifestyle Tech, SportsTech and FinTech, alongside 25,000 visitors and 800+ global investors. The Opening Ceremony on May 21 brought together an impressive lineup of Asian tech trailblazers who shared insights on the future of innovation under the banner 'What's Next?' Featured speakers included Dr. Jian Wang (President, Zhejiang Lab; Founder, Alibaba Cloud), Carl Pei (CEO, Nothing), Dr. Burt Guo (CEO, Aerofugia), Zhaopeng Chen (CEO, Agile Robots SE), and Jingkang Liu (Founder, Insta360). In a landmark move, the Expo also witnessed the official launch of the BEYOND Founders Club (BFC) – a new elite network of 30 founding members comprising Asia's top tech entrepreneurs committed to fostering sustainable innovation and mentoring the next generation of visionaries. Dr. Lu Gang, BEYOND Co-Founder, stated, 'When we launched BEYOND in 2021, our goal was to showcase Asia's technological capabilities to the world. Five years on, BEYOND Expo stands as a global platform where transformative ideas converge to create real-world impact.' Summits, Forums & Global Collaboration Over 300 speakers headlined a packed three-day summit schedule, covering diverse topics including AI, Wealth & Investment, Web3+AI, Gen Z Innovation, Sustainability, SportsTech, FashionTech, and more. Forums such as the Asia-Europe Tech Forum, Japan Tech Forum, Middle East-Asia Forum, and ORIGIN Southeast Asia Tech Summit highlighted cross-border collaboration and regional opportunities. The BGlobal Summit opened with a keynote from H.E. Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian Ambassador to China, who emphasized Asia's booming investment landscape. Japanese statesman Takeo Kawamura underscored the need for global cooperation and cultural dialogue to drive inclusive growth. Investor Focus – Fund at First Pitch & Wealth Summit With investor engagement at its core, this year's Expo featured the Fund at First Pitch competition, attracting 150+ startups and 100+ investors, providing real-time funding opportunities. The dedicated Wealth Summit, co-hosted with the Asian Family Legacy Foundation and Greenwich Economic Forum, brought together top investment minds to foster economic innovation. Recognizing Innovation – BEYOND Expo Awards This year's BEYOND Best Choice Awards honored 25 outstanding companies from over 1,500 nominations, recognizing breakthroughs in tech, social impact, and business excellence. Special honors included the BEYOND Impact Awards, Gen Z Innovators, Medical Technology Excellence Awards, and Healthy Living Products Innovation Awards, celebrating changemakers aligned with the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Jason Ho, Co-Founder of BEYOND Expo, said, 'With the Founders Club and our robust summit series, we are shaping a future where technology drives positive global change. BEYOND is not just a platform—it's a movement.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China just started building an AI supercomputer in space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. China has launched its first cluster of satellites for a planned artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer constellation in space. The 12 satellites are the beginnings of a proposed 2,800-satellite fleet led by the company ADA Space and Zhejiang Lab that will one day form the Three-Body Computing Constellation, a satellite network that will directly process data in space. The satellites, which launched on board a Long March 2D rocket from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center May 14, are part of a plan to lower China's dependence on ground-based computers. Instead, the satellites will use the cold vacuum of space as a natural cooling system while they crunch data with a combined computing capacity of 1,000 peta (1 quintillion) operations per second, according to the Chinese government. "It's a good time to think about how we can put AI into space, not just in your laptop or cellphone," Wang Jian, director of Zhejiang Lab, said at the Beyond Expo tech conference in Macau Wednesday (May 21), the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. "Space has, again, become the frontier for us to think about what we can do in the next 10, 20 or 50 years." Whether satellites are used for GPS systems, climate sensors, telescopes, weather forecasting or communication, many organizations increasingly rely on the observations made by orbiting spacecraft. But this raw data needs to be crunched back on Earth, meaning it's limited by transmission bandwidths and the narrow windows it can be sent as satellites pass over ground stations, meaning a lot of it is lost. Related: China plans to build enormous solar array in space — and it could collect more energy in a year than 'all the oil on Earth' To overcome this restriction, companies have begun designing satellites capable of "edge computing," where raw data is processed on board the satellite before being transmitted down to the ground. Doing these energy-intensive computations in orbit also allows the satellites' power to be drawn from solar panels and their waste heat radiated into space, thereby lowering their carbon footprint. Each satellite in China's launch contains an 8 billion-parameter AI model that can perform 744 tera operations per second (TOPS), according to a translated ADA Space statement, with the number shooting up to five peta operations per second when their processing power is combined. For reference, Microsoft's AI Copilot+ laptops can currently process at a rate of around 40 TOPS. Orbiting in an array, the satellites will communicate with each other using lasers, one of which is equipped with an X-ray polarization detector for studying cosmic phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts. The computing constellation gets its name from the three-body problem, a question first formulated by Isaac Newton that involves predicting the chaotic motion of three objects orbiting each other under the effects of gravity. The quandary served as inspiration for the renowned science-fiction trilogy of the same name written by Chinese author Liu Cixin, alongside a Netflix adaptation. This initial inspiration carries over to the purported aims of the constellation, according to Wang, who highlighted the complexities of working with multiple entities in a call for increased international cooperation in the project. He claimed that the array will permit other international organizations to build and use its computers, the SCMP reported. Although the U.S. and Europe have performed tests on space computers, China's array is the first to be deployed at an operable scale. Meanwhile, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, following his purchase of a controlling interest in the California launch company Relativity Space, has proposed launching data centers into orbit. RELATED STORIES —China signs deal with Russia to build a power plant on the moon — potentially leaving the US in the dust —China will launch giant, reusable rockets next year to prep for human missions to the moon —China successfully grows lettuce and tomatoes aboard Tiangong space station "People are planning 10 gigawatt data centers," Schmidt said during an April 9 hearing with the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. "It gives you a sense of how big this crisis is." "One of the estimates that I think is most likely is that data centers will require an additional 29 gigawatts of power by 2027, and 67 more gigawatts by 2030," he added. "These things are industrial at a scale that I have never seen in my life."
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese scientist behind supercomputer in orbit urges collaborative use of AI in space
Renowned Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) scholar Wang Jian has called for greater integration of the technology in space exploration, as he shared his vision on the state-backed Zhejiang Lab's plan to build a computing constellation consisting of 1,000 satellites, designed to process data in orbit rather than through land infrastructure. Advertisement 'It's a good time to think about how we can put AI into space, not just in your laptop or cellphone,' said Wang, director of Zhejiang Lab and founder of Alibaba Group Holding's cloud computing unit , during a keynote speech at the Beyond Expo tech conference in Macau on Wednesday. 'Space has, again, become the frontier for us to think about what we can do in the next 10, 20 or 50 years,' he said, adding that 'we don't want AI missing in space'. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. On May 14, China launched into orbit the first batch of satellites for its space computing constellation aboard a Long March 2D rocket from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. The 12 satellites are part of the Three-Body Computing Constellation being developed by Zhejiang Lab, with the mission of carrying out cross-orbit laser communication and astronomical observations. A Long March 2D rocket carrying a space computing satellite constellation blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China on May 14. Photo: Xinhua First unveiled in November at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen in east Zhejiang province, the Three-Body project aims to establish infrastructure in space to enhance computing efficiency compared to Earth-based data processing. The ultimate goal is to achieve a total computing power of 1,000 petaflops – equivalent to a quintillion calculations per second.
The Star
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Did China just take the lead in race for space-based AI computing dominance?
China's launch last week of a cluster of 12 satellites that will form the foundation of the world's first orbital computing constellation signalled the country's ambition to dominate space-based computational power. The constellation, a collaboration between aerospace innovators like Guoxing Aerospace and AI specialists at Zhejiang Lab is designed to process data in orbit rather than rely on land infrastructure. The system aims to take advantage of the unlimited solar energy and lower cooling demands of space, as well as today's falling launch costs. There is also the promise of speed and efficiency. For instance, disaster response teams could use satellites to analyse real-time imagery mid-orbit, bypassing data bottlenecks on Earth and saving time. Or a network of solar-powered orbital 'data factories' could cut reliance on terrestrial grids and reduce the need for cooling. 'We believe that the fusion of AI represents the future of the space industry. In the long term, space-based computing could become a foundational infrastructure accessible to all,' said Chen Junrui, spokesman for a private aerospace company based in Hangzhou. The company's artificial intelligence-powered satellites suggest a future where space is a hub for critical computing tasks. While global players like the European Union and US firms have similar goals, China's interconnected 12-satellite system outpaces rivals in operational scale. Space-based computing could become a foundational infrastructure accessible to all Still, according to experts, it is just the first step in a marathon with many technical hurdles – from radiation-proof hardware to perfecting in-orbit collaboration. Deploying computing power in the vacuum of space offers unique advantages, such as the ability to efficiently harness solar radiation to power equipment, and bypassing the cooling challenges that plague Earth-based data centres. In addition, launch costs have steadily decreased in recent years, making such ventures increasingly feasible. has already ventured into this area. Two years ago, the company launched an experimental computing satellite, and last year it partnered with Oman to launch another, equipped with 80 TOPS (trillion operations per second) of processing power and running an operating system also developed by Zhejiang Lab. The company sees a future in which space-based computing networks are as advanced and accessible as terrestrial internet infrastructure. Once mature, such a system could support a wide range of users – including governments, enterprises, academic institutions and individuals. 'Imagine a scenario involving an earthquake or man-made disaster,' Chen said. 'With a robust space network, a satellite could capture an image, instantly relay it to another satellite for processing, and send analysed data back to Earth. This could dramatically accelerate emergency responses – identifying the safest access routes or advising how to navigate collapsed structures. Think of it as an 'Agent GPT' in space.' In April, a paper published in the journal Chinese Space Science and Technology further explored the concept of building data centres in orbit. Researchers from Xian-based Xihai Shudao Data Technology proposed the 'Space Computing Project', which aims to deploy a 'soft supercomputing' platform powered by their proprietary high-performance real-time database, NoSQLt. The platform would harness electricity from space-based solar power stations to process satellite data in orbit, turning energy that would otherwise be lost during transmission into valuable computing output. 'This system not only enhances the energy efficiency of space solar power stations but also reduces the need to send massive amounts of raw satellite data to Earth, easing the burden on terrestrial data centres and lowering overall energy consumption,' said the paper's lead author, Xiao Ge, who is also the company's chief technology officer. NoSQLt is designed to be compact, hardware-agnostic, and cross-platform, making it ideal for constrained space environments. On hardware as basic as a desktop PC or a Raspberry Pi 4B, the platform has showed impressive throughput – handling 5.3 million and 1.15 million numerical data operations per second, respectively – proving its ability to deliver high performance with limited resources. 'Based on this platform, a space-based Internet of Things network could be developed to process satellite data in orbit and send only the final results to Earth,' Xiao said. 'Our goal is to build lightweight, high-performance orbital data centres that improve solar energy utilisation and provide computing support for future space exploration and scientific research,' he added, noting that more specific applications were already in development, though details remained confidential. China's initiatives reflected a growing global interest in orbital computing. In Florida, Lonestar Data Holdings has proposed placing data centres on the moon. Meanwhile, Washington state-based Starcloud planned to launch a satellite data centre this month, with commercial operations targeted for mid-2026. The European Union has also explored the concept of space-based data centres, but its road map includes a long wait: launch vehicles that meet the required specifications are not expected until 2035, with another 15 years projected for equipment deployment. 'In public disclosures, companies like Microsoft ... IBM and Space Compass have also expressed interest in building computing infrastructure in space,' Chen said. 'But based on available data, China's constellation of interconnected satellites appears to be leading in actual capability. No other country has demonstrated a 12-satellite interconnected system.' Still, Chen urged caution. 'This is just an initial experiment. Many issues remain to be solved and improved upon. We should approach this rationally. Only after full deployment, testing and real-world use in orbit will we truly understand its potential.' – South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
21-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Did China just take the lead in race for space-based AI computing dominance?
China's launch last week of a cluster of 12 satellites that will form the foundation of the world's first orbital computing constellation signalled the country's ambition to dominate space-based computational power. The constellation, a collaboration between aerospace innovators like Guoxing Aerospace and AI specialists at Zhejiang Lab is designed to process data in orbit rather than rely on land infrastructure. The system aims to take advantage of the unlimited solar energy and lower cooling demands of space, as well as today's falling launch costs. There is also the promise of speed and efficiency. For instance, disaster response teams could use satellites to analyse real-time imagery mid-orbit, bypassing data bottlenecks on Earth and saving time. Or a network of solar-powered orbital 'data factories' could cut reliance on terrestrial grids and reduce the need for cooling. A network of 12 satellites equipped with AI-powered computing systems was launched on May 14 in an effort to harness the potential of space-based computational power. Photo: Handout
