Latest news with #manufacturing
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SoftBank founder proposes $1trn AI and robotics hub in US
SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son is pursuing a plan to establish a $1trn industrial complex in Arizona, the US, to create a major hub for AI and robotics manufacturing, reported Bloomberg. The Japanese investment firm has approached Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) to play a key role in the project, though the specifics of TSMC's potential involvement remain unclear. The proposed complex, dubbed 'Project Crystal Land,' envisions a high-tech manufacturing hub akin to China's Shenzhen, individuals familiar with the plan told the publication. The park could include production lines for AI-powered industrial robots, they said, though the discussions remain private. SoftBank has also engaged with Samsung Electronics executives to gauge interest, alongside a range of other technology companies, the report added. SoftBank officials have held discussions with US federal and state government officials, including US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, to explore potential tax incentives for companies investing in the industrial park. Son has compiled a list of SoftBank Vision Fund portfolio companies, such as robotics firm Agile Robots SE, that could establish production facilities at the site. The project's feasibility depends on support from the Trump administration and state authorities. While the envisioned cost could reach $1trn, as previously reported by the Nikkei, the actual scale will hinge on participation from major technology firms, Bloomberg's report said. If successful, Son has suggested the possibility of developing additional advanced industrial parks across the US. TSMC, which has already begun mass production at its first Arizona factory as part of a $165bn US investment, indicated that SoftBank's project does not impact its existing plans in Phoenix. Representatives from SoftBank, TSMC, and Samsung declined to comment, and the US Commerce Department did not immediately respond to Bloomberg's inquiries. In March 2025, SoftBank agreed to acquire Ampere Computing, a US-based semiconductor design company, for $6.5bn. As per the deal, Ampere Computing will be acquired by SBG through its subsidiary Silver Bands 6 (US) Corp. Ampere Computing is engaged in developing high-performance, energy-efficient processors tailored for cloud computing and AI workloads. The company currently employs approximately 1000 engineers. "SoftBank founder proposes $1trn AI and robotics hub in US" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
24 minutes ago
- Business
- CTV News
SoftBank pitches US$1 trillion Arizona AI hub, Bloomberg News reports
SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son is envisaging setting up a US$1 trillion industrial complex in Arizona that will build robots and artificial intelligence, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Son is seeking to team up with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) for the project, which is aimed at bringing back high-end tech manufacturing to the U.S. and to create a version of China's vast manufacturing hub of Shenzhen, the report said. SoftBank officials have spoken with U.S. federal and state government officials to discuss possible tax breaks for companies building factories or otherwise investing in the industrial park, including talks with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, the report said. SoftBank is keen to have TSMC involved in the project, codenamed Project Crystal Land, but it is not clear in what capacity, the report said. It is also not clear the Taiwanese company would be interested, it said. TSMC is already building chipmaking factories in the U.S. with a planned investment of $165 billion. Son is also sounding out interest among tech companies including Samsung Electronics, the report said. The plans are preliminary and feasibility depends on support from the Trump administration and state officials, it said. A commitment of $1 trillion would be double that of the $500 billion 'Stargate' project which seeks to build out data center capacity across the U.S., with funding from SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle. SoftBank and TSMC declined to comment. The White House and U.S. Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The proposed scheme follows a series of big investment announcements SoftBank has made this year. In March it announced it would acquire U.S. semiconductor design company Ampere for $6.5 billion and in April said it would underwrite up to $40 billion of new investment in OpenAI, of which up to $10 billion would be syndicated to other investors. This week SoftBank raised $4.8 billion from a sale of shares in T-Mobile TMUS.O.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
Audi could build plant in US to placate Trump, Spiegel reports
BERLIN, June 20 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's premium brand Audi could build a plant at a new location in the United States under scenarios being considered to placate President Donald Trump in the tariff conflict, the Spiegel news magazine reported on Friday. Audi is considering building a plant in the southern U.S., which would be the more expensive option out of a number of scenarios being considered, with company sources estimating costs of up to 4 billion euros ($4.61 billion), the report said. The company was not immediately available to comment on the report. ($1 = 0.8678 euros)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Audi could build plant in US to placate Trump, Spiegel reports
BERLIN (Reuters) -Volkswagen's premium brand Audi could build a plant at a new location in the United States under scenarios being considered to placate President Donald Trump in the tariff conflict, the Spiegel news magazine reported on Friday. Audi is considering building a plant in the southern U.S., which would be the more expensive option out of a number of scenarios being considered, with company sources estimating costs of up to 4 billion euros ($4.61 billion), the report said. The company was not immediately available to comment on the report. ($1 = 0.8678 euros) (Writing by Rachel More, Editing by Friederike Heine) Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Nvidia, Foxconn in talks to deploy humanoid robots at Houston AI server making plant
By Wen-Yee Lee TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan's Foxconn and U.S. artificial intelligence chips maker Nvidia are in talks to deploy humanoid robots at a new Foxconn factory in Houston that will produce Nvidia AI servers, two sources familiar with the matter said. This would be the first time that an Nvidia product will be made with the assistance of humanoid robots and would be Foxconn's first AI server factory to use them on a production line, the sources said. A deployment, expected to be finalised in the coming months, would mark a milestone in the adoption of the human-like robots that promises to transform manufacturing processes. Foxconn is developing its own humanoid robots with Nvidia and has also trialed humanoids made by China's UBTech. The sources said it was not clear what type of humanoid robots are being planned for use in the Houston factory, what they will look like or how many will be deployed initially. They said the two companies are aiming to have the humanoid robots at work by the first quarter of next year when Foxconn's new Houston factory will begin production of Nvidia's GB300 AI servers. And while it was not clear what exactly the robots will be doing at the factory, Foxconn has been training them to pick and place objects, insert cables and do assembly work, according to a company presentation in May. Foxconn's Houston factory was ideally suited to deploy humanoid robots because it will be new and have more space than other existing AI server manufacturing sites, one of the sources said. Nvidia and Foxconn declined to comment. The sources did not wish to be identified as they are not authorised to speak to the media. Leo Guo, general manager of the robotics business unit at Foxconn Industrial Internet, a subsidiary of Foxconn that is in charge of the group's AI server business, said last month at an industry event in Taipei that Foxconn plans to showcase at the company's annual technology event in November two versions of humanoid robots that it has developed. One of those will be with legs and the other will use a wheeled autonomous mobile robot (AMR) base, which would cost less than the version with legs, he said, without disclosing details. Nvidia announced in April that it planned to build AI supercomputer manufacturing factories in Texas, partnering with Foxconn in Houston and Wistron in Dallas. Both sites are expected to ramp up production within 12 to 15 months. For Nvidia, using humanoid robots in the manufacturing of its AI servers represents a further push into the technology as it already supplies humanoid makers with a platform they can use to build such robots. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted in March that their wide use in manufacturing facilities was less than five years away. Automakers such as Germany's Mercedes-Benz and BMW have tested the use of humanoids on production lines, while Tesla is developing its own. China has also thrown its weight behind humanoids, betting that many factory tasks will eventually be performed by such robots. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
