Source to Blue Solutions, Blue Solutions has signed a memorandum of understanding with Foxconn and its subsidiary, SolidEdge Solution Inc., to jointly develop a solid-state battery ecosystem for the electric two-wheeler market.

Blue Solutions is a Bolloré Group entity and global industrial-scale designer and manufacturer of solid-state batteries, which have been marketed since 2011. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding (M.O.U.) with Foxconn – the world’s largest electronics manufacturing services provider – and its subsidiary SolidEdge Solution Inc., which designs battery materials. The aim of the agreement is to jointly develop a solid-state battery ecosystem.

The partners have agreed to combine their expertise, technologies, and resources to develop and produce batteries for two-wheeled vehicles. The partners’ objective is to co-develop batteries using Blue Solutions’ exclusive solid-state cell technology. Specifically, they will use Blue Solutions’ innovative Gen4 technology and SolidEdge Solution’s materials to equip two-wheeled vehicles to serve the target markets. According to the terms of the agreement, variants of these battery systems may also be adapted for other electric vehicles.

The cooperation between Blue Solutions and Foxconn will initially target the Indonesian market. According to McKinsey’s estimates, the global two-wheeled vehicle market will be worth about $218 billion by 2029, with a CAGR of 8.7% and the main growth momentum will come from electric motorcycles. The country’s ultimate goal is to have the number of electric motorcycles reach 13 million by 2030, a fraction of what it is now.

As a pioneer, Blue Solutions has an extensive background in solid-state batteries with research going back to the 1980s. It is the sole producer in the world, and since 2011, of solid-state cells, modules, and packs with production lines located both in France and in Canada. At this date Bolloré group has already invested €3 Billion in Blue Solutions and its activities, leading to more than 3 million cells delivered to the market.

Foxconn’s subsidiary, SolidEdge Solution, was founded in 2021 and is a pioneer in the development of battery materials in Taiwan. The goal of this innovative work is to develop common materials for each of the main components of a battery cell.

According to a report by China’s media outlet Jiwei, Japanese officials recently released a photo of a meeting with Chairman Mark Liu of TSMC. Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura, updated his personal X account on the 1st of the month and posted a photo of the meeting. In his post, he mentioned the meeting with Mark Liu and the progress at the Kumamoto factory.

“We had a meeting with Chairman Mark Liu of TSMC,” wrote Yasutoshi Nishimura on X. “TSMC, in collaboration with Sony and Denso through their joint venture JASM, is constructing a factory in Kumamoto as a critical national initiative to revitalize Japan’s semiconductor industry. Cooperation in Kumamoto is making progress, and Japanese materials and equipment manufacturers, along with other related companies, have announced new investments. We will continue to collaborate for future innovations.”

The JASM Kumamoto factory, which began construction in 2022, started using its office building in August of this year. Hundreds of employees have been gradually moving in, and from October, machinery and equipment will be progressively installed. The earliest small-scale trial production is expected in the second quarter of 2024, with full-scale production by the end of the year. The monthly production capacity will reach 45,000 12-inch wafers, and TSMC is not ruling out the possibility of expanding with a second Kumamoto factory.

Sources confirm that a group of TSMC equipment-related engineers has recently quietly arrived in Japan. They have received orientation materials officially starting work at the TSMC Kumamoto factory.

Industry sources suggest that TSMC is on track to achieve its goal of starting production at the Kumamoto factory by the end of next year, and possibly even ahead of schedule.

台湾のマーク・リュウTSMC会長と会談しました。熊本におけるTSMCとソニー・デンソー合弁会社JASMの工場建設は、日本の半導体産業の再興に向けた重要な国家プロジェクトです。熊本では、日本の素材・装置メーカーなど関連企業が続々と新しい投資を表明するなど連携が進んでいます。今後も将来のイノベー… pic.twitter.com/zAIYxiDESa

— 西村やすとし NISHIMURA Yasutoshi (@nishy03) October 1, 2023

(Photo credit: TSMC)

In 2023, driven by the demand from the repair market and the surge in the second-hand smartphone trend, the shipment volume of smartphone panels is expected to increase by 8.7% to reach an estimated 1.85 billion units. According to further estimates by TrendForce, the demand for panels from the repair market alone is projected to reach 300 million units, accounting for 16.2% of the overall shipment volume.

Playing a crucial role in the smartphone repair market is undoubtedly the iPhone.

TrendForce analysis reveals that half of the smartphone repair market size comes from the Chinese market, with approximately half of that market size originating from the repair of iPhone second-hand devices. When examining the iPhone repair market, models from 1 to 2 years prior to the current year play a pivotal role in meeting demand.

From a component perspective, the prices of TDDI for repair purposes generally tend to be slightly higher compared to those offered to brand customers, with a premium ranging from about 5-10%. However, these prices can exhibit more significant fluctuations based on market conditions, including increased pricing during shortages and more room for price adjustments in times of oversupply.

Regarding panel supply, Chinese panel manufacturers, rather than Taiwanese counterparts, dominate the repair market supply due to easier access to the South China market.

The specifications for repair panels are relatively diverse, with HD/FHD and OLED panels being used in the repair market. Notably, the A-si 900RGB specification, positioned between HD (1280×720) and Full HD (1920×1080), faces slow adoption in the new product market by smartphone brand customers. Consequently, panel manufacturers are prioritizing supply to the repair market. The primary aim of this supply strategy is to focus on iPhone repairs, providing a broader range of specifications and price combinations for iPhone repair services.

On September 15, 2023, Chinese automaker NIO announced the launch of the new generation EC6, marking a generational shift from its predecessor. The all-new EC6 is built on NIO’s nt2.0 platform and represents the final model to be introduced on this platform.

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As reported by China’s Jiwei on October 2nd, Samsung has revealed that its chip manufacturing division has secured an order from AI chip client Tenstorrent to produce chips utilizing its cutting-edge 4nm process.

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