Financial
· The global lithium battery market remained subdued in January 2024, with cell makers still working through their inventories, and production rates lingering at low levels. The ASP of EV cells has continued to fall, with the biggest decline of 7,3% MoM being observed in EV pouch cells. The weak demand was compounded by a drop in the price of lithium cobalt oxide and a general decrease in cathode prices.
· The global semiconductor market grew 8,4% from the third to the fourth quarter of 2023. This gain was the highest recorded since 2021, and was primarily driven by memory components. The major memory companies all reported growth in Q4 2024. Samsung was the biggest winner, with a 49% increase, followed by SK Hynix at 24,1%, and Micron Technology at 17,9%. The highest increases of the companies not producing memory components were MediaTek at 17,7%, Qualcomm at 14,2%, and Nvidia with a 10,4% increase during the same period. Seven companies did see a decline during this period, the largest being 10,2% from Infineon Technologies, 10% from Texas Instruments, and 8% from Analog Devices.
· The outlook for semiconductor companies remains tentative but is positive for memory companies. Micron expects a growth of 12,1%, while both Samsung and SK Hynix indicate a continuing strong demand for memory products.
· The tech industry remains focussed on AI in 2024 with the continued rollout of advanced AI chips leading to significant increases in processing performance. This demand is set to drive up the cost of both DRAM and NAND flash across various sectors, with recent forecasts indicating that the server sector will see the greatest increase of 17,3%. Enterprise SSDs are forecast to have an increase of around 13,2%.
· Memory prices plummeted in 2023 due to an oversupply by manufacturers, and this brought about an increase in the average supplied capacity per device. This oversupply, however, will see a correction in 2024, which will contribute to higher overall prices.
· Global spending on consumer products, however, is set to decline by $5,3 billion in 2024. High inflation and a poor economic outlook have drastically reduced consumer budgets. The largest drop in sales is expected in mobile phones, which is the consumer market’s largest segment. The computing segment, which includes desktop PCs, laptops, tablets, and monitors is expected to succumb to the second-largest decline. One notable deviation from this is the gaming equipment segment, which is forecast to grow by $1,2 billion this year.
· SA coal exports have hit a 30-year low according to Richards Bay Coal Terminal media briefing. However, after the resignation of Portia Derby and Siza Mzimela, causing a reshuffling in Transnet Management, RBCT executives have indicated that it is now easier to collaborate with Transnet to fix its entrenched logistical challenges. RBCT exported 47,221 million tonnes (mt) of coal in 2023, which is down by 6,3% from 2022 and is the lowest level since 1992.
Companies
Google has opened its first cloud data centre in Johannesburg, and the facility is ready for customer use. The cloud centre sees Google joining its rivals Microsoft and AWS in offering cloud infrastructure in southern Africa. With this addition, Google’s network now totals 40 cloud regions to offer services to over 200 countries worldwide. The centre is connected worldwide via the Equiano subsea cable system, which links Europe with Africa.
· Actom High Voltage Equipment has secured a contract to supply and deliver high-voltage equipment for the Selebi-Phikwe Photovoltaics Solar Power Plant currently under construction in Botswana. The 120 MW solar photovoltaic facility is being developed by the Botswana Power Corporation and project owner SCATEC.
· Anglia Components has recently announced Bulgin as the recipient of its prestigious Supplier of the Year award. Bulgin specialises in the design and manufacture of environmentally-sealed waterproof connectors and electronic components. In 2016, Bulgin announced the strategic incorporation of sister company Arcolectric into its business offering, to expand Bulgin’s expertise and range, particularly in electromechanical switches. Last year it celebrated 100 years of manufacturing components to cater for a global customer base across a variety of markets including marine, agriculture, and consumer electronics.
· Shell has joined the Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP) project, a demonstration to power subsea equipment with wave power and subsea energy storage. The £2 million initiative, which is nearing almost 12 months in the water, has connected the Blue X wave energy converter with a Halo underwater battery system. The fully operational project aims to show how green technologies can be combined to provide reliable low-carbon power and communications to subsea equipment, offering a cost-effective alternative to umbilical cables.
· SemiQon (Finland) and CMC Microsystems (Canada) have announced a collaboration to accelerate development and access to quantum computing with silicon-based processors. SemiQon will supply CMC with prototypes of its semiconductor-based quantum processor chips for research purposes. CMC scientists will, in turn, collaborate with SemiQon in the hope of accelerating towards the next generation of quantum computing in the million-qubit realm. Both Finland and Canada have national quantum roadmaps, with common goals to advance quantum computing and help bring its benefits to organisations and companies around the world.
· From 6 to 8 February, Yamaha Robotics SMT brought its European agents together at their branch headquarters in Dusseldorf. The annual event gives the team a regular opportunity to learn about the latest equipment and updates. The demonstrations highlighted innovations including AI-driven component recognition in the latest YRi-V inspection system, the new 3SR squeegee for fast and repeatable printing, and software innovations for the intelligent factory that help maximise end-of-line yield and efficiency.
· CubeSpace, a satellite component manufacturer that has its roots in the research laboratories of Stellenbosch University, has secured R47m venture capital funding to fuel its global expansion. After establishing itself as a leader in the cubesat market, the company is leveraging its considerable experience, and research and development capabilities, to transform the broader satellite industry. The strategic shift is backed by an impressive 50% annual growth over the last four years, with the recent venture capital funding, led by the University Technology Fund and co-investor Savant Venture Fund, to support expansive growth. Renowned for successfully controlling over 300 satellites, and endorsed by NASA, the company aims to strengthen its foothold in the US and European markets.
· Samtec’s Colorado Springs location has been recognised as the winner in the Best Workplaces 2023 in the Pikes Peak region for the third year in a row. Samtec is one of 99 local companies selected and surveyed based on organisational health, engagement and leadership.
Technologies
· Pretoria firm Hydrox Holdings has developed a new way of extracting hydrogen for use in cars and other applications. The company has won a number of awards for its recently patented method of hydrogen production, which involves extraction from water via a membrane-less electrolyser technology that was developed in-house. The company is confident that this technology will help to usher in a new era of plentiful clean energy.
· South African engineer, Neo Hutiri, has been selected as best of the best after ten years of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. He won the Africa Prize in 2019 and last night was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering’s 10th anniversary medal. The medal comes with a cash prize to boost his business, Technovera, which makes Pelebox Smart Lockers. These lockers are designed to improve access to chronic disease medication, including tuberculosis and HIV.
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