ELE Times

Courtesy: Keysight Technologies

In radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), the high-frequency signals create unique phenomena that are not typically observed in regular digital and low-frequency analogue ICs. Even seemingly trivial design changes to an RFIC can degrade its behaviour and overall performance. As a result, rigorous simulations and verifications are essential after every modification without affecting team productivity and time-to-market.

If regular integrated circuit (IC) design itself is complex, imagine a niche that is an order of magnitude more complex. Even a tiny design change can drastically degrade their functionality and performance. The industry often uses terms like black magic and wizardry for them.

Yes, we’re talking about the esoteric art of designing radio frequency ICs (RFICs) and their even more sensitive cousins in the microwave and millimetre wave (mmWave) bands. In this post, we explain the specialised EDA tools that provide the rigorous simulations and validations required for designing RFICs, monolithic microwave ICs (MMICs), and mixed-signal ICs.

What are EDA tools for RF and mixed-signal IC design?

Figure 1. Stability analysis using EDA tools

EDA tools for RF and mixed-signal IC design accelerate the design of RF and mixed-signal semiconductor devices using in-depth knowledge of all the complex phenomena and effects that occur in these high-frequency analogue circuits. These circuits are typically composed of wafer-level power amplifiers, oscillators, filters, mixers, modulators, demodulators, antennas, transmission lines, and impedance-matching networks.

Some of the common phenomena that engineers must design for are signal degradation, electromagnetic interference (EMI), crosstalk, parasitic effects, and antenna effects due to the high-frequency signals used in RF, microwave, and mmWave use cases.

In this context, RF conventionally ranges from tens of megahertz (MHz) up to 3 gigahertz (GHz), covering most wireless communications (like Wi-Fi, 2G/3G/4G telecom, and Bluetooth), satellite communications, and global positioning systems. The microwave band of 3-30 GHz is used by radars and Wi-Fi 5/6/7. The mmWave 30-300 GHz band is used for 5G/6G telecom, 802.11ad gigabit Wi-Fi, radars, and automotive vehicle-to-everything.

To predict high-frequency behaviours and mitigate their effects, these specialised computer-aided design and automation software provide features like:

• simulating all the high-frequency effects of various alternating and direct current waveforms
• predicting scattering parameters (S-parameters) from circuit schematics
• modelling RF-relevant aspects of the physical layouts of chips, such as the antenna effects of interconnects and bonding wires
• predicting parasitic behaviours from the physical layouts of chips

Why are EDA tools essential for RF and mixed-signal IC design?

Figure 2. RFIC design flow

F and mixed-signal IC design is very different — typically even more rigorous and cautious — compared to regular IC design, which is an already rigorous workflow. The sections below outline these differences.

Careful analysis of every design change

Everything in RFIC design is much more sensitive to even trivial changes. At high frequencies, every interconnect and bonded wire is a radiating antenna that adds noise. Every capacitor exhibits inductance, and every inductor has capacitance. Even a small change in component specification, layout, or packaging can drastically attenuate a signal.

So, predictive simulations after every change are essential, starting from the schematic stage itself through the physical layout right up to tape-out. In fact, even the post-packaging stages are simulated because the packaging, as well as printed circuit board components around an RFIC, can affect its RF performance.

Different metrics

Since mixed-signal ICs process digitally modulated signals, they require metrics like error vector magnitude (EVM) instead of the traditional P1dB or third-order intercept point (IP3) analogue specifications. EDA tools must facilitate the tuning and optimisation of EVM at the circuit level.

More complex fabrication

RFIC fabrication is different in every way.

First, the semiconductor materials are different, which requires unique device models. For example, regular digital ICs use silicon with simple complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. In contrast, RFICs use silicon germanium in BiCMOS configurations, and MMICs prefer III-V materials like gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, and gallium nitride.

Second, there are no simple standardised cell libraries like in digital ICs. Miniaturisation of passive components is unique to every RFIC design. Resistors are typically implemented as diffused regions in the semiconductor substrate and adjusted by changing dimensions and material properties. Capacitors are formed using overlapping metal layers with an insulating dielectric layer in between or metal-insulator-metal structures. Inductors are created using spiral metal traces on the die.

For these reasons, RFIC fabrication is offered by foundries that specialise in RFICs, MMICs, and III-V semiconductors. When designing an RFIC, EDA tools must consider how these components will interact, their parasitic effects, and other high-frequency phenomena.

System design budgets

Most of the systems that RFICs and mixed-signal ICs go into often involve stringent regulations and standards. So the system-level specifications impose budgets on parameters like the noise figure, power, phase noise, harmonics, linearity, and more. These budget constraints are passed down to the RF designers.

To satisfy these complex constraints without affecting signal integrity and performance, EDA tools are essential.

How are EDA tools used in the design of RFIC and mixed-signal ICs?

EDA tools are typically used as follows:

• Circuit simulations: These are computational techniques to model and predict the behaviour of electronic circuits based on their schematics. Mathematical equations or models describe the behaviour of each component under different operating conditions. After modelling the circuit, simulation software is used to solve the equations and predict key characteristics of the circuit’s behaviour. The increasingly complex and dense designs of modern RFICs require complex simulators capable of handling large, intricate circuits.
• Stability analysis: High-frequency transistors complicate the design flow for stable circuits. Instability problems can emerge at lower frequencies due to significant increases in gain. EDA tools allow stability analysis of amplifiers.
• EM co-simulation: These simulations allow the EM characterisation for every component of the design. The circuit designer can perform 3D EM analysis and EM-circuit co-simulations iteratively throughout the design phase.

What are the differences between digital and mixed-signal IC EDA tools for simulation, synthesis, and verification?

Figure 3. EM visualization

The design workflows for RFICs and mixed-signal ICs are very different from digital IC workflows, as outlined below.

Synthesis

Digital circuits consist of a small number of well-defined logic gates (like NAND). The circuit schematic is converted to a gate-level netlist expressed in a hardware description language like Verilog or very high-speed integrated circuit hardware description language (VHDL). During routing and placement, these gate-level constructs are then converted to on-wafer cells defined by the cell libraries in the selected fab’s process development kit (PDK).

In contrast, RF and mixed-signal ICs are analogue circuits with unique custom designs. The arrangements of resistors, inductors, capacitors, and active components into amplifiers, mixers, or other subsystems are often unique to each IC. They are not readily distillable into standard cells like digital gates are.

Instead, each subsystem is individually converted into on-wafer structures and interconnects. For example, an oscillator may utilise a complex configuration of transistors in feedback loops. The foundry PDKs for RFICs do provide process information, design rules, and models for active and passive components, but they are not as simple or standardised as digital ICs.

Simulation

In digital chip design, the digital nature of signals makes simulations relatively simpler. Digital IC simulations include various digital inputs and timing analyses.

In contrast, RFICs must contend with an infinite set of continuous high-frequency waveforms. Noise, parasitic effects, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and antenna effects emerge from the circuit arrangements as well as the physical on-wafer structures. So, realistic simulations are required at every step throughout the design cycle.

Verification

Design-rule checks (DRC) and implementation using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) are common in digital IC design.

DRC verification tools are used in RFIC and mixed-signal semiconductor design as well. However, prototyping an RFIC with an FPGA is rare because its RF characteristics will be totally different. FPGAs are still used to verify the digital portions of mixed-signal ICs.

How do you choose the right EDA tool for a wireless electronic design project?

In addition to accurate RF and EM modelling and simulations, an essential feature is the ability to test the designs against wireless standards (like 5G and 802.11ad) right from the start.

This is possible using design tools that include virtual test benches (VTBs) for all the major wireless standards. VTBs ensure that the designs stay within the thresholds that standards place on signal power, noise, interference, and more.

What are the main challenges faced when using EDA tools in complex 3D circuit design?

Some of the main challenges in 3D RF circuit design include:

• modelling electromagnetic behaviours in 3D
• impedance matching
• noise
• linearity
• stability
• power consumption
• electromagnetic interference
• problems caused by increasing densification, like integrating different materials, 3D integration, and advanced packaging

 What are the key features to look for in EDA tools for effective RFIC Design?

For effective design of RFICs and mixed-signal ICs, look for these key features:

• Advanced simulation algorithms developed for Keysight RF instrumentation and Keysight RF EDA software ensure equivalent results between virtual simulations and physical measurements.
• Fast-envelope techniques, compact test signals, and distortion EVM make simulation run times practical for RFIC designs in data-intensive, high-bandwidth mmWave or sub-THz applications, including 5G/6G, electric vehicles, and AI-enabled systems.
• Authentic waveforms and VTBs incorporate system context when simulating designs, enabling teams to optimise RFIC designs for their intended system applications sooner and successfully integrate first-pass into physical devices and systems.

Keysight RFIC EDA tools

Figure 4. Keysight RFIC EDA tools

Keysight’s ecosystem of EDA tools streamlines RFIC and mixed-signal IC design, simulation, and verification. For large design teams looking for high productivity, the Keysight designcloud enables offloading RF and EM simulations to high-performance cloud platforms for rapid results and quick design cycles. The main design and simulation tools for RFICs and mixed-signal ICs are outlined below.

Keysight Advanced Design System (ADS)

Figure 5. Keysight ADS

The Advanced Design System is tailored for high-frequency RFIC and mixed-signal IC design and simulation. It achieves 3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI) of RFICs, MMICs, packaging, PCBs, and antennas using multi-technology modules. Key features are listed below.

• Multi-technology integration: ADS enables comprehensive 3D integration of chips, packaging, interconnects, and boards, facilitating realistic simulations of assembled products.
• Superior simulation capabilities: The platform’s advanced circuit-level RF simulations and EVM optimisations for mixed-signal ICs produce predictions that are close to real-world measurements.
• Comprehensive component libraries: The platform offers vendor component libraries and PDKs that include symbols and layout footprints, as well as high-accuracy RF and microwave models.
• Standards compliance: ADS enables verification against wireless standards like 5G, automotive radar, and 802.11ad.
• Flexible automation: ADS supports Python scripting for automation and integration with external applications like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to streamline design and verification workflows.

RFIC Design (RFPro Circuit)

Figure 6. RFPro Circuit

RFPro Circuit is a specialised software for RFIC design. It can:

• model components on silicon chips accurately
• optimise designs with sweeps and load-pull analysis
• simulate RF designs in the Cadence Virtuoso and Synopsys Custom Compiler environments
• increase performance using Monte Carlo and yield analysis
• Assess error vector magnitude (EVM) for the latest communication standards early in the design phase
• Use the latest foundry technology immediately

Keysight RFPro

Figure 7. RFPro

RFPro enables RFIC and MMIC designers to run interactive electromagnetic-circuit co-simulation for tuning and optimising their circuits. It includes 3D planar and full 3D finite element method EM simulators.

How are AI and ML algorithms integrated into Keysight RFIC EDA tools?

PathWave ADS provides Python application programming interface (API) endpoints for integrating AI frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch. This enables the use of advanced artificial neural network models in the design, modelling and simulation workflows.

How is Python integrated with Keysight EDA tools?

Keysight EDA tools provide Python API endpoints that expand custom features and improve usability.

For example, Python scripts can be used to control data analysis, simulators, and processes.

Python scripts enable the training of custom AI-based simulation models that are trained on measured or published data.

The post EDA Tools for Robust RFICs and Mixed-Signal ICs appeared first on ELE Times.

Courtesy: Jessy Cavazos, 6G Solutions Expert, Keysight Technology

As the world prepares for the next leap in wireless technology, India is shaping a bold and inclusive vision for 6G, one that goes beyond speed and latency to address real-world challenges. In a recent interview, Mohmedsaeed Mombasawala, Keysight’s General Manager for Industry Solutions in India, and a key contributor to 6G research efforts in India, shared insights into how the country is approaching 6G with a unique blend of pragmatism, innovation, and social impact.

A Use-Case First Philosophy

India’s 6G strategy is fundamentally use-case driven, a departure from traditional infrastructure-first rollouts. Rather than focusing solely on technical specifications or spectrum availability, the country is prioritising solutions that address societal needs, especially in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and logistics.

This approach is particularly relevant for India’s vast and diverse population, where connectivity gaps persist in rural and remote areas. Mombasawala emphasised that 6G must be more than a technological upgrade: it must be a platform for transformation.

“We’re not just building networks. We’re building solutions for farmers, doctors, and supply chain operators,” he explained.

By anchoring 6G development in real-world applications, India aims to ensure that the technology delivers tangible benefits to communities that have historically been underserved by previous generations of wireless infrastructure.

AI-Native Networks: Intelligence at the Core

One of the most exciting aspects of India’s 6G vision is the emphasis on AI-native radio access networks (RAN). In this model, artificial intelligence isn’t just a tool; it’s a foundational design element. AI will be embedded throughout the network, enabling dynamic spectrum allocation, predictive maintenance, and real-time optimisation of resources.

This shift reflects India’s strength in software and data science, positioning the country to play a key role in intelligent network design. It also aligns with global trends toward more autonomous and adaptive systems, where networks can learn, evolve, and respond to changing conditions without human intervention.

“AI will be central to how we manage, scale, and secure 6G networks,” Mombasawala noted. “It’s not just about efficiency, it’s about enabling new capabilities.”

Spectrum Strategy: Balancing Reach and Performance

While many countries are exploring high-frequency bands for ultra-fast data rates, India is taking a pragmatic approach to spectrum. The focus is on frequency range 3 (FR3) bands, which offer a balance between performance and coverage. These midband frequencies are well-suited for India’s geographic and demographic diversity, allowing for a broader reach without the need for dense infrastructure.

This strategy reflects a deep understanding of India’s connectivity landscape, where rural access remains a critical challenge. By prioritising spectrum that supports ubiquitous coverage, India is ensuring that 6G can serve both urban innovation hubs and remote villages.

Collaborative R&D and Global Engagement

India’s 6G efforts are deeply collaborative, involving academia, startups, industry leaders, and government agencies. Mombasawala highlighted the importance of cross-sector partnerships in driving innovation and ensuring that 6G solutions are both technically robust and socially relevant.

At the same time, India is actively participating in global standardisation efforts, contributing to international dialogues while tailoring its approach to local needs. This dual strategy—global alignment with local customisation—is key to building a 6G ecosystem that is both interoperable and inclusive.

A Blueprint for Inclusive Innovation

India’s vision for 6G offers a compelling blueprint for countries seeking to balance technology innovation with social impact. By focusing on use cases, AI-native design, and inclusive spectrum planning, India is not just preparing for 6G; it’s redefining what 6G can be.

This approach challenges the notion that next-generation technology must be exclusive or elite. Instead, it positions 6G as a tool for empowerment, capable of transforming lives and industries across the socioeconomic spectrum.

“We want 6G to be a catalyst for change,” Mombasawala concluded. “Not just in how we connect, but in how we live, work, and grow.”

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Before examining the challenges and opportunities in bioelectronics, it is essential to understand how electronics and the human body converge. The human body—intrinsically organic and biological—can now interact with silicon-based systems through chips, interfaces, and digital extensions that do more than observe; they actively influence physiological function and enable measurable outcomes.

At its core, the human nervous system is among the most sophisticated electrical networks known. Every sensation, movement, and cognitive process originates as an electrical impulse transmitted across billions of neurons. Bioelectronics builds on this foundation by developing electronic systems capable of reading, interpreting, and modulating these neural signals with high precision.

At the centre of this convergence lies neural interface technology—where electronics, materials science, neuroscience, and computation intersect. What began as experimental neural signal recording has evolved into intelligent, closed-loop systems designed to interact with the nervous system in clinically and functionally meaningful ways.

The Nervous System: An Electrical Network

To call the human nervous system an electrical network is to acknowledge the fact that neurons communicate via action potentials—brief voltage changes produced by ionic movement across cell membranes. These electrical impulses propagate along nerve fibres and form the basis of basic human senses, including perception, motion, and cognition.

However, from an engineering standpoint, neural activity resembles a signal source but with certain riders. The biological signals that the neurons communicate through are characterized distinctly from conventional electronic systems in the following ways: 

• Extremely low amplitude (microvolt range)
• Highly variable across individuals
• Sensitive to physiological and environmental conditions
• Embedded in a noisy, living medium

These complexities change the entire course of the environment and approach, which is a crucial aspect of the electronics system design, and that’s why bioelectronics is not simply applied electronics—it is fundamentally a new class of system design.

The Neural Interface Challenge

A neural interface is the physical and electrical bridge between living tissue and electronic systems. Basically, it is a technological innovation that enables a direct communication pathway between the brain (nervous system) and an external device, allowing thoughts/neural signals to control machines, and machines to send sensory data back to the brain. Its primary functions are twofold:

1. Reading neural signals
2. Delivering electrical stimulation

This makes the landscape more challenging, owing to the complex mix of an artificial arrangement to be balanced with a natural or organic system, and making it perform efficiently and adaptively. To this effect, the challenge lies at the interface level itself. Electronics are rigid and static; biological tissue is soft, adaptive, and reactive. Any long-term interface must balance electrical performance with biocompatibility.

Key Challenges in such an arrangement include:

• Mechanical mismatch between electrodes and tissue
• Immune responses that degrade signal quality
• Corrosion in ionic biological environments
• Stability over years, not months

Dr. Ben Rapoport, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Precision Neuroscience- the rival of Neuralink, notes that innovation is increasingly focused on minimising invasiveness: “That’s a big misconception, he said. People often incorrectly assume that ‘you need electrodes that penetrate deep inside the brain to get that information out.”

He further adds that Precision lies in developing a thin film that sits on the brain and records the brain activity. This reflects a broader industry trend toward surface-level and flexible neural interfaces rather than deep, rigid implants.

Neural Interfaces Making Gradual Emergence

Industry experts increasingly emphasise that neural interfaces are no longer speculative technologies. Yet these are gradually making space in our lives, making them more common in overall human behavior. 

According to Kevin Hughes, Information Scientist of the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), which tracks emerging science and engineering domains, “With the recent news that Neuralink is approved to begin human trials, it’s clear that bioelectronics like brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are moving out of the realm of science fiction and into reality.”

In the very same continuity, he also points out the difference that the industry is witnessing between the number of journals and the number of patents filed in the biotechnology landscape. The following graph shows the starkly lower number of commercial patents, while academic research has outpaced the same in the last 5 years. He writes, “his suggests that large-scale commercialization of these technologies faces fundamental scientific challenges that are being studied at the academic level and may be years away.”

Capturing Neural Signals: An Analog Problem

Neural signal acquisition is fundamentally constrained by analog design challenges. Electrical signals captured at neural electrodes typically exist in the microvolt range, making them highly susceptible to corruption from noise sources such as muscle activity, motion-induced artefacts, electrode impedance variability, and external electromagnetic interference. Unlike many conventional sensing environments, the biological interface itself is dynamic, lossy, and electrically unstable.

To this effect, the front-end electronics gets to play the most decisive role. These must provide:

• Ultra-low-noise amplification
• High input impedance
• Strong common-mode rejection
• Extremely low power operation

Unlike conventional sensors, neural interfaces cannot rely on static calibration. Signal properties drift over time due to biological adaptation and tissue response, demanding adaptive hardware and software co-design. Consequently, effective neural signal acquisition increasingly relies on adaptive architectures, where analog hardware, digital signal processing, and software algorithms are co-designed to track signal drift, compensate for variability, and maintain reliable performance over extended operational lifetimes.

From Signals to Interpretation

Raw neural signals carry no explicit meaning. Interpretation requires computational models capable of identifying patterns associated with intention, perception, or pathology. This has made way for Machine learning, hence making it central to modern bioelectronics. Models must continuously adapt as neural signals evolve, making on-device intelligence essential and timely.

According to BIOS Health, a company focused on AI-driven neural interfaces, this represents a new data modality in medicine:

 “At BIOS, we’re developing AI-powered neural interfaces to allow us to read and write neural signals as a new data modality in healthcare… we can decode it, use biomarkers to see how a disease is progressing, and we can change those electrical signals. In doing so, we’ve delivered a therapeutic—we’ve treated a disease.”

This highlights a shift from monitoring systems to active bioelectronic therapies. 

Writing to the Nervous System: Electrical Stimulation

Neural interfaces are not limited to passively observing neural activity; they are equally defined by their ability to actively influence the nervous system. This capability is most clearly demonstrated in modern bioelectronic devices that deliver precisely controlled electrical stimulation to targeted neural pathways. By injecting carefully shaped electrical pulses, these systems can alter neural firing patterns in ways that restore, suppress, or modulate biological function.

Electrical stimulation underpins a wide range of therapeutic and functional outcomes, including: 

• Restoration of sensory input
• Modulation of dysfunctional neural circuits
• Enablement of motor control
• Suppression of chronic pain signals

From an engineering standpoint, effective neural stimulation demands precise control over parameters such as pulse amplitude, width, frequency, and waveform shape. These parameters must be tailored not only to the targeted neural population but also to long-term safety constraints, including charge balancing and tissue compatibility. Overstimulation risks tissue damage or neural fatigue, making precision and reliability non-negotiable design requirements.

Increasingly, neural stimulation systems are evolving into closed-loop architectures, where real-time sensing, on-device computation, and adaptive stimulation form a continuous feedback cycle. Instead of delivering fixed stimulation patterns, these systems dynamically adjust outputs based on measured neural responses, enabling more personalised, efficient, and clinically effective interventions. This shift from open-loop to closed-loop control represents a critical step toward truly intelligent bioelectronic systems.

Case Study: Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants remain one of the most successful examples of bioelectronics in practice. Rather than amplifying sound acoustically, cochlear implants convert audio signals into electrical stimulation patterns delivered directly to the auditory nerve. Frequency components are mapped spatially along an electrode array implanted in the cochlea.

Despite delivering a simplified representation of sound, cochlear implants exploit the brain’s neural plasticity. Over time, users learn to interpret these electrical patterns as meaningful auditory experiences. From an engineering perspective, cochlear implants demonstrate:

• Long-term biocompatibility
• Ultra-low-power embedded processing
• Robust signal mapping
• Effective closed-loop adaptation

They validate the principle that bioelectronics succeeds when it works with biology rather than attempting to replicate it perfectly. 

Power, Reliability, and Longevity

Implanted bioelectronic systems must operate reliably for years without failure. Power consumption, heat dissipation, and battery safety are critical constraints.

Unlike consumer electronics, failure carries direct clinical risk. As a result, bioelectronic design prioritises stability, redundancy, and conservative validation over rapid iteration.

Conclusion

The future of bioelectronics lies in deeper integration and softer interfaces—flexible electronics, bio-compatible materials, and adaptive systems that learn continuously. As silicon systems become more biologically aware, neural interfaces are evolving from experimental tools into foundational technologies for healthcare and human–machine interaction.

Bioelectronics does not aim to replace the nervous system. It aims to understand it—and, where possible, support it—using electronics designed to operate on biology’s terms.

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The Ministry of Electronics and IT has supposedly approved 22 new projects under the Electronics Components’ Manufacturing Scheme on January 02, 2026, with a projected investment of ₹41,863 crore and production of ₹2,58,152 crore.

The said proposals include those from Dixon, Samsung Display Noida Pvt Ltd, Foxconn (Yuzhan Technology India Pvt Ltd), and Hindalco Industries. These are expected to provide nearly 33,791 direct employment opportunities. This approval comes after the Ministry approved 24 proposals under the ECMS earlier.

The approval letters were handed directly by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav to those part of the above 22 projects on Friday.

As per a background note circulated by the Ministry on the third tranche of approvals, the nod includes the manufacturing of 11 target segment products that have cross-sectoral applications, such as mobile manufacturing, telecom, consumer electronics, strategic electronics, automotive, and IT hardware.

Of 11 products, 5 are bare components such as PCBs, Capacitors, Connectors, Enclosures, and Li-ion Cells; 3 pertain to sub-assemblies such as Camera Modules, Display Modules, and Optical Transceivers; and 3 are supply chain items such as Aluminium Extrusion, Anode Material, and Laminate.

The background note said the approvals aim to significantly strengthen domestic supply chains, reduce import dependence for critical electronic components, and support the growth of high-value manufacturing capabilities in India.

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ST is well known as a global company creating technology and driving innovation. But it’s not just that. Its role extends beyond manufacturing products: the company is committed to inspiring and educating future generations by supporting scientific research, STEM initiatives, and engaging in talent development. This article provides an overview of ST’s recent and ongoing educational activities across key regions, including Italy, France, Singapore, and the United States.

Activities Across STEM, university relations and talent development

ST maintains a strong presence in the communities where it operates, participating in local and national events. Through various initiatives, the company connects with a broad spectrum of audiences, from primary and secondary school students and university graduates to experienced researchers. This commitment is further amplified through the ST Foundation, which leverages technology and education to drive social progress, promoting digital inclusion for disadvantaged communities globally. Regardless of the audience’s level of expertise, ST’s goal remains the same: promoting scientific culture and making the complex processes that lead to the production of our chips understandable.

Recent educational events in Italy

In Italy, ST organises more than 200 events annually, reaching approximately 18,000 students ranging from preschool to high school and university. Below are some of the key initiatives we’ve recently organised.

Neapolis Innovation Summer Campus

Participants at Neapolis Innovation Summer Campus

Between late August and early September, the ST site in Arzano (Naples) hosted the twelfth edition of the Neapolis Innovation Summer Campus in collaboration with five universities in Campania. This annual ten-day training program is intended for bachelor’s and master’s degree students who want to explore the use of 32-bit microcontroller platforms and seek an opportunity to interact with industry experts. The initiative offered intensive, hands-on seminars at the ST site and provided a kit of components for the project work that students presented at the end of the event. Additionally, the event hosted small and medium enterprises and start-ups throughout its entire duration, allowing them to present themselves and build connections with young talent.

Researchers’ Night in Milan

In September 2025, ST took part in the Researchers’ Night in Milan, an event promoted by the European Commission as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, hosting research centres, institutions, universities, and organisations engaged in scientific dissemination. ST showcased its Edge AI technology: one of the demos included the LSM6DSV80X sensor with the STEVAL-MKI247A board, connected to the SensorTile.box PRO, and demonstrated how to monitor high-impact activities in soccer (for example, between the player’s shoe and the ball) and collect valuable information for game analysis.

Maker Faire Rome – European Edition

The STEM student winners of the 12th edition of the Neapolis Innovation Summer Campus 2025 with the smart glove “Hermes’ Hand”.

We also participated in Maker Faire Rome – European edition. This annual event has a varied audience, from school to university students, to startups, companies, and government institutions. Visitors could interact with demos in different fields, such as electronics, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, gaming, music and art. ST organised workshops covering Edge AI, robotics, and the STM32 Open Development Environment. A highlight was the “Hermes’ Hand”, a smart glove developed by a STEM student of the 12th edition of the Neapolis Innovation Summer Campus 2025. This project uses the STM32G474RE, X-NUCLEO-IKS4A1, and custom-made MEMS sensors to translate one’s voice into sign language in real time, breaking down communication barriers.

Science Festival in Genoa

The “magic” wand demo

Another event held at the end of 2025 and aimed primarily at young students and families was the Science Festival in Genoa. ST presented “AI in your hands”: a magic wand, waved by visitors, demonstrated how the Integrated Signal Processing Unit (ISPU) in MEMS sensors can process movement locally (at the edge). Limited dependence on the cloud ensures high response speed, low power consumption, and greater security. Behind the playfulness and the visitors’ amazement, therefore, there was not magic but rather powerful local data processing.

 

Agreement with Polytechnic University of Turin

Inauguration of ST’s new design centre at the Polytechnic University of Turin. In the picture, Pro-Rector Elena Baralis and CEO of STMicroelectronics Italy Alberto Della Chiesa

To strengthen its ties with universities, in October, ST and the Polytechnic University of Turin renewed their framework agreement for the next four years and celebrated the inauguration of a new ST design centre space. The collaboration focuses on research and training of undergraduate and graduate students, particularly in fast-evolving fields such as cybersecurity, AI, and energy efficiency. Since 2019, STMicroelectronics has hired over 200 graduates (bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees) from the Polytechnic University of Turin. Many undergraduate and graduate students also work on their theses with the help of ST employees at the Turin centre.

Educational initiatives in France

In France, there is a virtuous example showing how recruitment needs in the field of microelectronics can favour high-level training for students and professionals. ST is one of the actors in the I-NOVMICRO program, a consortium of different companies that promotes microelectronics and electronics careers and provides advanced training in the Southern French Region (Rousset, Toulon, Sophia-Antipolis).

Participants at I-NOVGAME

Launched in 2019, this initiative directly addresses recruitment needs by offering specialised training that qualifies people for technical sectors, particularly manufacturing jobs. Since the beginning of the project, more than 15,000 people have been trained, from secondary schools to baccalaureate level. This program allows students to learn semiconductor manufacturing processes in real-world conditions: facilities include an educational clean room and an educational grey room dedicated to maintenance training. The program also finances and leads a network of 12 Fab Labs in local high schools, coordinated by ST Rousset, and promotes STEM disciplines through school visits. The project’s ambition is to reach out all the whole of France and then expand on a European scale.

I-NOVMICRO also includes:

• I-NOVGAMES, an STM32 engineering and application challenge involving six engineering schools.
• INNOV ISLAND, a dynamic Metaverse offering a digital and 3D environment for training, educational materials, conferences, and job dating for students and employees.

Beyond direct training, ST supports education through donations of unused laboratory equipment, computers and STM32 microcontroller boards every year to schools and partners. Our company also offers career guidance through diverse programs and initiatives, primarily focused on engaging young people and supporting students with disabilities:

• For industrie, l’Univers Extraordinaire is a digital educational event which presents industry professions to young people through video game formats. ST participation includes virtual tours of ST facilities, video interviews with Rousset employees, and live presentations by industry professionals.
• Programs for students with disabilities at the Rousset site. Voyage au cœur de l’entreprise (VACLE) allows eight pupils to explore a dozen different professions over the course of a week, while Mentorat au coeur de l’entreprise (MACLE) is a mentorship program for high school students, where volunteer employees support students throughout their academic career, helping them plan their future, understand corporate culture, and develop their soft skills.

On the left, participants at For industrie. On the right, a videogame screenshot. Open-source and hands-on education with universities and partners in the US

ST products and solutions can be useful for developing open-source programs. In the United States, for example, ST contributes to research and education by developing open-source curricula with a strong emphasis on hands-on learning. Professors at the universities we collaborate with (including MIT, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, UC Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara University) use ST development tools, such as the popular STM32 microcontroller platform, in their courses, which are then publicly available on our website. One main area of development now is to adapt the existing curricula to the AI era, which is strongly affecting the job market and how students interact with hardware and firmware programming. For this reason, ST is working with organisations like the MIT CSAIL Alliances (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory) on research, particularly regarding AI computing on devices at the edge and applications in robotics.

The STEVAL-EDUKIT01

Furthermore, we collaborate with partners who share our vision. With ARM, we have formed an Educational Alliance to support new curricula that will help students gain the necessary skills to become the professionals of the future. Some of these programs were developed in collaboration with the university and published on EdX, reaching over 40,000 enrollments over a four-year period. ST, SparkFun (member of ST Partner Program), DEKA and the Worcester Institute of Technology developed the Experiential Robotics Platform (XRP), an open-source platform for STEM education. Among other things, the XRP is the main provider of educational kits for the FIRST Robotics Competition, the largest STEM competition in the world, which targets primary and secondary schools and registered 785,000 participants in the 2024-25 school year.

Educational initiatives have helped ST products become among the most popular educational products in the United States. The STEVAL-EDUKIT01, developed in collaboration with UCLA, is the first ST development kit designed specifically for education and offers teaching materials for motor control and control systems.

Skills development and positive social impact in Singapore

Participants at the STEM Fest organised by United Women Singapore

In Singapore, ST is adopting an educational approach that spans the entire learning journey, from primary schools to higher education. The goal is to drive a positive social impact and bridge the skills gap in semiconductor manufacturing by aligning education with industry needs. This comprehensive approach also focuses on inclusion addressing gender imbalance in the industry. To this end, ST partners with the United Women Singapore (UWS) to implement STEM initiatives for girls, such as the UWS STEM Fest. These initiatives provide mentorship, coaching, and networking to encourage more women to pursue STEM careers. Furthermore, ST fosters creativity and social responsibility in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Technology through the SIT Community Challenge. This program challenges students to develop sustainable technology solutions addressing real-world community issues such as urban mobility and environmental sustainability, directly supporting Singapore’s Smart Nation goals.

ST collaborates with Universities like the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Our company develops and reviews curricula in microelectronics and semiconductor manufacturing through faculty exchange programs, ST guest lectures and participation in academic advisory committees to ensure relevance to industry demands. Additionally, ST provides practical experience through extensive vocational training, including the Integrated Work-Study Program (IWSP) in collaboration with SIT and Work-Study Diplomas (WSDip) offered by ITE, which provide students with up to 12 months and two years, respectively, of internship experience alongside ST professionals.

ST also invests in future talents through scholarships, including the Singapore Industry Scholarships (SgIS) and the Engineering and Tech Programme Scholarship (ETPS), which support students from pre-university through tertiary education. The flagship STICan (ST I Can) Work Experience Program (WEP) offers students aged 15 to 22 internships across the semiconductor value chain, from R&D and chip design to wafer fabrication and marketing. The program provides technical exposure and personal development courses to prepare students for university and careers.

Conclusion

ST’s engagement in educational and STEM activities serves a dual purpose: cultivating the next generation of talent while contributing to societal progress. From university partnerships to global outreach events, these initiatives form the foundation of ST’s commitment to driving innovation and developing technology responsibly for the future.

The post Beyond technology: ST’s commitment to educating and inspiring next generation appeared first on ELE Times.

As the electronics industry looks back at 2025, a clear shift toward efficiency, miniaturisation, and—most critically—more deliberate material choices becomes evident. The year stands out as a pivotal phase in the evolution of electronics, enabling systems tailored to the increasingly demanding requirements of data centres, advanced sensing platforms, electrified systems, and next-generation semiconductor packaging. Rather than chasing raw performance, the industry in 2025 was forced to reconcile ambition with practicality—balancing sustainability goals, high-performance demands, and mounting geopolitical pressures.

Escalating power densities driven by AI-centric data centers and electrification, shrinking thermal headroom resulting from aggressive miniaturization and higher levels of integration, and growing material availability constraints shaped by geopolitics and post–Moore’s Law design dependencies collectively emerged as defining parameters in the system architectures of automotive, industrial, and infrastructure electronics. 

“Performance scaling today is increasingly driven by materials-centric advanced packaging,” says Suraj Rengarajan, Head of Semiconductor Product Group, Applied Materials India. As the industry enters a new year, these forces offer a clear lens through which to examine the design choices and innovations that defined electronics in 2025. Further, to give a better idea of how electrical design is changing in its basics, Suraj from Applied Materials India adds that System-level power, performance, area, and cost are now set by co-optimizing the bonding interface, low‑k dielectrics, redistribution-layer etch, barrier/seed, copper fill, and CMP, and thermal interfaces, treating interconnect resistance and heat flux as primary design variables. 

In every aspect that we will be examining in the course of our story, we will try and see how the new dynamics of the industry shaped the preferences of the design engineers to sustain the innovations and applications, including data centres, automotives, and industrial applications. 

Power Efficiency over Capability! 

As the electrification phenomenon rapidly spread its wings, power efficiency, and not power capacity, became the primary constraint. As the demand across the sectors increased, it raised the energy demands significantly while simultaneously tightening thermal and sustainability limits. This realisation brought the power electronics landscape into the core architectural consideration of an electrical design engineer. In such a condition, the industry moved to significantly increase the power handled per unit area- Power Density. 

With AI workloads driving processor currents from a few hundred amperes to well over a thousand—without any meaningful increase in board or package footprint—power efficiency emerged as the only viable path to sustain compute scaling.

This enabled the engineers to focus on more basic and intrinsic aspects of power electronics, which as efficiency, facilitating the same at every level of electronics design. To sustain the new dynamic, the industry moved towards Wide Band-gap (WBG) technologies, including Silicon Carbide (SiC) & Gallium Nitride (GaN). This helped the engineers to prevent switching and conduction losses along with heat generation per unit area, while abiding by tighter thermal and packaging constraints. The WBG technology also pushed the efficiency of the electronic product significantly at the system level. 

As power density increased, thermal removal became progressively harder, creating a self-reinforcing loop in which higher efficiency was required simply to preserve thermal headroom rather than to improve performance.

Application

In data centres, rising compute density is driving demand for compact, high-efficiency power solutions. Gallium nitride–based power supplies are gaining traction by improving efficiency, enabling higher switching frequencies, shrinking passive components, and reducing cooling needs. In some architectures, GaN also allows simplified or single-stage power conversion, lowering losses and bill-of-materials complexity while supporting higher voltages closer to the point of load.

“With AI workloads, processor current levels have scaled from a few hundred amperes to over a thousand amperes, while the physical footprint has remained largely unchanged. This has fundamentally pushed power density and efficiency to the centre of system design,” says Dr Kaushik Basu, Associate Professor at IISC Bangalore. 

Thermal Limits Over Advanced Cooling

As power efficiency improvements enabled higher power densities, overall heat generation continued to rise—driven by increasing absolute power levels and the closer packing of heat sources within shrinking form factors. Under these conditions, heat was generated faster than it could be spread or dissipated, leading to steeper thermal gradients that placed greater stress on materials, interconnects, and interfaces. At the same time, as electronics moved toward more miniaturised, efficient, and reliability-critical designs, the cost, complexity, and reliability penalties associated with ever-more advanced cooling solutions became increasingly prohibitive.

“As power density increases, heat removal becomes increasingly difficult. That is why efficiency is no longer optional—there is simply no thermal headroom to absorb losses,” says Dr Basu.  By 2025, the industry reached a clear realisation: cooling complexity could no longer scale indefinitely to offset rising power density. This marked a fundamental shift in design philosophy, with heat dissipation moving from a downstream mechanical consideration to a primary architectural constraint addressed early in the design cycle. “Designers are increasingly treating materials as first-class design parameters. For advanced nodes, device physics is fundamentally materials physics, ” says Suraj from Applied Materials India. 

The growing adoption of advanced packaging approaches, including  2.5D and 3D packaging, was driven as much by electrical constraints as thermal ones, as rising currents made long power-delivery paths increasingly untenable due to conduction losses and localized heating. It emerged as the first line of defence against thermal stress, playing a critical role in protecting silicon devices while enabling higher levels of integration and system efficiency. Particularly, in vertically stacked 3D architectures, where multiple dies are interconnected using through-silicon vias (TSVs), thermal challenges become particularly acute due to limited heat escape paths and the formation of localised hotspots. 

In such configurations, traditional air- or liquid-based cooling, or the addition of increasingly sophisticated cooling hardware, often proved insufficient, expensive, or impractical—especially in automotive, industrial, and infrastructure applications with stringent reliability and lifetime requirements. While advanced packaging shortened interconnect paths and reduced resistive losses, it also concentrated heat generation within smaller volumes, making thermal constraints more visible rather than eliminating them. “Teams now co‑simulate variability and reliability, electromigration, bias temperature instability, and time‑dependent dielectric breakdown, at the materials level alongside logic and layout,” says Suraj. As a result, thermal-aware system architecture and packaging design became indispensable in sustaining performance and reliability.

“Advanced packaging approaches such as 2.5D and 3D integration are largely driven by the need to minimise current paths and conduction losses by bringing power conversion closer to the load. However, they also make thermal challenges more visible rather than eliminating them,” says Dr Basu. Eventually, to enable the engineers to accurately predict and manage heat generation and dissipation, which is crucial for preventing component failure, optimizing performance, and ensuring safety, Thermal modeling and co-simulation have now become integral to modern electronics design. 

Materials as a Design Constraint, Not a Specification

In 2025, materials in electronics moved beyond being passive specifications and emerged as hard design constraints shaping system architecture from the outset. Persistent supply-chain fragility, geopolitical uncertainty, tightening environmental regulations, and the escalating demands of AI, high-performance computing, and electrification collectively forced designers to treat material selection as a primary limiting factor influencing performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

Midway through the year, the surge in AI, HPC, and electrified platforms imposed unprecedented thermal and electrical stress on electronic systems. Materials able to withstand high power density, heat, and long lifetimes became critical design constraints, shaping device selection, power architecture, and packaging. As advanced nodes and 2.5D/3D integration pushed miniaturisation to its limits, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, and interconnect reliability emerged as central concerns.

By late 2025, regulatory pressures further reshaped material decisions. Stricter sustainability and environmental compliance requirements, including tighter enforcement of RoHS and REACH norms, transformed lead-free, recyclable, and low-emission materials from preferences into mandatory design conditions. While breakthroughs in advanced materials and AI-driven material informatics offered new optimisation pathways, they also demanded deeper material awareness from system designers.

“We are reaching a point where clever system-level design alone is not sufficient. Addressing today’s power and thermal challenges increasingly requires improvements at the material and device level,” says Dr Basu. 

Together, these forces marked 2025 as the year when material availability, compliance, and physics converged, redefining what was practically achievable in electronics design. Material choice ceased to be a downstream optimisation exercise and instead became a foundational variable that set the limits for efficiency, scalability, and long-term system viability.

Conclusion: Designing Within Limits Became the New Competitive Advantage

Power density, thermal limits, and materials are no longer independent design considerations; in high-performance systems, each now defines the operating boundary of the others. “Thermal management and power density will remain the most difficult challenges in the coming years, while material-level improvements, although critical, will take longer to mature,” says Dr Basu.

The defining lesson of 2025 was rooted in a collective shift in how electronic systems were conceived and engineered. As power efficiency replaced raw capability, thermal limits supplanted aggressive cooling, and materials evolved from passive enablers to active constraints, electronics design entered an era governed less by ambition and more by physical and systemic realities. “Efficiency is being engineered from the materials up, with interconnects, dielectrics, power delivery, cooling, and packaging treated as a coupled system,” says Suraj of Applied Materials India.

Across data centres, automotive platforms, and industrial systems, engineers confronted hard limits of heat, materials, and long-term reliability, making performance something to be balanced rather than maximised. Power electronics moved to the centre of system architecture, packaging became a critical thermal and electrical optimisation layer, and material choices began shaping designs at the architectural stage. Innovation did not slow under these constraints; it became more disciplined, integrated, and system-aware. 

As electronics move forward, the lesson of 2025 is clear: the future belongs not to systems that promise peak performance on paper, but to those engineered with a deep understanding of efficiency, thermal reality, and material limits—marking the year when designing within constraints became a true engineering advantage. In an industry long defined by relentless scaling, 2025 will be remembered as the year when designing within limits became the ultimate engineering advantage.

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Sh Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Electronics, and Information Technology, took to his Twitter handle to underline India’s stride in the electronic exports. He points toward India’s ongoing transformation into a global electronics export hub driven by the sharp growth in production, jobs, and investments flowing into the sector, bolstered by various initiatives under the central government, including Make in India, PLI, ECMS, etc. 

He writes, “ India’s growth story in electronics manufacturing is PM  @narendramodi Ji’s vision of developing a comprehensive ecosystem.” He underlines the government’s continuity and effective oversight over the industry, which is leading to sustained development as well as growing impact on the nation and the world. The image he posted shows how the Make in India initiative has brought about a multiplication in the number of Mobile manufacturing units, from 2 in 2014-15 to 300 in 2024-25. 

Electronics: Among the top 3 export categories 

For India, out of the total electronics production worth Rs 11.3 Lakh crore in 2024-25, a strikingly high value of  Rs 3.3 Lakh crores is attributed to exports, making electronics rank among the top 3 items exported by India. This also marks an eightfold increase in the export of the electronics item in the year 2024-25, rising from 0.38 Lakh crore in 2014-25. 

Building Capacity for Modules, Equipment 

He writes, “ Initial focus on finished products. Now we are building capacity for modules, components, sub-modules, raw materials, and the machines that make them.” He even goes on to add about the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme, wherein he talks about attracting 249 applications received amounting to ₹1.15 lakh crore investment, ₹10.34 lakh crore production, and creating 1.42 lakh jobs. He writes, “It is the highest-ever investment commitment in India’s electronics sector. This shows industry confidence.” 

He also touched upon the Production-Linked Incentive (Large Scale Manufacturing-LSM), which enabled the industry to attract over ₹13,475 crore worth of investment. It is equivalent to a Production value of ~₹9.8 lakh crore. He even adds, “ Electronics manufacturing created 25 lakh jobs in the last decade. This is the real economic growth at the grassroots level. As we scale semiconductors and component manufacturing, job creation will accelerate.”

“From finished products to components, production is growing. Exports are rising. Global players are confident. Indian companies are competitive. Jobs are being created,” writes the minister as he shares India’s Make In India Impact Story.  

 

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The AEK-AUD-C1D9031 is ST’s latest AutoDevKit automotive development platform for audio applications, enabling engineers to play audio with only a microcontroller rather than a far more costly DSP. It features an SPC582B60E1 general-purpose MCU and the FDA903D Class D audio amplifier, which provides current-sensing capabilities. Hence, not only does this combination allow designers to easily and efficiently add audio applications such as simulated engine sounds, but it can also detect if a speaker is disconnected. Moreover, as a standalone MCU system, it offers enhanced resiliency by operating independently from the main infotainment system.

The booming challenges of bringing audio to cars More than just music

There’s a lot more audio in cars than most assume. When consumers think about it, they typically envision their entertainment system, which remains a critical component. However, there are chimes, warning bells, notification dings, and so many other audio cues that enhance the user experience. In addition, many of them must be available before the entertainment or even the engine is switched on, meaning that not all of them can rely solely on the sound system that drivers and passengers use to listen to music. Furthermore, since electric cars are so quiet, thanks to the absence of a combustion engine, manufacturers add sounds for safety and to improve the user experience.

More than just a central entertainment system

The problem is that while audio in cars, and acoustic vehicle alerting systems (AVAS) are far from new, they are also not easy to implement and can easily add to the bill of materials. Indeed, the cost of a DSP, an equaliser, and all the components needed by the audio pipeline can quickly add up, which is why many manufacturers opt for a central entertainment system. The problem is that it is a complex system for what are, in effect, computationally trivial tasks, and engineers need to account for safety considerations. For instance, a critical audio warning must still play regardless of the main speaker volume, which requires the design of safeguards and other complex systems.

More than just cars

Teams working on modules are also looking to reuse their systems in many more types of vehicles than just the car they originally had in mind. Whether we are talking about two- or three-wheeler trucks or something as small as a forklift, all require AVAS, and being able to reuse a system across many more platforms provides tremendous economies of scale. However, this isn’t possible when using an entertainment system designed primarily to play music from a phone or the radio. Consequently, more and more makers are taking a different approach to audio alerting systems, exploring solutions that are simpler, more cost-effective, and more flexible.

The resounding solutions of the AEK-AUD-C1D9031 The AEK-AUD-C1D9031 A different melody: a new approach to AVAS

The AEK-AUD-C1D9031 is a development platform that helps car makers approach AVAS differently, and many customers have already adopted it to address these challenges. At its core, it is one of the most straightforward systems possible. Playing sound is as simple as sending power to the module. Thanks to its SPC58 microcontroller, it doesn’t need a complex operating system or workarounds to fit a platform designed to perform a myriad of other functions. The AEK-AUD-C1D9031 even demonstrates how developers can use a dedicated mute pin, which makes turning the sound on and off far simpler. Similarly, the current-sensing feature of the FDA903D amplifier means engineers don’t need to add additional components, thus further reducing the bill of materials.

Familiar tunes: common standards and practices

Developers can use standard interfaces, which save significant development time. For instance, they can talk to the flash or program the amplifier via an I2C interface, or use I2S to send audio samples. In practice, programmers can play audio samples directly from storage, further eliminating the need for intermediate steps. Developers will have to sample the sounds, as they cannot use a compression format like MP3. For instance, they can play a pre-recorded engine noise from a traditional uncompressed WAVE file and then attach a potentiometer to an AEK-CON-C1D9031 connector board plugged into the AEK-AUD-C1D9031 to interact with the sound.

Indeed, it is possible to run a demo that modifies the sound output based on potentiometers that users can move sideways. By using bit-shifting, developers can lower or increase the pitch. Similarly, increasing or decreasing the number of samples directly impacts playback speed. Hence, it’s through those mechanisms that developers can simulate an engine accelerating or decelerating without using expensive DSPs or EQs. Similarly, the system can generate one note at a time to reproduce complex melodies without having to play a traditional file. In fact, ST developed a demo that uses AutoDevKit and the AEK-AUD-C1D9031 to play the famous Rondo All Turca.

Music to engineers’ ears: more features, less complexity The AEK-CON-C1D9031

The AEK-AUD-C1D9031 also shows the advantages of a system independent of the central infotainment system. Since the SPC582B60E1 supports CAN bus, plugging our platform into an existing car safety architecture is simple, enabling engineers to trigger critical alerts very quickly. In most traditional systems, offering all these features would require a far more complex integration process. It’s why we have seen module makers adopt the AEK-AUD-C1D9031. By offering the SPC582B60E1 and the FDA903D on a cost-effective platform, we were able to offer a set of features that help them stand apart, without taking away from the budget they had allocated to other, more costly parts of the vehicle, like the battery management system or onboard charging.

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Rohde & Schwarz India extended a warm welcome to His Excellency Dr. Philipp Ackermann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to India, during his visit to the corporate facility located in New Delhi. This significant event signifies a notable advancement in the mutually beneficial relationship between Germany and India. The visit is anticipated to foster increased collaboration in the spheres of advanced technology and innovation, further enhancing the partnership between the two nations.

The Ambassador’s visit aimed to throw light on Rohde & Schwarz’s growing presence over the last three decades, along with highlighting the company’s expanding research and development (R&D) capabilities, planned investments in infrastructure, and enhanced technological competencies, which are also in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Dr Ackermann was given an overview of the company’s state-of-the-art R&D test laboratories, its work in niche electronics technology areas, and its plans for future innovation and growth during his visit, where he also interacted with the engineering and leadership teams to understand their technical capabilities and long-term vision.

His Excellency Dr Philipp Ackermann remarked:

“It is encouraging to see German technology companies like Rohde & Schwarz making long-term commitments in India. The company’s focus on R&D, local competence development, and high-quality engineering reflects the strong foundation of Indo-German cooperation in technology and innovation.”

Speaking on the occasion, Yatish Mohan, Managing Director, Rohde & Schwarz India, stated: “We are deeply honoured to host His Excellency Dr Ackermann at our facility. This visit underscores our commitment to advancing technological excellence in India and reflects the shared vision of fostering stronger economic and innovation ties between our two nations.”

Rohde & Schwarz India is committed to deepening Indo-German industrial collaboration, driving innovation through local R&D initiatives, and contributing to the nation’s self-reliant manufacturing ecosystem.

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By Andrew Burnett, Interim Chief Technology Officer, Milestone Systems

As we move into 2026, several technology trends that were once mostly confined to research labs and conference keynotes are now stepping into the daily reality of the security industry. What is new today is not the idea of AI itself, but the emergence of Agentic AI – intelligent systems capable of taking autonomous actions across operational workflows. Rather than asking what they might one day do, we are now seeing what they actually do in the field.

In 2026, three technologies will particularly drive this transformation: Agentic AI, Digital Twins and Wearables with Augmented Reality (AR). Each represents an evolution not just in capability, but a step toward fully intelligent, interconnected and immersive security ecosystems.

As India accelerates its adoption of smart city frameworks and digital surveillance infrastructure through national programs like the Smart Cities Mission (https://smartcities.data.gov.in/)and the Digital India initiative (https://www.digitalindia.gov.in/), technologies such as Agentic AI, Digital Twins, and AR-enabled wearables are no longer futuristic concepts—they are becoming essential to the daily functioning of security operations across Indian enterprises, public infrastructure, and government systems.

1. Agentic AI — From Hype-Cycle to Operational Workflows 

Agentic AI, first notable for its capabilities in areas like code generation, is now expanding beyond coding to orchestrate operational workflows across security systems. The shift for 2026 is from capability demonstrations to task-focused agents embedded in operational flows. Rather than one-off proof of concept, we are seeing agents that orchestrate across systems: they ingest video, correlate access logs, detect deviations and then trigger follow-up actions – all without a human translating between disparate interfaces.

According to Indian reports:

1. The AI for Viksit Bharat study states that Financial services companies’ front, middle and back offices are expected to be transformed by machine learning and agentic AI.
2. The Ministry of Electronics & IT, India’s AI Revolution, notes that AI-driven technologies, such as autonomous agents, are helping SMBs scale efficiently, personalise customer experiences, and optimise operations.

Practical examples include autonomous investigation agents that not only take an alarm, gather the last 30 minutes of multimodal evidence (video, access, sensor telemetry), but also propose and initiate immediate mitigation action for an operator to approve. The value is twofold: speed (reducing mean time to insight) and bandwidth (freeing operators to focus on decisions, not data-gathering).

This momentum is mirrored in global investment patterns. According to recent industry projections, Agentic AI is set to dominate IT budget expansion over the next five years, representing more than 26% of worldwide IT spending and surpassing US$1.3 trillion by 2029. This reflects a decisive shift: organisations are no longer experimenting with AI for select projects – they are operationalising it at scale.

Organisations should stop asking “what might agentic AI do” and start identifying the repeatable security workflows they want automated; for example, incident triage, patrol optimisation, evidence packaging; then measure agent performance against those KPIs. The winners in 2026 will be platforms that expose safe, auditable agent APIs and vendors who integrate them into end-to-end operational playbooks.

2. Digital Twins – Moving from Models to Mission-Critical Decisions

Digital twins — the highly sophisticated virtual models that stay synchronised with real-world systems — are also reaching a point of true practicality. The concept is not new. For years, industries like manufacturing and logistics have used digital twins to monitor assets and environments. What’s new is the granularity and scale now possible in security.

According to the Ministry of Communications in India, AI-driven Digital Twins integrate real-time, cross-sectoral data from various sources in a privacy-preserving manner, ensuring a unified and dynamic planning process ensuring integrated planning and fostering a collaborative ecosystem. Digital Twins enable continuous real-time monitoring and predictive analytics. AI enhances data-driven decision-making by simulating multiple scenarios, optimising resource allocation, and improving infrastructure resilience under various conditions.

Organisations such as NVIDIA are utilising digital twins for data centres, integrating cameras, fire alarms, access control and environmental sensors to create a unified, real-time view of operations. Instead of static replicas, we are talking about interactive environments where you can safely test and optimise system behaviour. The value of digital twins goes beyond visualisation and simulation, empowering organisations to monitor, optimise, and actively manage the desired state of multiple subsystems in real-time.

Imagine running a virtual fire-drill scenario that shows pedestrian flow if a corridor is blocked, or simulating lockout strategies to maintain egress while containing a threat. These are not academic exercises — they directly inform SOPs, layout choices and where to place resilient communications or edge compute. For complex estates (airports, ports, multi-tenant high-rises), a unified digital twin reduces configuration drift, accelerates forensic reconstruction and enables predictive maintenance for critical devices.

Looking ahead, the widespread adoption of digital twins is poised to reshape the security industry’s approach to risk management and operational planning. With a unified, real-time view of complex environments, digital twins enable proactive decision-making, allowing security teams to anticipate threats, optimise resource allocation and continuously refine standard operating procedures. Over time, this capability will shift the industry from reactive incident response to predictive and preventative security strategies, where investment in training, infrastructure and technology is guided through simulated outcomes rather than historical events.

3. From Gadgets to Game-Changers: Wearables + AR in Action

AR and wearables have had a turbulent history, but their resurgence in 2026 will be different — and AI is the reason. AI transforms wearables from simple capture devices into intelligent companions. It elevates AR from a visual overlay to a real-time, context-aware guidance layer. They shift frontline tools from passive to proactive devices that see, listen, and interpret the environment, delivering timely insights and support through voice, visual or hybrid interfaces.

Government of India, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology states: India is now prepping for cutting-edge technologies, including 5G, AI, blockchain, augmented reality & virtual reality, machine learning & deep learning, robots, natural language processing, etc.

The momentum behind AR is also reflected in the market. Globally, the AR sector is projected to surge from US$35.8 billion in 2024 to US$233.3 billion by 2030, a compound annual growth rate of 37%. Today, software and services account for the vast majority of AR revenue, highlighting that enterprises are increasingly leveraging AR for operational applications such as training, remote assistance, simulation and real-time decision support.

Crucially, these systems speak natural language. A guard can ask, “When was this area last patrolled?” and receive concise, evidence-backed answers or ask the system to replay the last suspicious approach and mark it for later review. This moves wearables from passive recorders to active decision-support tools, increasing situational awareness while keeping hands and attention free.

While widespread adoption may still be a few years away, the trajectory is clear. The future of security work will be increasingly wearable – through smart glasses, headsets or other wrist-mounted devices – and powered by conversational, intelligent systems that deliver insights and decision support in real-time.

Conclusion — integrate, simulate, augment

Across these trends, the theme is consistent: AI is the enabler that makes previously hyped technologies operationally useful.

For CISOs, facility heads and operations leaders, the practical playbook for 2026 is simple and strategic: prioritise integration (open, auditable APIs), explore simulation capabilities (digital twins that map to SOPs), and pilot wearable augmentation where it reduces time-to-decision. Success is best measured through operational KPIs — response time, false-positive reduction and decision confidence — rather than novelty.

In simple terms, India’s security landscape is evolving quickly, and technologies like Agentic AI, Digital Twins and AR wearables are moving from early trials to real-world use. With national programmes such as Smart Cities Mission and Digital India accelerating modernisation, security leaders are prioritising AI for faster responses, digital twins for better planning, and wearables for stronger situational awareness on the ground. These tools are no longer experimental—they are becoming central to creating safer, more resilient security operations across the country.

After years of excitement and experimentation, we are entering a new era — one where emerging technology no longer feels like prototypes, but like partners.

We are now firmly in an era where these technologies move from promise to practice.

The post From Hype to Reality: The Three Forces defining Security in 2026 appeared first on ELE Times.

India is slowly gaining ground as an important electronics exporter to the world. With electronics exports reaching $31 billion in eight months of this financial year and Apple alone exporting iPhones worth nearly $14 billion, more than 45 per cent of the total exports value of electronic items, the future for the electronics industry looks bright despite the harsh market conditions amid geopolitical tensions.

Last month itself, Apple India’s company filing posted a record high domestic sale of $9 billion in FY25, with one in every five iPhones made globally during FY25 being manufactured/assembled in India. The company’s manufacturing in India contributed 12 per cent of Apple’s global production value.

India had only two mobile phone manufacturing units in 2014-15, which has now increased to around 300 units. Mobile phone production has grown from Rs 18,000 crore to Rs 5.45 lakh crore, while exports have surged from Rs 1,500 crore to nearly Rs 2 lakh crore.

Electronics production has increased sharply from about Rs 1.9 lakh crore in 2014-15 to around Rs 11.3 lakh crore in 2024–25. Electronics exports have also risen from Rs 38,000 crore to more than Rs 3.27 lakh crore during the same period, as per the government data.

Meanwhile, the Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0), located in 10 states with projected investments of Rs 1,46,846 crore, are estimated to generate about 1.80 lakh jobs.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha this week that so far, 11 EMC and 2 CFC (common facility centre) projects have been approved. These cover an area of 4,399.68 acres with a project cost of Rs 5,226.49 crore, including Central financial assistance of Rs 2,492.74 crore, the minister informed.

An investment commitment of Rs 1,13,000 crore has already been received from 123 land allottees (manufacturers) in the approved EMCs. Out of this, nine units have started production and grounded an investment of Rs 12,569.69 crore with employment generation of 13,680 jobs, said the minister.

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Milestone Systems released an advanced vision language model (VLM) specialising in traffic understanding and powered by NVIDIA Cosmos Reason. The VLM powers two new products: a Video Summarisation tool for XProtect Video Management Software and a VLM as a Service for third-party integrations.

Video Summarisation for XProtect allows users to search summaries from visual data and automates reporting.

Today’s video systems capture vast amounts of data, and reviewing footage remains time-consuming and largely manual. With Milestone Systems’ new Video Summarisation tool – a generative AI-powered plug-in for the XProtect Smart Client – users and operators can now rely on a specialised product that automates operator workflows, saves valuable time, and reduces false alarm fatigue significantly. ​Early reports show video summarisation could reduce operator false alarm fatigue by up to 30%.

The Video Summarisation tool analyses camera footage and describes what’s happening. Users simply send a snippet of video and a prompt describing their request, and the model will generate a text summary in seconds. ​

Key capabilities:

• Convert video segments into structured text summaries inside XProtect Smart Client​
• Search summaries based on video content, rather than timestamps or manual tagging​
• Bookmark and filter summaries to streamline review workflows​
• Integrate seamlessly with existing XProtect event and rule logic to trigger automated summaries based on specific alarms or alerts
• Focus attention on valid events​ by filtering out irrelevant motion or noise
• Access customised, sovereign VLMs per region, starting with the US and EU. More regions to follow.

The Video Summarisation is free to download and takes only a few minutes to install directly in the XProtect Smart Client. And users only pay when prompted by the VLM.

VLM as a Service for developers: Add production-ready video intelligence to any application

With Milestone’s Hafnia VLM as a Service (VLMaaS), developers, integrators and partners get API access to production-ready video intelligence built on NVIDIA’s latest technology and fine-tuned on responsibly sourced data.

The VLMaaS helps developers create AI-powered solutions quickly without needing to set up, fine-tune or manage their own AI systems – it enhances any existing solutions with generative AI, regardless of the level of analytics currently in place. This makes it fast and simple to add advanced video intelligence features to applications, whether it’s testing a minimum viable product (MVP) or scaling a platform.

With VLMaaS, the development of AI and analytics can be accelerated significantly – up to 70 times less effort than doing the work to fine-tune a VLM model to do the same.

Key capabilities:

• Access a high-accuracy vision language model, fine-tune on traffic-optimised data and build on NVIDIA Cosmos Reason
• Follow prompt-based instructions for traffic-related operations
• API-first delivery – simple integration via HTTPS​
• Fine-tuned models for the US and EU markets, with more regions to follow​
• Designed to build standalone solutions or integrate with the Milestone product portfolio
• 100% responsibly sourced training data with auditable data lineage, GDPR- and EU AI Act-compliant, used for the fine-tuning of the model

Pricing for the VLMaaS is pay-per-use (based on API calls) – no large upfront investments or custom training costs.

Andrew Burnett, Acting Chief Technology Officer, Milestone Systems, said:
“With the Vision Language Model as a Service and Video Summarisation for XProtect, we’re tackling some of the most challenging bottlenecks: video overload and time-consuming manual work. Operators get immediate insight directly within XProtect; builders get API‑first access to production‑ready intelligence without bespoke training or heavy infrastructure.

Because this model is specialised for real-world traffic video and fine-tuned on responsibly sourced data, customers can trust the results, deploy with confidence, and enhance all existing solutions in place. It’s the fastest, most advanced and impactful path to turning video into actionable outcomes.”

XProtect customers like the cities of Genoa, Italy, and Dubuque, Iowa, US, are excited to use these new capabilities, leading the way in adopting advanced video intelligence solutions to enhance traffic management.

Built on responsible AI, Powered by Real-World Data

The two new offerings are powered by Milestone’s Hafnia VLM, which has been fine-tuned on 75,000 hours of responsibly sourced, real-world video data from either Europe or the US, using NVIDIA Cosmos Curator for data preparation and running either on cloud infrastructure or regional data centres. Leveraging NVIDIA Cosmos Reason VLM and Milestone’s data for fine-tuning makes it one of the most advanced video AI platforms in the industry.

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Digital identity technologies like near-field communication (NFC), along with AI and Agentic AI tools for automation, improved efficiency, and accelerated innovation, will be the new normal for the upcoming year. The usage of NFCs has risen sharply, with already 92% brands using or planning to use it in the coming year. The adoption of technology allows brands to bridge physical and virtual experiences for more holistic results.

Technology Trends for 2026 in the Semiconductor Industry

1. Edge AI, a Budding Frontier in Semicons: The demand for specialised chips for low-power ML accelerators, sensor-integrated chips, and memory-optimised chips will capture the market in 2026. Additionally, there will be innovation and upgradation in the packaging sector, which aims to drive cost-efficiency and miniaturisation.
2. Item-level Intelligence for Digital Transformation: There will soon be a shift from batch customisation to individual item AI-driven personalisation across smart packaging, healthcare and wellness products, retail, and logistics.
3. Connected Consumer Experience through NFC Adoption: As the adoption of NFC in wearable and hearable consumer products grows, the demand for innovation, in terms of personalisation, will also accelerate exponentially in the coming year as a common trend.
4. Design Innovation through heterogeneous Integration: Heterogeneous integration will drive innovation for manufacturing with the combining and fusing of different processes to create powerful and cost-effective systems, moving beyond traditional single-chip technology for systems like AI, 5G, and other industrial needs.
5. Shifting from Cost to Competition: With growing regulatory and guidance norms, the opportunity for competition and market expansion has become strategic. The usage of NFC allows better compliance and governance expectations for companies now.
6. Power Management in Semicon Manufacturing: As AI continues to threaten the over-consumption of energy, there is a vigilant shift towards power-efficient infrastructure. This also draws focus on semiconductor foundries to use energy, material, and processes sustainably. It is believed that only those companies that keep the idea of a circular economy, sustainability, and resilience strong through the upcoming year will be able to manoeuvre the market shift.

Semiconductor manufacturing will sit at the heart of the next phase of digital transformation. Flexible and ultra-thin chip technologies will enable new classes of innovations, from emerging form factors such as wearables and hearables to higher functional density in constrained spaces, alongside more carbon-efficient manufacturing models.

The implications for businesses are clear. Companies can accelerate innovation, deepen consumer engagement, and turn compliance into a source of competitive advantage. Those that embed connected technologies into their 2026 strategy will be those that are best positioned to take advantage of the digital transformation opportunities ahead.

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Polaris Smart Metering announced a major milestone in India’s smart electricity metering rollout, having deployed one million smart meters in the field connecting without dedicated gateways, leveraging a dual-communication solution in close partnership with Wirepas. The deployment is already live across multiple locations and meets the strict service-level requirements of large-scale utility programs in India.

In Polaris’ dual-communication approach, smart meters can switch between available communication paths – mesh or cellular – to ensure data delivery even when one path is unavailable or congested. This reduces missed readings, improves billing accuracy, and helps utilities consistently meet service-level requirements. As smart metering expands across dense cities, remote areas, and mixed infrastructure, this built-in resilience becomes essential for reliable, large-scale operations.

“Reaching one million deployed smart meters marks a major milestone for India’s energy transformation,” said Manish C. Swamie, SVP of Business Development at Polaris. “This achievement demonstrates that our dual-communication solution, in close collaboration with Wirepas, can deliver reliable, large-scale performance. Utilities can now confidently expand smart metering, knowing service-level and reliability targets will be met across even the most challenging environments.”

The solution uses Wirepas Platform, a mesh networking solution, to create a self-managing network where smart meters support each other in delivering data. This reduces dependence on fixed infrastructure, improves resilience, and helps utilities maintain reliable performance as networks grow and evolve over time.

“This milestone demonstrates that the dual-communication concept announced earlier this year is a game-changer for large-scale smart metering deployments in India,” said Sebastian Pellorce, SVP India Business at Wirepas. “In close collaboration with Polaris Smart Metering, the Wirepas Platform ensures seamless switching between mesh and cellular paths, delivering consistent data even in the most challenging environments. Together, we’re providing utilities with the confidence and resilience needed for India’s next phase of smart energy transformation. This solution also simplifies smart meter rollouts, enabling Polaris AMISPs to meet stringent service-level agreements more quickly.”

Building on this milestone, Polaris and Wirepas are preparing the next phase of deployment, targeting up to five million additional smart meters on an accelerated timeline.

The partnership also supports India’s Make in India initiative through strong technical collaboration and local delivery, helping ensure that smart metering infrastructure is reliable, scalable, and sustainable for the long term.

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By Jessy Cavazos, 6G Solutions Expert

As the world prepares for the next leap in wireless technology, India is shaping a bold and inclusive vision for 6G, one that goes beyond speed and latency to address real-world challenges. In a recent interview, Mohmedsaeed Mombasawala, Keysight’s General Manager for Industry Solutions in India, and a key contributor to 6G research efforts in India, shared insights into how the country is approaching 6G with a unique blend of pragmatism, innovation, and social impact.

Representational Image

A Use-Case First Philosophy

India’s 6G strategy is fundamentally use-case driven, a departure from traditional infrastructure-first rollouts. Rather than focusing solely on technical specifications or spectrum availability, the country is prioritizing solutions that address societal needs, especially in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and logistics.

This approach is particularly relevant for India’s vast and diverse population, where connectivity gaps persist in rural and remote areas. Mombasawala emphasized that 6G must be more than a technological upgrade: it must be a platform for transformation.

“We’re not just building networks. We’re building solutions for farmers, doctors, and supply chain operators,” he explained.

By anchoring 6G development in real-world applications, India aims to ensure that the technology delivers tangible benefits to communities that have historically been underserved by previous generations of wireless infrastructure.

AI-Native Networks: Intelligence at the Core

One of the most exciting aspects of India’s 6G vision is the emphasis on AI-native radio access networks (RAN). In this model, artificial intelligence isn’t just a tool, it’s a foundational design element. AI will be embedded throughout the network, enabling dynamic spectrum allocation, predictive maintenance, and real-time optimization of resources.

This shift reflects India’s strength in software and data science, positioning the country to play a key role in intelligent network design. It also aligns with global trends toward more autonomous and adaptive systems, where networks can learn, evolve, and respond to changing conditions without human intervention.

“AI will be central to how we manage, scale, and secure 6G networks,” Mombasawala noted. “It’s not just about efficiency, it’s about enabling new capabilities.”

Spectrum Strategy: Balancing Reach and Performance

While many countries are exploring high-frequency bands for ultra-fast data rates, India is taking a pragmatic approach to spectrum. The focus is on frequency range 3 (FR3) bands, which offer a balance between performance and coverage. These midband frequencies are well-suited for India’s geographic and demographic diversity, allowing for a broader reach without the need for dense infrastructure.

This strategy reflects a deep understanding of India’s connectivity landscape, where rural access remains a critical challenge. By prioritizing spectrum that supports ubiquitous coverage, India is ensuring that 6G can serve both urban innovation hubs and remote villages.

Collaborative R&D and Global Engagement

India’s 6G efforts are deeply collaborative, involving academia, startups, industry leaders, and government agencies. Mombasawala highlighted the importance of cross-sector partnerships in driving innovation and ensuring that 6G solutions are both technically robust and socially relevant.

At the same time, India is actively participating in global standardization efforts, contributing to international dialogues while tailoring its approach to local needs. This dual strategy—global alignment with local customization—is key to building a 6G ecosystem that is both interoperable and inclusive.

A Blueprint for Inclusive Innovation

India’s vision for 6G offers a compelling blueprint for countries seeking to balance technology innovation with social impact. By focusing on use cases, AI-native design, and inclusive spectrum planning, India is not just preparing for 6G; it’s redefining what 6G can be.

This approach challenges the notion that next-generation technology must be exclusive or elite. Instead, it positions 6G as a tool for empowerment, capable of transforming lives and industries across the socioeconomic spectrum.

“We want 6G to be a catalyst for change,” Mombasawala concluded. “Not just in how we connect, but in how we live, work, and grow.”

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ROHM and Tata Electronics announced their strategic partnership for semiconductor manufacturing in India for both the Indian and global markets. The partnership aims to leverage the expertise and ecosystem of both companies in order to expand business opportunities for both ROHM and Tata Electronics, thereby further strengthening the relationship between the semiconductor industries of Japan and India.

As an initial focus, ROHM and Tata Electronics will establish a manufacturing framework for power semiconductors in India by combining ROHM’s leading device technologies with the advanced backend technologies of Tata Electronics. In addition, by integrating the sales channels and networks, the partnership will create new business opportunities in the Indian market and deliver higher-value solutions to a wide range of customers.

As the first step in this collaboration, Tata Electronics will assemble and test ROHM’s India-designed automotive-grade Nch 100V, 300A Si MOSFET in a TOLL package, targeting mass production shipments by next year. The companies will also explore co-development of high-value packaging technologies in the future. Both companies will combine efforts to market the products manufactured through this collaboration.

The partnership embodies the Government of India’s “Make in India” vision, as well as the philosophy of “Designed in India, Manufactured in India.” The ROHM–TATA partnership marks an important step toward delivering value to customers in the Indian market by building an ecosystem that includes design, development, and manufacturing – all within India. The partnership enhances Domestic Value Addition and enables a stable supply of products optimised for the Indian market.

Discussing the partnership, Dr Randhir Thakur, CEO & MD, Tata Electronics, said, “Tata Electronics is deeply committed to pioneering a thriving semiconductor industry in India. We are excited to partner with ROHM, a global leader in semiconductor solutions. With a strong legacy of quality and reliability across products for a broad range of markets, ROHM brings deep domain expertise to this partnership. Through our semiconductor assembly and test facilities, Tata Electronics will deliver advanced chip packaging services to support ROHM in creating products tailored for Indian and global markets. This partnership will go a long way in bringing in trust and resilience in the global semiconductor supply chain while also expanding our respective business opportunities.”

Dr. Kazuhide Ino, Member of the Board, Managing Executive Officer, ROHM Co., Ltd., said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Tata Electronics, a leading Indian corporate group with advanced packaging capabilities. Through this partnership, we aim to expand our lineup of packaged products manufactured in India and help build a sustainable, region-based supply chain network. We are confident that this collaboration will enable us to meet the growing demand from Indian customers seeking domestically produced semiconductors. We also envision supplying jointly manufactured products to the global market.”

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Courtesy: Sandhya Arun, Chief Technology Officer, Wipro Limited

2025 marked a pivotal year of foundational shifts for the global IT industry, as enterprises transitioned from experimentation to the meaningful adoption of AI. Generative AI and automation have become mainstream, and early agent-led models have begun influencing how decisions are made across the enterprise, always with human oversight at the core.

As we look ahead to 2026, the focus will decisively shift to AI systems operating at scale, embedded within critical business workflows. We will see the rise of collaborative AI, and importantly, this evolution elevates the role of people, from execution to orchestration, where human judgment, governance, and strategic intent remain paramount. Ultimately, success will depend on talent readiness and continuous skilling.

Enterprises are increasingly prepared for large-scale deployment, while regulators worldwide are shaping frameworks that balance innovation with responsibility. Together, these forces are ushering in a world of intelligent, autonomous, and mission-oriented systems – reshaping how businesses operate and how humans and machines coexist.

Here are seven technology trends that will define 2026.

1. Agentic AI will actuate the autonomous enterprise 

Enterprises are moving from isolated agentic AI experiments to pragmatic, enterprise-wide strategies focused on measurable business outcomes. By 2026, networks of collaborating AI agents will manage complex workflows across IT, HR, finance, marketing, sales, legal, procurement, operations, supply chains, customer engagement, and commerce. As AI gains autonomy, the human role evolves toward strategic direction, governance, and human-centric steering.

2. Embodied AI will unlock the physical economy

AI will increasingly be embedded in robots, vehicles, machines, and intelligent devices, evolving from standalone units into connected ecosystems integrated through an “AI mesh”. With enhanced spatial awareness and autonomy, embodied AI will drive adoption across healthcare, manufacturing, energy, utilities, mobility, and logistics, improving safety, efficiency, and human experience in complex or hazardous environments.

3. Digital Twin and AI will transform operations

The combination of Digital Twins (DTs) and AI will enable intelligent virtual models that continuously simulate, predict, and optimize physical assets and processes through real-world simulations. These AI-enabled DTs will support preventive maintenance, real-time monitoring, product design, testing, and resource optimization, helping organizations become more agile, resilient, and data-driven.

4. Domain-Native AI will drive deep vertical mastery

We will see a growing shift towards specialized, “industry or domain-native” models rather than broad, general-purpose ones. These models will be trained on industry-specific datasets and built with contextual intelligence such as ontology, risk controls, safety and regulatory requirements – embedded into the solution from the start. Smaller, focused models will deliver deeper expertise and better accuracy in specific areas, while also being more cost-effective and less resource-intensive.

5. Programmable money will become the new economic engine

Distributed Ledger Technologies are moving from pilots to real-world use, enabling transparent and immutable record keeping without central control. With growing regulatory clarity and the rise of CBDCs, decentralized finance will become more enterprise-ready, supporting use cases such as tokenized bonds, autonomous lending, and always-on settlement. Stablecoins and asset tokenization will further accelerate faster, more efficient finance across cross-border payments, supply chains, and digital asset management.

6. Quantum Technology will mark the birth of new era

Breakthroughs in quantum computing are opening up new possibilities for solving problems that are too complex for traditional systems. Early use cases are emerging across pharma and life sciences, financial services, and materials science, with technology-forward enterprises already experimenting through Quantum Computing as a Service. At the same time, quantum advances pose risks to existing encryption standards, accelerating the shift towards quantum-safe algorithms and Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC).

7. Workforce readiness will be a C-Suite survival metric

Workforce readiness is critical to unlocking value from frontier technologies. High-potential talent will be defined by continuous learning, practical application of new skills, sound judgment, and initiative. Organizations that foster a culture of learning, collaboration, and effective human–machine collaboration will gain a clear advantage, with change management becoming a core leadership responsibility as advanced technologies scale.

These trends point to a future where humans and machines operate as integrated systems, reshaping business models, value creation, and the nature of work itself. Enterprises that invest in people, embed governance into innovation, and reimagine their operating DNA will be best positioned to thrive in an AI-first world.

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Rohde & Schwarz showcased the support precise measurement technology can provide to the automotive industry’s transformation at CES 2026. The company highlighted an extensive range of solutions engineered to support both market progress and technical excellence, from electric drivetrain optimisation and high-speed in-vehicle connectivity to radar validation, UWB-based safety applications and satellite-enabled communications.

“The automotive industry is undergoing its most significant transformation in a century,” said Juergen Meyer, Vice President Market Segment Automotive at Rohde & Schwarz. “From electric drivetrains to new automotive connectivity like non-terrestrial networks and next-generation sensors enabling higher levels of autonomous driving, every innovation requires precise, reliable testing. At CES 2026, we’re showcasing the solutions that enable automakers and suppliers to bring safer, smarter, and more sustainable vehicles to market faster.”

Electric drivetrain testing
Efficiency remains the cornerstone of electric mobility, and Rohde & Schwarz addresses this challenge with advanced tools for inverter and battery management system characterisation. The solution provides deep insights into switching behaviour, EMI performance and electrical power efficiency. Early detection of signal anomalies, precise impedance measurements and multi-channel visibility help Tier 1s and OEMs optimise EV drivetrains faster and more reliably.

OpenGMSL compliance testing
High-resolution radar, video and sensor data are essential for autonomous driving and vehicle infotainment. Rohde & Schwarz supports the emerging OpenGMSL standard and showcases comprehensive validation using the R&S RTP oscilloscope. Integrated PMA tests, real-time signal integrity tools, jitter analysis and built-in eye masks ensure robust link performance. Complementary vector network analysers enable detailed cable and channel characterisation – crucial as OpenGMSL becomes a foundational technology for camera and display systems or satellite radars.

Accelerated radar sensor development with simulation software
R&S strategic partner fiveD, an innovation leader in hyper-realistic radar simulations, bridges the gap between the real and virtual worlds in radar simulation with its Radar Simulation Suite to generate complete environment models and radar digital twins. This allows radar sensor vendors to simulate the complete radar module performance in its host environment even before a hardware prototype exists, providing awareness of errors at an earlier stage and accelerating the development process.

UWB for in-cabin detection and digital key testing
With UWB gaining momentum in automotive in-cabin detection and access systems, Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates advanced target simulation using the R&S SMW200A signal generator and R&S FSW26 spectrum analyser. The setup enables realistic testing of UWB modules used for child-presence detection, hands-free access and intrusion sensing.

Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) testing
The automotive industry wishes to ensure a seamless user experience for safety, autonomous driving and infotainment services, wherever the vehicle is located and is exploring the role that non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) can have in providing ubiquitous wireless connectivity. Testing at chipset, TCU, antenna and vehicle level has a critical role in creating the always-connected vehicle, and the CMX500 radio communication tester is the complete solution to ensure correct operation of all implementations of NTN.

eCall testing
Meeting critical RF performance and modern protocol stack requirements is essential for ensuring reliable connectivity in systems such as NG eCall. This capability will be mandatory for all vehicles sold in the European market. In parallel, China is introducing a new automotive GNSS test standard, expected to become mandatory by 2027 for its AECS emergency call system. Rohde & Schwarz supports both regulatory frameworks with a comprehensive test setup combining the CMX500 communication tester and the R&S SMBV100B vector signal generator for precise GNSS simulation.

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Messe Frankfurt has joined GMTX Co Ltd as co-organiser of Automation Expo, further expanding the company’s portfolio of manufacturing trade events in Southeast Asia. This collaboration extends the company’s presence in Thailand, connecting the region’s manufacturers with the international expertise and resources of Messe Frankfurt’s global network. The next edition will run from 25 – 27 February 2026 at the Nongnooch International Convention and Exhibition Center (NICE) in Pattaya, which sits at the centre of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), the country’s flagship initiative for high-tech industrial development.

 Mr Wolfgang Marzin, President & CEO of Messe Frankfurt Group remarked: “Messe Frankfurt currently organises 11 events and conferences worldwide as part of its Electronics & Automation Technologies portfolio, covering smart and digital automation, intelligent motion and power electronics, alongside energy management solutions. With this new addition, we are reinforcing our commitment to supporting Thailand’s manufacturing sector through the next phase of digital transformation, ensuring that both local SMEs and multinational enterprises benefit from the same high standards and international connections found in our events worldwide.”

 Thailand is a major regional economy where manufacturing accounts for nearly 25% of the national GDP. However, the country is facing a severe demographic shift, with record-low birth rates and a rapidly ageing population, shrinking the workforce. Economists have warned that to maintain regional competitiveness, the industrial sector must urgently shift focus to high-tech industries and automation. Consequently, manufacturers are looking to technology providers to help bridge this labour gap and sustain the sector’s high-value production.

Serving this industrial base, Automation Expo is held in Chonburi province, one of the three provinces that make up the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The EEC initiative aims to advance the region’s role as a major global production hub for the automotive, electronics, and petrochemical industries by focusing investment and policy on twelve designated “S-curve” sectors prioritised for their high growth potential.

Of these, automation and robotics are themselves a priority sector, while also serving as a critical enabler for other targeted industries such as next-generation automotive, intelligent electronics, and aviation and logistics.

To create a favourable ecosystem, the government has implemented investment policies to ease regulatory processes, alongside major infrastructure projects to upgrade the region’s transport and logistics capacity. This combination of policy and infrastructure has strengthened the region’s appeal to international investors. In the first half of 2025, the EEC attracted USD 1.7 billion in foreign capital, representing 56% of Thailand’s total foreign investment, while new company registrations rose by 36% compared to the same period in 2024.

The 2026 edition of Automation Expo will present a comprehensive range of technologies across every stage of the production cycle, from factory floor systems to enterprise-level infrastructure. Industrial automation systems, robotics, smart sensor technology, and digital infrastructure will be featured alongside software for design, simulation, and process control. Professional services for project analysis and financing will also be available, supporting companies at different stages of automation adoption.

Covering 7,500 sqm of exhibition space, the event is expected to bring together around 150 exhibitors and attract a professional audience of company owners, investors, factory managers, system integrators, and engineers, with a focus on the country’s primary industrial verticals, including automotive, iron and sheet metal, food, agriculture, and plastics.

In addition to the exhibition, a comprehensive conference programme will offer technical insights across more than 50 topics. Sessions will focus on practical implementation, covering areas such as hyperautomation, AI for Quality 5.0, factory cybersecurity, and zero downtime strategies, alongside predictive maintenance, IT/OT integration and carbon footprint management.

The event is supported by many prominent organisations and industry associations, including:

• The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI)
• Logistics Division, Department of Industrial Promotion
• Industrial Promotion Center Region 9, Department of Industrial Promotion
• National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
• National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC)
• Software Park Thailand
• Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation (EECi)
• EEC Automation Park
• Thailand Productivity Institute (FTPI)
• Thai-German Institute (TGI)
• Sumipol Institute of Manufacturing Technology
• Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology
• Thai Automation and Robotics Association (TARA)
• Thai IoT Association
• Artificial Intelligence Association of Thailand (AIAT)
• Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan)
• Thai PLC Center

Automation Expo is jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and GMTX Company Ltd, joining Messe Frankfurt’s global portfolio of Electronics & Automation Technologies events.

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“We are more interested in driving the power electronics ecosystem in the Indian market,” says Hitesh Bhardwaj, GM, Semiconductor & Devices Department, Mitsubishi Electric India, in an exclusive conversation with the ELE Times. As India doubles down on its electronics sector through various schemes, including ECMS, PLI, and DLI, the private sector, along with the government, also seems equally aspirational and positive about the Indian prospects in the electronics landscape.

In the conversation, he, along with Dr. Koichiro Noguchi, General Manager, Product Strategy Dept. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Power Device Works touched upon some innovations that Mitsubishi Electric is launching in India, including Unifull (SBD embedded MOSFETs). In addition to the innovations, the conversation also touched upon other issues like overall material trends in the power electronics line-up and supporting the local talent.

New Dual Inline Package Intelligent Power Modules (DIPIPM)

“The key feature of compact DIPIPM is that it is 53% smaller than the Slim DIP, which is a previous generation device that we were selling in the Indian market,” says Hitesh Bharadwaj. Mitsubishi’s all-new DIPIPM platform is all set to make the design engineers in India target next-level and more compact designs, owing to its unique construction consisting of an RC-IGBT that makes it more resilient towards thermal challenges and, consequently, improves its overall performance.

The new DIPIPM comes in two ratings: 30 amp 600 volt and 50 amp 600 volt, which make it suitable for consumer appliances, industrial equipment, and small-capacity inverters.

Unifull- New SiC high Voltage Product

“It is a unique solution in the segment of the SiC high voltage product where we architect a Schottky barrier diode and MOSFET into a single chip,” says Koichiro Noguchi as he explains the USP of the Unifull. It improves the switching and DC performance highly. He adds that this innovation in the 3.3 Kilowatt & 200-600 Amp range is the industry’s first.

Also, Mitsubishi Electric is confident of its Unifull technology, also evidenced by Koichiro Noguchi’s words when he says, “We are ready for the new business” with the all-new Unifull.

Material Trends in Power Electronics

On material trends, Hitesh Bhardwaj points out that while innovation is advancing, the industry must first capitalise on the already available WBG devices such as SiC and GaN, along with emerging 2D materials like graphene (which today sees limited use in specialised areas). Looking ahead, he notes that the next decade may open the door to ultra-wide bandgap materials, with several oxide- and nitride-based devices showing promising results in the research and development phase.

“We should give at least 10 to 12 years for WBG devices, just the way silicon was given decades to mature,” he says, underlining the natural progression of material technologies. He also mentions ongoing experiments on materials like gallium oxide and recalls Mitsubishi Electric’s earlier work with gallium arsenide for low-power, space-grade applications.

Power Electronic Ecosystem in India

Moving further, Hitesh Bhardwaj also talks about the India Power Electronics System, wherein he says, “Our priority is to develop the power electronics ecosystem in India.” He further goes on to underline the ongoing contributions of Mitsubishi Electric, specifically in regard to the training and upskilling of the local talent. He further adds that Mitsubishi Electric is currently focusing on developing the capabilities and sharing their best global practices with the local engineers, with the local design centers, and consequently making them drive benefits out of it.

Hence, enabling a self-sufficient and skilled power electronics ecosystem in India. It is currently in collaboration with universities and institutions, including IITs, NITs, so that they can contribute on their own, by using Mitsubishi’s devices.

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