Connect with us
MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit 2024

Artificial Intelligence

NIO Inc. Reports Unaudited First Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Published

on

Quarterly Total Revenues reached RMB1,372.0 million (US$193.8 million)i
Quarterly Deliveries of the ES8 and the ES6 were 3,838 vehicles
SHANGHAI, China, May 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NIO Inc. (“NIO” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NIO), a pioneer in China’s premium smart electric vehicle market, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.Operating Highlights for the First Quarter of 2020Deliveries of vehicles were 3,838 in the first quarter of 2020, including 3,643 ES6s and 195 ES8s, compared with 3,989 vehicles delivered in the first quarter of 2019. The decrease of the vehicle deliveries was attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the first quarter of 2020.
Key Operating ResultsFinancial Highlights for the First Quarter of 2020Vehicle sales were RMB1,255.6 million (US$177.3 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 53.2% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 18.2% from the same quarter of 2019.Vehicle marginii was negative 7.4%, compared with negative 6.0% in the fourth quarter of 2019 and negative 7.2% in the same quarter of 2019.Total revenues were RMB1,372.0 million (US$193.8 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 51.8% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 15.9% from the same quarter of 2019.Gross margin was negative 12.2%, compared with negative 8.9% in the fourth quarter of 2019 and negative 13.4% in the same quarter of 2019.Loss from operations was RMB1,570.3 million (US$221.8 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 44.4% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 40.0% from the same quarter of 2019. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, adjusted loss from operations (non-GAAP) was RMB1,537.9 million (US$217.2 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 44.6% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 38.4 % from the same quarter of 2019.Net loss was RMB1,691.8 million (US$238.9 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 40.9% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 35.5% from the same quarter of 2019. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, adjusted net loss (non-GAAP) was RMB1,659.4 million (US$234.4 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 41.0% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 33.7% from the same quarter of 2019.Net loss attributable to NIO’s ordinary shareholders was RMB1,722.8 million (US$243.3 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 40.5% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 35.0% from the same quarter of 2019. Excluding share-based compensation expenses and accretion on redeemable non-controlling interests to redemption value, adjusted net loss attributable to NIO’s ordinary shareholders (non-GAAP) was RMB1,658.9 million (US$234.3 million).Basic and diluted net loss per American Depositary Share (ADS)iii were both RMB1.66 (US$0.23) in the first quarter of 2020. Excluding share-based compensation expenses and accretion on redeemable non-controlling interests to redemption value, adjusted basic and diluted net loss per ADS (non-GAAP) were both RMB1.60 (US$0.22).Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investment were RMB2,397.4 million (US$338.6 million) as of March 31, 2020.Key Financial Results(in RMB million, except for per
ordinary share data and 
percentage)
Recent DevelopmentsDeliveries in April 2020Deliveries of the ES8 and ES6 were 3,155 vehicles in April 2020, representing a strong growth of 105.8% month over month and a 180.7% growth year over year. The deliveries consisted of 2,907 ES6s, the Company’s 5-seater high-performance premium smart electric SUV, and 248 ES8s, the Company’s 7-seater high-performance premium smart electric SUV and its 6-seater variant. The Company commenced deliveries of the all-new ES8 with more than 180 improvements on April 19, 2020. As of April 30, cumulative deliveries of the ES8 and the ES6 reached 38,906 vehicles, of which 6,993 were delivered in 2020.Entry into Definitive Agreements for Investments in NIO ChinaOn April 29, 2020, the Company announced that it entered into definitive agreements for investments in NIO China with a group of investors (collectively, the “Strategic Investors”) led by Hefei City Construction and Investment Holding (Group) Co., Ltd., CMG-SDIC Capital Co., Ltd., and Anhui Provincial Emerging Industry Investment Co., Ltd..

Under the definitive agreements, the Strategic Investors will invest an aggregate of RMB7 billion in cash into NIO (Anhui) Holding Ltd., the legal entity of NIO China. NIO will inject its core businesses and assets in China, including vehicle research and development, supply chain, sales and services and NIO Power (the “Asset Consideration”), into NIO China. The Asset Consideration is valued at RMB17.77 billion, as calculated based on 85% of the average market value of NIO Inc. over the thirty public trading days preceding April 21, 2020. Further, NIO will invest RMB4.26 billion in cash into NIO China. Upon the completion of the investments, NIO will hold 75.9% of controlling equity interests in NIO China, and the Strategic Investors will collectively hold the remaining 24.1%.

The Company expects the closing of the investments to take place in the second quarter of 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Strategic Investors and NIO will each inject cash into NIO China in five installments, namely (i) RMB3.5 billion and RMB1.278 billion respectively within five business days of the satisfaction of closing conditions, (ii) RMB1.5 billion and RMB1.278 billion respectively on or prior to June 30, 2020, (iii) RMB1 billion and RMB0.852 billion respectively on or prior to September 30, 2020, (iv) RMB0.5 billion and RMB0.426 billion respectively on or prior to December 31, 2020, and (v) RMB0.5 billion and RMB0.426 billion respectively on or prior to March 31, 2021. Moreover, the Asset Consideration shall be injected into NIO China within one year of closing.

NIO China will establish its headquarters in the Hefei Economic and Technological Development Area (HETA), where the Company’s main manufacturing hub is located, for its business operation, research and development, sales and services, supply chain and manufacturing functions. NIO will collaborate with the Strategic Investors and HETA to develop NIO China’s business and to support the accelerated development of the smart electric vehicle sectors in Hefei in the future.

CEO and CFO Comments“We delivered a total of 3,838 ES8 and ES6 vehicles in the first quarter of 2020, representing a 3.8% year on year decrease, due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in China in the first quarter,” said William Bin Li, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of NIO. “In April 2020, we delivered 3,155 vehicles, a robust increase of 105.8% month over month. Meanwhile, we have witnessed the order growth to have rebounded to the level prior to the COVID-19 outbreak since late April. Our strong recovery and growth were attributable to the competitiveness of our products and services, the continuous support from our user community, and the effective expansion of our sales network. We expect to deliver 9,500 to 10,000 vehicles in the second quarter, a record of quarterly deliveries since our first deliveries.”“On April 29, 2020, NIO entered into the definitive agreements with the strategic investors for the investment in NIO China. The strategic investment will provide sufficient funds to support NIO’s business development, enhance our leadership in the products and technologies of smart electric vehicles, and offer services exceeding users’ expectations. The establishment of NIO China’s headquarters in Hefei will further improve our operating efficiency in the long run,” concluded Mr. Li.“We are pleased to achieve the overall operational efficiency and cash management improvement in the first quarter of 2020,” added Wei Feng, NIO’s chief financial officer. “Our operating loss significantly decreased by approximately 44.4% quarter over quarter. While these results are partially attributable to our enhanced cost control measures taken during the COVID-19 outbreak, the improved operational efficiency reflects the initial returns of our continuous efforts in the operation optimization and expense control during the past quarters. We believe these efforts will drive positive trend of our performance in the rest of 2020 and beyond.”Financial Results for the First Quarter of 2020RevenuesTotal revenues were RMB1,372.0 million (US$193.8 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 51.8% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 15.9% from the same quarter of 2019.Vehicle sales were RMB1,255.6 million (US$177.3 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 53.2% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 18.2% from the same quarter of 2019. The decrease in vehicle sales of the first quarter of 2020, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, was due to the decrease of vehicle deliveries during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. The decrease in vehicle sales of the first quarter of 2020, compared to the same quarter of 2019, was due to a higher proportion of ES6 sold in the first quarter of 2020, of which the selling price is lower than that of the ES8, which was the sole model sold in the first quarter of 2019.Other sales in the first quarter of 2020 were RMB116.4 million (US$16.4 million), representing a decrease of 29.2% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and an increase of 21.2% from the same quarter of 2019. The decrease in other sales of the first quarter of 2020, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, was mainly attributed to decreased revenues derived from the home chargers installed and accessories sold, which were in line with the decreased vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2020.Cost of Sales and Gross MarginCost of sales in the first quarter of 2020 was RMB1,539.4 million (US$217.4 million), representing a decrease of 50.4% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 16.8% from the same quarter of 2019. The decrease in cost of sales compared to the fourth quarter of 2019 was mainly driven by the decrease of delivery volume of the ES6 and ES8 in the first quarter of 2020.Gross margin in the first quarter of 2020 was negative 12.2%, compared with negative 8.9% in the fourth quarter of 2019 and negative 13.4% in the same quarter of 2019. The decrease of gross margin compared to the fourth quarter of 2019 was mainly driven by the decrease of vehicle margin in the first quarter of 2020.Vehicle margin in the first quarter of 2020 was negative 7.4%, compared with negative 6.0% in the fourth quarter of 2019 and negative 7.2% in the same quarter of 2019. The decrease of vehicle margin compared to the fourth quarter of 2019 was mainly driven by the decrease of production and delivery volume of ES6 and ES8 in the first quarter of 2020.Operating Expenses
Research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2020 were RMB522.4 million (US$73.8 million), representing a decrease of 49.1% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 51.6% from the same quarter of 2019. Excluding share-based compensation expenses (non-GAAP), research and development expenses were RMB514.4 million (US$72.6 million), representing a decrease of 49.3% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 50.8% from the same quarter of 2019. The substantial decrease in research and development expenses was primarily attributed to the COVID-19 outbreak that caused the significant reduction in design and development activities.Selling, general and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2020 were RMB848.3 million (US$119.8 million), representing a decrease of 45.1% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 35.7% from the same quarter of 2019. Excluding share-based compensation expenses (non-GAAP), selling, general and administrative expenses were RMB824.8 million (US$116.5 million), representing a decrease of 45.3% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 33.2% from the same quarter of 2019. The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses over the fourth quarter of 2019 was primarily attributed to some one-off expenses incurred for the optimization of our sales network structure in late 2019 and the COVID-19 outbreak that caused significant decrease in marketing and promotional activities, as well as decrease of activities in business support functions in the first quarter of 2020. The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses over the first quarter of 2019 was mainly attributed to less employee compensation due to the reduced number of employees and more efficient promotional activities during the outbreak of the COVID-19.Loss from OperationsLoss from operations was RMB1,570.3 million (US$221.8 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 44.4% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 40.0% from the same quarter of 2019. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, adjusted loss from operations (non-GAAP) was RMB1,537.9 million (US$217.2 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 44.6% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 38.4% from the same quarter of 2019.Share-based Compensation ExpensesShare-based compensation expenses in the first quarter of 2020 were RMB32.4 million (US$4.6 million), representing a decrease of 36.8% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 72.9% from the same quarter of 2019. The decrease in share-based compensation expenses over the fourth quarter of 2019 was primarily attributed to the continuous decline in the number of employees, and the impact of part of the share-based compensation expenses being recognized by using the accelerated method previously.Net Loss and Earnings Per ShareNet loss was RMB1,691.8 million (US$238.9 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 40.9% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 35.5% from the same quarter of 2019. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, adjusted net loss (non-GAAP) was RMB1,659.4 million (US$234.4 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 41.0% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 33.7% from the same quarter of 2019.Net loss attributable to NIO’s ordinary shareholders was RMB1,722.8 million (US$243.3 million) in the first quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 40.5% from the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 35.0% from the same quarter of 2019. Excluding share-based compensation expenses and accretion on redeemable non-controlling interests to redemption value, adjusted net loss attributable to NIO’s ordinary shareholders (non-GAAP) was RMB1,658.9 million (US$234.3 million).Basic and diluted net loss per ADS were both RMB1.66 (US$0.23) in the first quarter of 2020. Excluding share-based compensation expenses and accretion on redeemable non-controlling interests to redemption value, adjusted basic and diluted net loss per ADS (non-GAAP) were both RMB1.60 (US$0.22).Balance SheetsBalance of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investment was RMB2,397.4 million (US$338.6 million) as of March 31, 2020. The Company operates with continuous loss and negative equity. The Company’s cash balance is not adequate to provide the required working capital and liquidity for continuous operation in the foreseeable future. The Company’s continuous operation depends on the successful implementation of the management’s plans which considers the improvements in its operating cash flows and the consummation of the Investments in NIO China. Based on its evaluation, the Company believes that its existing working capital, the funds from the Investments in NIO China and available loan facilities will be sufficient to support the Company’s continuous operations and developments in the next twelve months.Business OutlookFor the second quarter of 2020, the Company expects:Deliveries of the vehicles to be between 9,500 and 10,000 vehicles, representing an increase of approximately 147.5% to 160.6% from the first quarter of 2020, and an increase of approximately 167.4% to 181.5% from the second quarter of 2019.
 
Total revenues to be between RMB3,368.4 million (US$475.7 million) and RMB3,534.2 million (US$499.1 million), representing an increase of approximately 145.5% to 157.6% from the first quarter of 2020, and an increase of approximately 123.3% to 134.3% from the second quarter of 2019.This business outlook reflects the Company’s current and preliminary view on the business situation and market condition, which is subject to change.Conference CallThe Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on May 28, 2020 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on May 28, 2020) to discuss financial results and answer questions from investors and analysts. Listeners may register in advance of the conference using the link provided below and dial in 10 minutes prior to the call, using participant dial-in numbers, Direct Event passcode and unique registrant ID which would be provided upon registering.http://apac.directeventreg.com/registration/event/8574289Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.nio.com.A replay of the conference call will be accessible by phone approximately two hours after the conclusion of the live call at the following numbers, until June 5, 2020 09:59 AM ET:About NIO Inc.NIO Inc. is a pioneer in China’s premium smart electric vehicle market. Founded in November 2014, NIO’s mission is to shape a joyful lifestyle by offering premium smart electric vehicles and being the best user enterprise. NIO designs, jointly manufactures, and sells smart and connected premium electric vehicles, driving innovations in next generation technologies in connectivity, autonomous driving and artificial intelligence. Redefining the user experience, NIO provides users with comprehensive, convenient and innovative charging solutions and other user-centric services. NIO began deliveries of the ES8, a 7-seater high-performance premium electric SUV in China in June 2018, and its variant, the 6-seater ES8, in March 2019. NIO officially launched the ES6, a 5-seater high-performance premium electric SUV, in December 2018 and began the first deliveries of the ES6 in June 2019. NIO officially launched the EC6, a 5-seater smart premium electric coupe SUV, in December 2019 and plans to commence deliveries in 2020.Safe Harbor StatementThis press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to” and similar statements. Among other things, quotations from management in this announcement, as well as NIO’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. NIO may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about NIO’s beliefs, plans and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: NIO’s strategies; NIO’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; NIO’s ability to develop and manufacture a car of sufficient quality and appeal to customers on schedule and on a large scale; its ability to grow manufacturing in collaboration with partners; its ability to provide convenient charging solutions to its customers; its ability to satisfy the mandated safety standards relating to motor vehicles; its ability to secure supply of raw materials or other components used in its vehicles; its ability to secure sufficient reservations and sales of the ES8 and ES6; its ability to control costs associated with its operations; its ability to build the NIO brand; general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in NIO’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and NIO does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.Non-GAAP DisclosureThe Company uses non-GAAP measures, such as adjusted cost of sales (non-GAAP), adjusted research and development expenses (non-GAAP), adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses (non-GAAP), adjusted loss from operations (non-GAAP), adjusted net loss (non-GAAP), adjusted net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders (non-GAAP), adjusted basic and diluted net loss per share (non-GAAP) and adjusted basic and diluted net loss per ADS (non-GAAP), in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. By excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses and accretion on redeemable non-controlling interests to redemption value, the Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in its business and enhance the overall understanding of the Company’s past performance and future prospects. The Company also believes that the non-GAAP financial measures allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by the Company’s management in its financial and operational decision-making.The non-GAAP financial measures are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP methods of accounting and reporting used by other companies. The non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and when assessing the Company’s operating performance, investors should not consider them in isolation, or as a substitute for net loss or other consolidated statements of comprehensive loss data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.The Company mitigates these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable U.S. GAAP performance measures, all of which should be considered when evaluating the Company’s performance.For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this press release.Exchange RateThis announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars were made at the rate of RMB7.0808 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on March 31, 2020 in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollars amounts referred could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.Statement Regarding Preliminary Unaudited Financial InformationThe unaudited financial information set out in this earnings release is preliminary and subject to potential adjustments. Adjustments to the consolidated financial statements may be identified when audit work has been performed for the Company’s year-end audit, which could result in significant differences from this preliminary unaudited financial information.For more information, please visit: http://ir.nio.com.Contacts:NIO Inc.
Investor Relations
Tel: +86-21-6908-2018
Email: [email protected]
Source: NIO
NIO INC.
Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets
NIO INC.
Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets
NIO INC.
Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss
NIO INC.

Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results


_____________________________________________
i All translations from RMB to USD for the first quarter of 2020 were made at the rate of RMB7.0808 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on March 31, 2020 in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board.
ii Vehicle margin is the margin of vehicle sales, which is calculated based on revenues and cost of sales derived sales only.iii Each ADS represents one ordinary share.iv Except for gross margin and vehicle margin, where absolute changes instead of percentage changes are calculated. 

GlobeNewswire is one of the world's largest newswire distribution networks, specializing in the delivery of corporate press releases financial disclosures and multimedia content to the media, investment community, individual investors and the general public.

Artificial Intelligence

IBM, Government of Canada, Government of Quebec Sign Agreements to Strengthen Canada’s Semiconductor Industry

Published

on

ibm,-government-of-canada,-government-of-quebec-sign-agreements-to-strengthen-canada’s-semiconductor-industry

Up to $187M CAD to be invested to progress expansion of chip packaging capacity and capabilities and to strengthen R&D at IBM Canada’s Bromont plant
BROMONT, QC, April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM), the Government of Canada, and the Government of Quebec today announced agreements that will strengthen Canada’s semiconductor industry, and further develop the assembly, testing and packaging (ATP) capabilities for semiconductor modules to be used across a wide range of applications including telecommunications, high performance computing, automotive, aerospace & defence, computer networks, and generative AI, at IBM Canada’s plant in Bromont, Quebec. The agreements reflect a combined investment valued at approximately $187M CAD.

“Today’s announcement is a massive win for Canada and our dynamic tech sector. It will create high-paying jobs, invest in innovation, strengthen supply chains, and help make sure the most advanced technologies are Canadian-made. Semiconductors power the world, and we’re putting Canada at the forefront of that opportunity,” said the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
In addition to the advancement of packaging capabilities, IBM will be conducting R&D to develop methods for scalable manufacturing and other advanced assembly processes to support the packaging of different chip technologies, to further Canada’s role in the North American semiconductor supply chain and expand and anchor Canada’s capabilities in advanced packaging.
The agreements also allow for collaborations with small and medium-sized Canadian-based enterprises with the intent of fostering the development of a semiconductor ecosystem, now and into the future.
“IBM has long been a leader in semiconductor research and development, pioneering breakthroughs to meet tomorrow’s challenges. With the demand for compute surging in the age of AI, advanced packaging and chiplet technology is becoming critical for the acceleration of AI workloads,” said Darío Gil, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research. “As one of the largest chip assembly and testing facilities in North America, IBM’s Bromont facility will play a central role in this future. We are proud to be working with the governments of Canada and Quebec toward those goals and to build a stronger and more balanced semiconductor ecosystem in North America and beyond.”
IBM Canada’s Bromont plant is one of North America’s largest chip assembly and testing facilities, having operated in the region for 52 years. Today, the facility transforms advanced semiconductor components into state-of-the-art microelectronic solutions, playing a key role in IBM’s semiconductor R&D leadership alongside IBM’s facilities at the Albany NanoTech Complex and throughout New York’s Hudson Valley. These agreements will help to further establish a corridor of semiconductor innovation from New York to Bromont. 
“Advanced packaging is a crucial component of the semiconductor industry, and IBM Canada’s Bromont plant has led the world in this process for decades,” said Deb Pimentel, president of IBM Canada. “Building upon IBM’s 107-year legacy of technology innovation and R&D in Canada, the Canadian semiconductor industry will now become even stronger, allowing for robust supply chains and giving Canadians steady access to even more innovative technologies and products. This announcement represents just one more example of IBM’s leadership and commitment to the country’s technology and business landscape.”
Chip packaging, the process of connecting integrated circuits on a chip or circuit board, has become more complex as electronic devices have shrunk and the components of chips themselves get smaller and smaller. IBM announced the world’s first 2 nanometer chip technology in 2021 and, as the semiconductor industry moves towards new methods of chip construction, advances in packaging will grow in importance. 
“Semiconductors are part of our everyday life. They are in our phones, our cars, and our appliances. Through this investment, we are supporting Canadian innovators, creating good jobs, and solidifying Canada’s semiconductor industry to build a stronger economy. Canada is set to play a larger role in the global semiconductor industry thanks to projects like the one we are announcing today. Because, when we invest in semiconductor and quantum technologies, we invest in economic security.”  — The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“This investment by IBM in Bromont will ensure that Quebec continues to stand out in the field of microelectronics. An increase in production capacity will solidify Quebec’s position in the strategic microelectronics sector in North America.” — The Honourable Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal region
About IBMIBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information. 
Media ContactLorraine BaldwinIBM [email protected] 
Willa HahnIBM [email protected]
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2397908/IBM_Canada_employee_at_the_IBM_Bromont_plant_holding_a_wafer.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/95470/ibm_logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ibm-government-of-canada-government-of-quebec-sign-agreements-to-strengthen-canadas-semiconductor-industry-302128212.html

Continue Reading

Artificial Intelligence

HITACHI ACQUIRES MA MICRO AUTOMATION OF GERMANY IN EFFORT TO ACCELERATE GLOBAL EXPANSION OF ROBOTIC SI BUSINESS IN THE MEDICAL AND OTHER FIELDS

Published

on

hitachi-acquires-ma-micro-automation-of-germany-in-effort-to-accelerate-global-expansion-of-robotic-si-business-in-the-medical-and-other-fields

HOLLAND, Mich., April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Hitachi Ltd. (TSE: 6501, “Hitachi”) has signed a stock purchase agreement on April 26 to acquire all shares of MA micro automation GmbH (“MA micro automation”, headquartered in St. Leon-Rot, Germany) from MAX Management GmbH (a subsidiary of MAX Automation SE). MA micro automation is a leading provider of robotic and automation technology (robotic SI) including high-speed linear handling systems, high-precision assembly lines, and high-speed vision inspection technology for Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia, for EUR 71.5M million. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2024, pending completion of the customary regulatory filings. After the acquisition is completed, MA micro automation will join JR Automation Technologies, LLC (“JR Automation”), a market leader in providing advanced automation solutions and digital technologies in the robotic system integration business for North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia as a continued effort to expand the company’s global presence.

MA micro automation is a technology leader for automation solutions within micro-assembly. Through its state-of-the-art proprietary high-speed and high-precision automation know-how, combined with unique optical image inspection capabilities, MA micro automation serves high-growth med-tech automation end-markets, covering the production, assembly, and testing medical and optical components including contact lenses, IVD and diabetes diagnostics consumables, and injection molding for medical use. The company was established in 2003 through a carve-out from Siemens*1 and since 2013 has been part of the MAX Automation group. 
JR Automation is a leading provider of intelligent automated manufacturing technology solutions, serving customers across the globe in a variety of industries including automotive, life sciences, e-mobility, consumer and industrial products. With over 20 locations between North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, the leading integrator offers nearly 2 million square feet (185,806 sq. m) of available build and engineering floorspace. This acquisition allows JR Automation to further grow and strengthen both the company’s geographical footprint and their continued commitment on expanding support capabilities within the European region and medical market vertical.
“MA micro automation provides engineering, build and support expertise with established capabilities in complex vision applications, high-speed and high-precision automation technologies. When integrated with JR Automation’s uniform global process and digital technologies, this partnership will further enhance our ability to deliver added value and support to all of our customers worldwide and continue to grow our capabilities in the medical market,” says Dave DeGraaf, CEO of JR Automation. “As we integrate this new dimension, impressive talents and abilities of the MA micro automation team we further enhance our ability to serve our customers, creating a more robust and globally balanced offering.”
With this acquisition, Hitachi aims to further enhance its ability to provide a “Total Seamless Solution*2” to connect manufacturer’s factory floors seamlessly and digitally with their front office data, allowing them to achieve total optimization and bringing Industry 4.0 to life. This “Total Seamless Solution” strategy links organizations’ operational activities such as engineering, supply chain, and purchasing to the plant floor and allows for real time, data-driven decision-making that improves the overall business value for customers.
Kazunobu Morita, Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Industrial Digital Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd. says, “We are very pleased to welcome MA micro automation to the Hitachi Group. The team is based in Europe, providing robotic SI to global medical device manufacturing customers with its high technological capabilities and will join forces with JR Automation and Hitachi Automation to strengthen our global competitiveness. Hitachi aims to enhance its ability to provide value to customers and grow alongside them by leveraging its strengths in both OT, IT, including robotic SI, and “Total Seamless Solution” through Lumada*3’s customer co-creation framework.”
Joachim Hardt, CEO MA micro automation GmbH says, “Following the successful establishment and growth of MA micro automation within the attractive automation market for medical technology products, we are now opening a new chapter. Our partnership with Hitachi will not only strengthen our global competitive position, but we will also benefit from joint technological synergies and a global market presence.  We look forward to a synergistic partnership with Hitachi and JR Automation.”
Outline of MA micro automation    
Name
MA micro automation GmbH
Head Office
St. Leon-Rot, Germany
Representative
Joachim Hardt (CEO)
Outline of Business
Automation solutions within micro-assembly
Total no. of Employees:
Approx. 200 (As of April 2024)
Founded
2003
Revenues (2023)
€ 46.5 million
Website

Home


*1
“Siemens” is a registered trademark or trademark of Siemens Trademark GmbH & Co. KG in the U.S. and other countries.
*2
“Total Seamless Solution” is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. in the U.S. and Japan.
*3
Lumada: A collective term for solutions, services and technologies based on Hitachi’s advanced digital technologies for creating value from customers’ data accelerating digital innovation. https://www.hitachi.com/products/it/lumada/global/en/index.html
About JR AutomationEstablished in 1980, JR Automation is a leading provider of intelligent automated manufacturing technology solutions that solve customers’ key operational and productivity challenges. JR Automation serves customers across the globe in a variety of industries, including automotive, life sciences, aerospace, and more.  
In 2019, JR Automation was acquired by Hitachi, Ltd. In a strategic effort towards offering a seamless connection between the physical and cyber space for industrial manufacturers and distributers worldwide. With this partnership, JR Automation provides customers a unique, single-source solution for complete integration of their physical assets and data information, offering greater speed, flexibility, and efficiencies towards achieving their Industry 4.0 visions. JR Automation employs over 2,000 people at 21 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia.  For more information, please visit www.jrautomation.com.   
About Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers’ and society’s challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the 3 business sectors of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s revenues as 3 sectors for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) totaled 8,564.3 billion yen, with 573 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 270,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2398552/CENTAURI_IVD_Platform.jpg Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2392427/4673549/JR_Automation_and_Hitachi_Combined_Mark_full_color_Logo.jpg
 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hitachi-acquires-ma-micro-automation-of-germany-in-effort-to-accelerate-global-expansion-of-robotic-si-business-in-the-medical-and-other-fields-302128612.html

Continue Reading

Artificial Intelligence

$10 million Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize appoints further advisory committee members

Published

on

$10-million-artificial-intelligence-mathematical-olympiad-prize-appoints-further-advisory-committee-members

D. Sculley, Kevin Buzzard, Leo de Moura, Lester Mackey and Peter J. Liu appointed to the advisory committee for the Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize.
LONDON, April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — XTX Markets’ newly created Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize (‘AIMO Prize’) is a $10mn challenge fund designed to spur the creation of a publicly shared AI model capable of winning a gold medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

XTX Markets is delighted to announce the appointment of five further advisory committee members. This group brings great expertise in machine learning, including D. Sculley, the CEO of Kaggle; Lester Mackey, a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research and a Macarthur Fellow; and Peter J. Liu, a research scientist at Google DeepMind.
Prolific mathematicians Kevin Buzzard, who achieved a perfect score in the International Mathematical Olympiad, and Leo De Moura who is the Chief Architect for Lean, the automated reasoning tool, also join the advisory group.
They join the existing advisory committee members Terence Tao and Timothy Gowers, both winners of the Fields Medal, as well as Dan Roberts, Geoff Smith and Po-Shen Loh.
The AIMO Advisory Committee will support the development of the AIMO Prize, including advising on appropriate protocols and technical aspects, and designing the various competitions and prizes.
Simon Coyle, Head of Philanthropy at XTX Markets, commented:
“We are thrilled to complete the AIMO Advisory Committee with the appointments of D., Kevin, Leo, Lester and Peter. Together, they have enormous experience in machine learning and automated reasoning and are already bringing expertise and wisdom to the AIMO Prize. We look forward to announcing the winners of the AIMO’s first Progress Prize soon, and then publicly sharing the AI models to support the open and collaborative development of AI.”
Further information on the AIMO Prize
There will be a grand prize of $5mn for the first publicly shared AI model to enter an AIMO approved competition and perform at a standard equivalent to a gold medal in the IMO. There will also be a series of progress prizes, totalling up to $5mn, for publicly shared AI models that achieve key milestones towards the grand prize.
The first AIMO approved competition opened to participants in April 2024 on the Kaggle competition platform. The first progress prize focuses on problems pitched at junior and high-school level maths competitions. There is a total prize pot of $1.048m for the first progress prize, of which at least $254k will be awarded in July 2024, There will be a presentation of progress held in Bath, England in July 2024, as part of the 65th IMO.
For more information on the AIMO Prize visit: https://aimoprize.com/ or the competition page on Kaggle: https://www.kaggle.com/competitions/ai-mathematical-olympiad-prize/
Advisory Committee member profiles:
D. Sculley
D. is the CEO at Kaggle. Prior to joining Kaggle, he was a director at Google Brain, leading research teams working on robust, responsible, reliable and efficient ML and AI. In his career in ML, he has worked on nearly every aspect of machine learning, and has led both product and research teams including those on some of the most challenging business problems. Some of his well-known work involves ML technical debt, ML education, ML robustness, production-critical ML, and ML for scientific applications such as protein design.
Kevin Buzzard
Kevin a professor of pure mathematics at Imperial College London, specialising in algebraic number theory. As well as his research and teaching, he has a wide range of interests, including being Deputy Head of Pure Mathematics, Co-Director of a CDT and the department’s outreach champion. He is currently focusing on formal proof verification, including being an active participant in the Lean community. From October 2024, he will be leading a project to formalise a 21st century proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem. Before joining Imperial, some 20 years ago, he was a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, where he had previously been named ‘Senior Wrangler’ (the highest scoring undergraduate mathematician). He was also a participant in the International Mathematical Olympiad, winning gold with a perfect score in 1987. He has been a visitor at the IAS in Princeton, a visiting lecturer at Harvard, has won several prizes both for research and teaching, and has given lectures all over the world.
Leo de Moura
Leo is a Senior Principal Applied Scientist in the Automated Reasoning Group at AWS. In his spare time, he dedicates himself to serving as the Chief Architect of the Lean FRO, a non-profit organization that he proudly co-founded alongside Sebastian Ullrich. He is also honoured to hold a position on the Board of Directors at the Lean FRO, where he actively contributes to its growth and development. Before joining AWS in 2023, he was a Senior Principal Researcher in the RiSE group at Microsoft Research, where he worked for 17 years starting in 2006. Prior to that, he worked as a Computer Scientist at SRI International. His research areas are automated reasoning, theorem proving, decision procedures, SAT and SMT. He is the main architect of several automated reasoning tools: Lean, Z3, Yices 1.0 and SAL. Leo’s work in automated reasoning has been acknowledged with a series of prestigious awards, including the CAV, Haifa, and Herbrand awards, as well as the Programming Languages Software Award by the ACM. Leo’s work has also been reported in the New York Times and many popular science magazines such as Wired, Quanta, and Nature News.
Lester Mackey
Lester Mackey is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, where he develops machine learning methods, models, and theory for large-scale learning tasks driven by applications from climate forecasting, healthcare, and the social good. Lester moved to Microsoft from Stanford University, where he was an assistant professor of Statistics and, by courtesy, of Computer Science. He earned his PhD in Computer Science and MA in Statistics from UC Berkeley and his BSE in Computer Science from Princeton University. He co-organized the second place team in the Netflix Prize competition for collaborative filtering; won the Prize4Life ALS disease progression prediction challenge; won prizes for temperature and precipitation forecasting in the yearlong real-time Subseasonal Climate Forecast Rodeo; and received best paper, outstanding paper, and best student paper awards from the ACM Conference on Programming Language Design and Implementation, the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, and the International Conference on Machine Learning. He is a 2023 MacArthur Fellow, a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, an elected member of the COPSS Leadership Academy, and the recipient of the 2023 Ethel Newbold Prize.
Peter J. Liu
Peter J. Liu is a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind in the San Francisco Bay area, doing machine learning research with a specialisation in language models since 2015 starting in the Google Brain team. He has published and served as area chair in top machine learning and NLP conferences such as ICLR, ICML, NEURIPS, ACL and EMNLP. He also has extensive production experience, including launching the first deep learning model for Gmail Anti-Spam, and using neural network models to detect financial fraud for top banks. He has degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Toronto.
About XTX Markets:
XTX Markets is a leading financial technology firm which partners with counterparties, exchanges and e-trading venues globally to provide liquidity in the Equity, FX, Fixed Income and Commodity markets. XTX has over 200 employees based in London, Paris, New York, Mumbai, Yerevan and Singapore. XTX is consistently a top 5 liquidity provider globally in FX (Euromoney 2018-present) and is also the largest European equities (systematic internaliser) liquidity provider (Rosenblatt FY: 2020-2023).
The company’s corporate philanthropy focuses on STEM education and maximum impact giving (alongside an employee matching programme). Since 2017, XTX has donated over £100mn to charities and good causes, establishing it as a major donor in the UK and globally.
In a changing world XTX Markets is at the forefront of making financial markets fairer and more efficient for all.
 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/10-million-artificial-intelligence-mathematical-olympiad-prize-appoints-further-advisory-committee-members-302128542.html

Continue Reading

Trending