Beyond Horizons
Trailblazing Tales from Asia
Your exclusive gateway to the latest developments across transportation and space, and most importantly, how to finance it all - debt, equity, and defi! We follow and forecast where the money’s at.
Join us as we navigate through the latest roundup to uncover key developments across the region.
**Nothing in this article is intended to be or should be construed as legal or financial advice.**
Summary
Financing & Investments: PIDG Invests $2.5M in Laos EV and Charging Network; Huawei Malaysia Secures $85M Financing for 5G Rollout; Tonik Digital Bank Raises $12M Pre-Series C in Philippines; Embed Financial to List via SPAC at $425M Valuation; Horizon Quantum Completes Operational Quantum Computer in Singapore; and VinFast Invests $500M to Expand EV Manufacturing in India
Environmental Sustainability: Malaysia Awards $34M Solar Plant Contract Under CGPP; Equinix Signs 20-Year Solar PPA in Singapore; Southeast Asia’s Radical Fund Launches AI-Native Climate Venture Builder; South Korea Develops CO2-to-eSAF Demonstration Project; and South Korea Doubles Renewable Energy Funding for 2026
Aviation: Asia-Pacific Business Aviation Sees Growth and Safety Focus; Comac Targets Large-Cabin VIP Jet Market with CBJ; Safran Opens Largest LEAP Engine MRO in India; Taoyuan Airport Upgrades Communications with Nokia; and Vietnam Airlines Partners with Viettel for Weather Alert System
Advanced Air Mobility: Aero Asia Showcases Asia-Pacific eVTOL Growth and Partnerships; AutoFlight Demonstrates Floating Vertiport for eVTOL Operations; EHang and Spain Host First China–Spain Smart Mobility Forum; EHang Completes Europe’s First Urban Emergency eVTOL Flights; and EHang Conducts Urban eVTOL Flights in Bangkok
Marine: Nuclear-Powered Containerships Could Save $68 Million and Cut Emissions; Pakistan’s Prime Green Recyclers Becomes First HKC-Compliant Yard; Singapore Licenses Methanol Suppliers for Sustainable Bunkering; South Korea Patents Multi-Fuel Bunkering Vessel; and Samsung Heavy Industries Expands into U.S. Shipbuilding
Space: China Backs Commercial Space and International Collaboration; China Faces Temporary Gap in Tiangong Emergency Launch Capability; Japan and U.S. Partners Advance Modular In-Space Infrastructure; Fujitsu Unveils AI System to Improve Human-Robot Collaboration; and Bennu Samples Reveal Sugars and Primordial Molecules
Financing & Investments
Asia-Pacific is seeing a surge in strategic financing and investment across tech, EVs, and digital infrastructure, from Laos’ EV rollout and Malaysia’s 5G expansion to Singapore’s quantum computing and FinTech listings, while Vietnam and India attract $500M in VinFast’s electric vehicle manufacturing expansion.
Laos
The Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) is investing $2.5 million in LOCA, Laos’ largest ride-hailing service, through a convertible loan provided via InfraCo. The funding will support the development of an estimated 54 EV charging stations and pilot a fleet of up to 20 electric vehicles.
💡The transaction also includes a $66,000 technical assistance grant from PIDG for commercial due diligence on the broader EV market in Laos, marking PIDG’s first investment in the country.
Malaysia
Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has secured MYR 350 million ($84.66 million) in supply chain financing from AmBank Group to support the expansion of Malaysia’s 5G network.
💡The financing is aimed at facilitating the rollout of the country’s second 5G network, strengthening digital infrastructure, and supporting foreign direct investment by providing tailored financial solutions to multinational corporations operating in Malaysia.
Philippines
Tonik Financial, controlling shareholder of Tonik Digital Bank—the Philippines’ first licensed digital-only bank—has raised $12 million in Pre-Series C financing led by Diligent Capital Partners, with participation from Plio Limited, existing shareholder Altara Capital, and Tonik management. The funding strengthens Tonik Digital Bank’s regulatory capital under Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas requirements and supports continued investment in its technology platform to accelerate customer acquisition, cross-selling, and automation.
💡Tonik Digital Bank has grown its loan portfolio 15-fold to $83 million, with annualized revenue exceeding $40 million and risk-adjusted returns above 25 percent. The bank leverages an AI-powered credit engine and a B2B2C distribution network spanning nearly 400 employers and 500 retail partners.
Singapore
Singapore-headquartered Embed Financial Group Cayman Holdings (EFGH), a Finternet infrastructure company operating across emerging markets in Africa and Asia, agreed to a business combination with special purpose acquisition company WinVest Acquisition Corp., valuing EFGH at a pro forma enterprise value of about $425 million. The deal would create a new Cayman Islands holding company, expected to be renamed Embed Financial Global Holdings, which would become the publicly listed parent of the combined group while retaining EFGH as an operating subsidiary.
💡EFGH builds digital infrastructure to support embedded financial services such as remittances, credit, insurance, and digital wallets for underserved consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises across Africa and Asia, and has expanded operations into 12 countries since 2024. Under the transaction structure, shareholders of EFGH will receive 42.5 million shares in the new holding company, and WinVest shareholders will exchange their stakes for equivalent securities, with EFGH founder Dennis Ng remaining executive chairman and chief executive after closing.
Singapore
Horizon Quantum Computing Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based quantum software infrastructure company, has completed assembly and integration of its first fully operational quantum computer at its Singapore headquarters, making it the first quantum software company to own and operate such a system. The computer combines superconducting qubits from Rigetti, control electronics from Quantum Machines, and Maybell’s cryogenic platform, allowing Horizon Quantum to tightly integrate its software stack with the hardware and provide a modular testbed for diverse quantum configurations.
💡The system will support Horizon Quantum’s Triple Alpha integrated development environment, enabling hardware-agnostic quantum application development and testing across multiple platforms, including cloud-based and data center-hosted quantum computers. The modular design allows swapping of processors and electronics, enhancing software-hardware integration and positioning the company to advance practical quantum computing solutions.
Vietnam-India
VinFast will invest $500 million to expand its manufacturing facility in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, targeting production of electric buses and e-scooters. The investment follows a memorandum of understanding with the Tamil Nadu government, which will allocate 200 hectares of land adjacent to VinFast’s existing plant and provide support for permits, utilities, roads, and waste management. This expansion represents the second phase of VinFast’s $2 billion commitment to India and will include new workshops and production lines for assembly, testing, and related operations.
💡The Thoothukudi facility, currently covering 160 hectares with an initial 50,000-unit annual capacity, is being expanded to 150,000 units.
Environmental Sustainability
Southeast Asia and South Korea are scaling renewable energy and sustainable fuel initiatives, from Malaysia and Singapore’s solar projects to South Korea’s synthetic aviation fuel and expanded renewable funding, while AI-driven venture support in the region fosters climate-focused innovation and cross-border sustainability solutions.
Malaysia
M K Land Holdings Berhad, through its subsidiary Citra Energies Sdn. Bhd. in partnership with Solar Citra Sdn. Bhd. and TotalEnergies Renewables SAS, has awarded a MYR 142.3 million ($34.45 million) EPCC contract to Atlantic Blue Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Solarvest Holdings Berhad. The contract involves the development of a 29.99 MW solar photovoltaic plant under Malaysia’s Corporate Green Power Program (CGPP) in Mukim Padang Meha, Kulim, Kedah.
💡The initiative follows a previous partnership where Solarvest successfully completed a 10.95 MW solar plant under the LSS4 scheme in Kerian, Perak.
Singapore
Equinix, Inc. has signed a 20-year solar power purchase agreement (PPA) in Singapore with ESR-TEPCO SINGAPORE ASSETCO ALPHA PTE. LTD. (ASSETCO), securing over 10 MWp of rooftop solar capacity from commercial and industrial buildings nationwide. Scheduled to commence in 2026, the agreement includes an option to scale capacity over time, supporting Singapore’s Green Plan 2030 and Equinix’s broader renewable energy goals while contributing to an estimated 55,000 tonnes of avoided annual CO₂ emissions.
💡This marks Equinix’s third PPA in Singapore and forms part of a global portfolio of 27 PPAs across 11 countries, totaling more than 1.3 GW of wind and solar capacity. The initiative reinforces Equinix’s ongoing efforts to integrate renewable energy into its data center operations and aligns with its commitment to achieving 100 percent clean and renewable energy coverage by 2030, with 96 percent of its global operations currently powered by renewables.
Southeast Asia
The Radical Fund, Southeast Asia’s climate-focused venture capital firm, has launched The Studio, an AI-native venture builder under the UTOPIA platform, designed to support high-potential founders and technical experts across the Global South. The Studio provides structured venture-building, AI/ML infrastructure, commercialization support, and cross-border market access, complementing The Radical Fund’s capital investments. It offers Southeast Asian founders hands-on support from a 12+ person team and access to Utopia OS, a modular AI infrastructure layer enabling rapid product iteration and scaling from concept to Series A in under 24 months, while facilitating expansion into the Middle East.
💡The Studio focuses on opportunity clusters aligned with Radical’s climate thesis and UTOPIA’s Problem Oriented Deep Dives (PODs), including infrastructure intelligence, industrial decarbonization, sovereign systems, programmable economic rails, and vertical domain intelligence for sectors like healthcare and food security.
South Korea
South Korea’s Chungnam province is moving forward with a demonstration project to produce synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) from captured carbon dioxide, following national preliminary feasibility approval. The KRW 140.2 billion (US$95 million) project in Boryeong will convert CO2 emissions from a local coal-fired power plant into e-SAF using carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology. The initiative, led by LG Chem in collaboration with KIST, HD Hyundai Oilbank, and Korea Midland Power, aims to produce 700 tonnes of e-SAF annually from roughly 4,000 tonnes of CO2.
💡Construction of the demonstration facility is scheduled for 2027, with completion targeted for 2030 and potential full industrialization in 2034.
South Korea
South Korea plans to nearly double its financial support for renewable energy projects in 2026, allocating KRW 648 billion (US$440 million) for initiatives including RE100 industrial complexes, agrivoltaic solar, and offshore wind. This represents a 98.6 per cent increase from this year’s allocation of KRW 326.3 billion (US$221 million). Additional funding for broader renewable energy deployment will rise 37.1 per cent to KRW 214.3 billion (US$145 million), supporting the development of a next-generation power grid capable of integrating distributed renewable sources.
💡Overall, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment’s budget will increase 9.9 per cent year-on-year to KRW 19.16 trillion (US$13 billion), reflecting South Korea’s commitment to accelerate its transition away from fossil fuels, enhance building efficiency, and invest in social infrastructure.
Aviation
Asia-Pacific business aviation is expanding, with rising fleet sizes and safety focus, while China develops large-cabin VIP jets, India strengthens MRO capacity, Taiwan upgrades airport networks, and Vietnam enhances weather monitoring—linking growth, technology, and operational resilience across the region.
Asia-Pacific
The Asian Business Aviation Association held its 2025 China General and Business Aviation Safety Symposium in Zhuhai during the Aero Asia show, bringing together regulators, operators, and industry stakeholders to address safety, operational efficiency, and sustainability in the Asia-Pacific market. Data presented showed business aviation activity in China rose 6.2% year over year through October 2025, while the regional charter fleet reached 430 aircraft by mid-2025, up 18.8% from 2023, with India overtaking Australia as the largest charter market.
💡Fleet composition remains dominated by long-range and large-cabin jets, with Textron, Bombardier, and Gulfstream accounting for about three-quarters of the regional fleet. Symposium discussions focused on human factors as the primary cause of incidents, the expansion of safety management systems, and new operational risks linked to artificial intelligence, alternative energy ground vehicles, and personnel shortages. Participants also reviewed aeromedical rescue operations, cross-border regulatory coordination, and the need for improved data sharing to strengthen safety performance across the region.
China
Comac is targeting the large-cabin VIP aircraft segment with the Comac Business Jet (CBJ), a modified version of its C909 narrowbody airliner, aiming to compete with established Western manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific market. The twin-engine jet, derived from the former ARJ21-700, typically seats 12–19 passengers, has a range of about 2,700 nautical miles with eight passengers, cruises at 520 knots, and is certified to operate from high-altitude airports. The aircraft has received Chinese certification but does not hold EASA or FAA type certification.
💡The CBJ offers multiple cabin configurations with amenities including a private VIP suite, lounge and meeting areas, satellite connectivity, and low-noise insulation, and incorporates systems from a range of Western suppliers. It is powered by GE CF34-10A engines and is supported by Comac’s existing C909 support network, which serves more than 170 aircraft in service in China and Southeast Asia. The program complements Comac’s broader commercial aircraft lineup, which includes the C919 single-aisle jet and the in-development C929 widebody.
India
Safran has inaugurated its largest maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centre for CFM International’s LEAP engine in Hyderabad, India, marking a significant expansion of its civil aerospace operations in the country. The €200 million, 45,000-square-meter facility will become operational in 2026 with an initial capacity of 300 LEAP engine shop visits per year, eventually scaling to support more than 1,100 employees and hosting an on-site training centre for over 100 technicians annually.
💡The centre complements a new 5,000-square-meter MRO shop dedicated to the M88 engine, which powers the Dassault Rafale fighter jet, supporting more than 600 engine modules annually and employing up to 150 people.
Taiwan
Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) in Taiwan has partnered with Nokia, in collaboration with HwaCom Systems, to upgrade its communications infrastructure using Nokia’s IP/MPLS solution across Terminals 1 and 2. The project will replace the existing network to enhance service reliability and security, integrating voice, data, video communications, check-in kiosks, baggage handling, Wi-Fi, and CCTV into a unified infrastructure.
The upgraded network is designed to streamline airport operations and reduce operational costs while ensuring high performance and safety standards.
Vietnam
Vietnam Airlines has partnered with Viettel Software, a subsidiary of Viettel Group, to develop a hazardous weather alert and operational support system aimed at enhancing aviation safety and operational efficiency. The platform will deliver alerts on dangerous weather conditions, assess potential impacts throughout flights, and provide precise information to operations teams, integrating seamlessly with the airline’s existing infrastructure.
💡As part of this collaboration, Viettel Software is leveraging its partnership with Japan’s Weathernews (WNI) to introduce advanced meteorological technology in Vietnam.
Advanced Air Mobility
China and Asia-Pacific are advancing eVTOL operations through floating vertiports, cross-border collaborations, and urban emergency flights, linking infrastructure, regulation, and technology for scalable low-altitude mobility.
Asia-Pacific
Aero Asia in Zhuhai highlighted the Asia-Pacific region’s distinct approach to advancing advanced air mobility, with 387 exhibitors from 22 countries, nearly 80,000 visitors, and reported aircraft sales of more than 837 units valued at close to $1 billion. Industry panels focused on industrialization, certification, and early operational planning, noting that several eVTOL manufacturers are moving from prototype to operational infrastructure, with regional deployment expected to scale through cross-border corridors linking China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
💡Flight activity and partnership announcements underscored the shift toward collaborative development models. Volocopter advanced plans for flight demonstrations in China after receiving regulatory approval, while TCab Tech reported successful transition flight tests of its E20 demonstrator and expanded international partnerships to support low-altitude mobility networks. Organizers reported broad international participation, reflecting growing global interest in Asia’s evolving AAM and low-altitude economy ecosystem.
China
AutoFlight unveiled a floating, water-based vertiport designed to support electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft over rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. The platform integrates solar-powered charging, onboard energy storage, communications, and automated dispatch systems, aiming to reduce reliance on land-based vertiport construction. The system supports the company’s White Shark, CarryAll, and Prosperity aircraft and targets use cases including offshore energy maintenance, emergency response, urban and coastal commuting, tourism, and networked mobile vertiport operations.
💡The company demonstrated the integrated sea–air system on November 22, at Dianshan Lake in Kunshan, China. A two-ton-class eVTOL aircraft successfully took off from the floating platform, followed by multi-aircraft formation flights and live aerial supply drops, including flotation equipment. The system was developed with battery manufacturer CATL and is intended to expand low-altitude aviation infrastructure by using water surfaces for rapid, mobile deployment.
China-Spain
EHang Holdings and partners China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and FACONAUTO held the first China–Spain Smart Mobility Forum in Madrid, hosted by Telefónica’s LaCabina innovation hub. The event featured the public display of EHang’s EH216-S and brought together government officials, industry groups, infrastructure operators, and academic experts to discuss cooperation and development of next-generation urban air and ground mobility.
💡Panel sessions addressed regulatory frameworks, operational safety, sustainable business models, and urban planning requirements for advanced air mobility. Representatives from Chinese and Spanish institutions discussed pathways to accelerate smart mobility deployment, cross-border industrial collaboration, and technology commercialization. The forum aimed to strengthen bilateral coordination on intelligent and low-emission transport systems and expand cooperation between Chinese and European mobility stakeholders.
China-Spain
EHang completed Europe’s first multi point-to-point urban emergency response flights using its EH216-S in Zaragoza, Spain, on December 4, under the EU-funded U-SAVE project. The flights marked the project’s final milestone and involved integration with a U-Space-certified airspace management platform, following prior test campaigns in Spain and Estonia, demonstrating coordinated urban aerial operations for emergency logistics and response.
💡The demonstrations were conducted in collaboration with local and European public authorities, industry partners, and research institutions, including Zaragoza City Council and aviation and logistics organizations. The project builds on a long-standing cooperation framework between EHang and Zaragoza and is intended to support the development of scalable regulatory and operational models for urban unmanned and eVTOL aircraft use across European cities.
China-Thailand
EHang conducted an urban human-carrying flight demonstration of its EH216-S in Bangkok under Thailand’s AAM Sandbox Initiative, in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand and local partners. The aircraft completed multiple takeoffs, landings and route flights in the city’s central business district, including test rides by senior aviation regulators, marking progress in regulatory testing and operational validation for pilotless urban air mobility in Southeast Asia.
💡The demonstration included emergency scenario testing and technical evaluations covering flight safety, aircraft systems, maintenance, and operational frameworks. Authorities and project teams assessed the aircraft’s performance under extreme conditions and its readiness for commercial service, while discussions focused on airworthiness, lifecycle support, and regulatory development. The program supports Thailand’s plans to expand low-altitude aircraft trials to additional cities and advance frameworks for future commercial eVTOL operations.
Marine
Global, regional, and national efforts show moves toward cleaner, more efficient, and multi-fuel maritime operations, with nuclear propulsion, multi-fuel bunkering, and regulatory compliance shaping the future of shipping.
Global
A new report by Lloyd’s Register and LucidCatalyst for Seaspan Corporation highlights the potential of nuclear-powered containerships to save $68 million annually while eliminating greenhouse gas emissions. By integrating small modular reactors (SMRs), vessels could cut up to $50 million in fuel costs and $18 million in carbon penalties. A single 15,000 TEU nuclear ship could achieve 38% higher annual cargo capacity through faster speeds and space freed by eliminating fuel systems.
💡The study outlines a roadmap for commercial deployment within four years, with modular reactors costing $750–1,000 per kW and fuel under $50/MWh. It emphasizes the need for a robust, competitive supply chain, innovative reactor leasing models, and regulatory engagement. The report suggests nuclear propulsion could dominate shipping economics, offering faster, emission-free operations without relying on green fuel premiums, while the next phases will focus on design, regulatory readiness, and large-scale implementation.
Pakistan
Pakistan’s ship recycling sector reached a milestone as Prime Green Recyclers became the country’s first Hong Kong Convention (HKC)–compliant yard, certified by Bureau Veritas.
💡Established in 2000 in Gadani, the company’s compliance marks a step forward for Pakistan, which has lagged behind regional peers, with two more yards expected to achieve HKC certification soon.
Singapore
Global Energy Trading, Golden Island, and PetroChina have been granted five-year licences by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to supply methanol as a marine fuel, supporting the city-state’s push to become a sustainable multi-fuel bunkering hub. The licences, effective from January 2026 to December 2030, mark a formal step toward scaling methanol bunkering in Singapore, where alternative fuels reached 1.34 million tonnes in 2024, including bio-blends and LNG, with methanol volumes now being integrated into regulated operations.
💡Singapore aims to supply over 1 million tonnes of low-carbon methanol annually by 2030, aided by chartered methanol-capable barges and newly introduced dual-fuel vessels. The city-state is also advancing ammonia as a marine fuel, with ship-to-ship demonstrations underway and the first purpose-built ammonia bunkering vessel scheduled for delivery in late 2026, r
South Korea
South Korea’s Sun Comprehensive Energy has secured a patent for a multi-fuel bunkering vessel capable of delivering LNG, methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen from a single platform.
💡The vessel is designed with specialised storage and handling systems to accommodate the differing temperature, pressure, and safety requirements of each fuel, eliminating the need for separate ships for each type of fuel.
South Korea-USA
Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has advanced in the U.S. shipbuilding market through two strategic partnerships aligned with Washington’s “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” (MASGA) initiative. In a trilateral memorandum of agreement, SHI joined forces with General Dynamics NASSCO and long-time partner DSEC to combine ship design expertise with advanced manufacturing automation and technology for upcoming U.S. naval, government, and commercial projects.
💡Separately, SHI signed a memorandum of understanding with Louisiana-based Conrad Shipyard to explore opportunities in the U.S. LNG bunkering sector, focusing on technical and commercial concepts for LNG bunkering vessels that comply with U.S. regulatory and operational standards. The moves form part of South Korea’s broader $150 billion commitment to U.S. shipbuilding.
Space
China and Japan’s push in space infrastructure and AI, together with Bennu samples revealing primordial molecules, shows a trend of leveraging core knowledge and technology to enable next-generation capabilities.
China
The China National Space Administration (CNSA), has released a two-year action plan to support commercial space firms and boost international collaboration. The plan encourages companies to “go global,” assist developing countries with satellite applications, and compete for key national programs in propulsion, next-generation satellites, communications, navigation, and remote sensing.
💡The CNSA will expand access to national infrastructure, including TT&C stations, test ranges, and rocket-engine facilities, establish a commercial space development fund, and increase government procurement of commercial capabilities. Measures also include innovation centers, standardized operations, commercial launch sites, and open space-debris data, while promoting on-orbit servicing, debris removal, space tourism, and in-space biomanufacturing, aiming for high-quality commercial space development by 2027.
China
China may face a temporary gap in emergency launch capability to the Tiangong space station following the Shenzhou-20 incident. After damage was discovered on a port-view window of Shenzhou-20 in early November, the three crew members returned to Earth aboard Shenzhou-21, leaving the recently arrived Shenzhou-21 crew without a lifeboat until Shenzhou-22 was launched on November 25.
💡Under China’s “one launch, one on standby” protocol, the backup Shenzhou-22 now covers emergency needs, but the next contingency spacecraft, Shenzhou-23, is not expected to be ready at Jiuquan until its planned completion in March 2026. This creates a period during which China lacks a rapid-response option for the Tiangong station until the next spacecraft is delivered and prepared.
Japan
Space BD Inc. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with U.S.-based Arkisys, Inc. to advance the development of modular in-space infrastructure for commercial space logistics and servicing. The partnership focuses on demonstrating Arkisys’ Port Module technology in orbit via Space BD’s i-SEEP platform on the International Space Station (ISS), enabling payload hosting, integration, and upgrades.
💡Space BD will manage engineering, payload integration, launch coordination, and regulatory interfaces with JAXA and NASA to support the deployment.
Japan
Fujitsu has unveiled a new “spatial world model” technology designed to enhance collaboration between humans and robots by enabling AI to predict the future behaviors and states of people, robots, and objects within a shared space. The system constructs 3D scene graphs that map all actors and objects in a physical environment, allowing for real-time understanding of complex, dynamic spaces despite variations in camera perspectives or distortions.
By modeling causal relationships and interactions, the technology can estimate behavioral intentions, predict future actions, avoid collisions, and optimize cooperative plans for multiple autonomous robots, improving accuracy in intention estimation by threefold in benchmark tests.
The development is part of Fujitsu’s broader research in “physical AI,” which applies artificial intelligence to real-world scenarios such as autonomous driving, smart factories, and multi-robot coordination. Unlike existing solutions that function well only in structured environments, the spatial world model can handle less predictable settings like offices and homes, where object placement and human movement are dynamic.
💡The technology builds on Fujitsu’s computer vision and AI expertise, including its Kozuchi AI Agent, and will be showcased at CES 2026, with further demonstrations planned throughout fiscal year 2026.
Universe
Samples returned from asteroid Bennu by NASA’s Osiris-REx mission continue to provide insights into the early solar system and the origins of life on Earth. Analyses published in Nature Geoscience and Nature Astronomy reveal the presence of sugars and a previously unidentified “space gum” in the samples, alongside amino acids and other organic molecules. While these compounds do not constitute evidence of life, they indicate that fundamental building blocks for biology were widespread in the early solar system. The sugars could have supported primitive biochemical processes, while the gum-like substance may have acted as a catalyst for chemical reactions that eventually contributed to life.
Additional studies examined dust from two types of rocks collected from Bennu, which appear to have originated from stars predating the solar system. This suggests that Bennu formed in a region enriched with stellar material and has preserved primordial substances that predate planetary formation. The findings provide a window into the chemical environment of the early solar system and support hypotheses about how simple molecular precursors may have contributed to the emergence of life on Earth.
**Nothing in this article is intended to be or should be construed as legal or financial advice.**