AspenCore Global Reports (AGR) are a series of features written by our media journalists that tackle hot topics, cutting-edge technology, and tough issues in global electronics industry today. The reports will reveal the nuance of regional points-of-view while presenting a global perspective focusing on both common and unique regional solutions to engineering and societal problems from around the world.
The goal is simple: inform readers about the larger outside forces, issues and roadblocks that can affect their jobs. Our ulterior motive: connect engineers across geographical and language barriers to understand problems and encourage problem solving together.
We will muster our editorial staff from around the globe to dig deep in search of insightful information you can use.
What we are looking for:
- The issues and roadblocks behind the “big ideas” pushed by the semiconductor and electronics industry
- Trend stories that help define the issues, explain the topic in easily digestible form
- Original investigative reporting to dig deeper into an issue
- Features on clever solutions from engineers, startups, and entrepreneurs that buck a trend or break a paradigm;
- The narrative behind government action — or inaction;
- How industry members are solving problems — or adding to them.
- The human story: with a heathy dose of skepticism, how will humans really use the technology that our industry espouses. Is it really going to help us improve our lives and living conditions?
Format:
Each month we will have 3- or 4-part reports. The serialized reports will be released generally a week apart. Read the current episode, look for the next episode, or return to the previous episide. We plan to post the same story across the world: US in English; China and Taiwan translated. EET Asia/India TBD (the story may need to be adjusted because we don’t want duplicate stories in same language).
2017 Schedule
July:
Made in China 2025: How will China dominate the next generation manufacturing
Every region has its plans for encouraging local manufacturing’s adoption of next-generation factory technology and techniques. We’ve all heard of China 2025, Europe’s Industry 4.0, and U.S.’s Smart Manufacturing. Semiconductor industry wants to sell technology products that will improve how factory processes are controlled and automated. The technology involves robotics, machine to machine (M2M) and Industrial IoT communications coupled with data collection, analysis and security. The big player dominating manufacturing now – with a nascent but huge market built in — is China. We focus on explaining what China 2025 means to the rest of the world and how China will pursue their goals to dominate manufacturing. (China is now still at Industry 2.0 if Europe is Industry 4.0. China is catching up.)
4-part series
Episode 1: Made in China 2025: Who Cares?
Why we are going after China 2025 in this series on next generation factories; what China 2025 is and how it will affect global manufacturing.
Author: Junko Yoshida
Episode 2: Made in China 2025: Make or Break for Europe?
Industry 4.0 in Europe is morphing to supporting China 2025 (KUKA robots); how China and German partnerships are unfolding. Describe how Europe’s Industry 4.0 started – what was the thinking and how it is bridging to China 2025.
Author: Sally Ward-Foxton
Episode 3:
EE Times China photo essay of a couple manufacturing innovations; Example: Haier and customization of electronics;
Author: Yorbe Zhang
Episode 4:
Focus on AI for US.
Author: Ann Thryft
Lead editor: Junko Yoshida, EE Times. Contributors: Yorbe Zhang (EET China), Sally Ward-Foxton (EE Times Euope; Ann Thryft (EE Times)
August:
IoT: What now? What’s next?
We take a global look at the Internet of Things (IoT) industry to find the issues and the roadblocks to fulfillment of the promise and expectation of IoT.
4-part series
Episode 1:
What is the state of IoT now: what is it really — what are calling IoT? Where the market is now, where the roadblocks are to more innovation and more companies participating in IoT. Different connectivity schemes at play.
Episode 2:
Semi industry: Who has better IoT portfolio: analysis of which chip companies are best positioned in which areas (who has the best wireless, the best IP for certain things, best microcontroller; best security; we can get an idea of whose portfolio is best positioned for each of these things.
Episode 3:
Promising companies that have not been picked up yet. 5 companies under the radar.
Episode 4:
Software TBD
Lead editor: Dylan McGrath, Rick Merritt
September:
Deep learning/artificial intelligence for engineering education
We’re starting to see curriculum formulating around deep learning and artificial intelligence. Here’s a summary of latest technology and what engineers need to learn about deep learning and AI. We tell you what courses are available and where the industry is going (will there be jobs ...if so, where and in what fields.) We get European angle, as Europe already has some excellent examples of AI in use in the field.
4-part series
Episode 1:
Episode 2:
Episode 3:
Episode 4:
Lead editor: Dylan McGrath
Team: US: Max Maxfield (engineers’ point of view, available programs), Rick Merritt (technology), Dylan McGrath (interviewing professors about state of education in the area); Europe: Jürgen Hübner, Sally Ward-Foxton; China/Asia: ?
October:
China’s Boom and Bust cycle
EE Times US has been reporting on China for over 5 years now. Here’s a summary of where China is now since we started reporting in the last 5 years: We now have 5 fabless chip manufacturers.
Questions we will ask: Who will be the next 5 or 10? How are the Euro and US policies affecting China’s boom and bust? Why are some Euro companies starting up in China now (how many)?
4-part series
Episode 1: China: Are startups moving to China?
Episode 2:
Episode 3:
Episode 4:
Lead editor: Junko Yoshida/Echo Zhao
November:
State of engineering across the globe (EE Times’ Salary Survey)
We will conduct revive EE Times' survey across the globe; Aug-Sept survey live.
4-part series
Episode 1: How the profession has evolved: new jobs, top jobs
Episode 2: What regions have the most jobs and opportunity for engineers? Are engineers physically crossing country lines for a job? Is engineering done via global teams remotely.
Episode 3: Working conditions (salary)
Episode 4: What are the next global labor concerns for engineers to worry about?
Lead editor: Greg Lupion/Susan Rambo
December:
Technology that will change the world in next 5 years
Here’s a survey of the technology that will make a difference. This tech will set the stage for the next 5 year. By market, each episode is an enterprise-level look at what the best end products and component innovation, by region. We focus on chips, components, software, systems.
4-part series
Episode 1: Automotive
Episode 2: Consumer
Episode 3: Communications
Episode 4: Industrial
Lead editor: Dylan McGrath
