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… Hongxin, chairman of Svolt Energy Technology, said publicly that all-solid-state batteries currently cost five to ten times more than liquid lithium batteries. Given that batteries already account for more than 30% of an <a href="/industry/ev">electric vehicle’s</a> total cost, such premiums would be prohibitive for both automakers and consumers.
In short, the business model for solid-state batteries still doesn’t add up.
So why does the technology continue to attract so much attention despite its distant timeline?
For smaller battery makers, it represents a rare opportunity to leapfrog incumbents like CATL through a paradigm shift in technology. For automakers, it offers the possibility of greater bargaining power with dominant suppliers. And for consumers, a recent wave of EV fire incidents has revived concerns over liquid battery safety, fueling hopes for a safer, higher-density alternative.
But amid the renewed enthusiasm, one fact remains: solid-state batteries are still a technology of the future, one that may not reach mass production even by 2027.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3535624435408002">article</a> was written by Fan Shuqi for 36Kr.

Despite renewed hype, solid-state batteries remain years from mass production

Deep Tech

Batteries

Energy

China

… Nations in the nine months through September this year, an increase of nearly 40% from a year ago, according to estimates from Ember.
China's influence is evident across Southeast Asia.
The Philippines, despite being entangled in territorial disputes with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea, has begun developing Southeast Asia's largest photovoltaic solar project with state-owned PowerChina last December.
In Indonesia, construction began in September on a 192-megawatt peak capacity floating solar power plant developed by state-owned power company PLN at a site near Bandung in West Java. China's Gezhouba Group is undertaking the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC).
Meanwhile in Laos, the Monsoon Wind Power project—Southeast Asia's largest onshore wind farm—came online in August using Chinese-made wind turbines, and had Chinese state-owned PowerChina handle EPC.
"Were it not for the Chinese EPC, it would have been extremely difficult to find anyone to deliver this under schedule and under the budget," said Nat Hutanuwatr, CEO of Impact Electrons Siam, the Thai renewable energy company spearheading the project.
Lucio Pitlo III, president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, said Beijing "gained a lot" by leveraging its tech advantage as "soft power" since their investments are present across every part of the supply chain in the energy sector.
"China could frame this as part of their green silk road," he told Nikkei Asia, noting that it used to be easy to pinpoint which projects are part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
"That's not the case now," Pitlo added.
In contrast is the fading US imprint. Prior to Trump taking office for the second time and slashing foreign aid, the US "had led with a full spectrum of technical assistance and capacity building programs, from on-the-ground energy projects to large-scale investment mobilization and building a pipeline of bankable projects," said The Asia Group's Schuch-Page, who was a senior climate official in the administration of previous US President Joe Biden.
Instead, Trump has ended US involvement in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) initiative, a multilateral program the US helped launch to support developing nations shift away from coal to clean energy. Analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank estimate that the withdrawal "impacts over USD 3 billion of US commitments in Vietnam and Indonesia, mostly commercial loans."
In Vietnam, the US is now pressing Vietnam to use liquefied natural gas as a transition fuel between coal and renewables, as Trump looks to sell more American hydrocarbons abroad under his "drill, baby, drill" mantra.
And as US support for green transition wanes, developing Asian countries are increasing their reliance on China's renewable energy technology, and that could prove to be a "double-edged sword," said Altynay Junusova, an analyst at the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies.
"Chinese investment now dominates Southeast Asia's solar photovoltaic and battery sectors, creating both economic opportunity and strategic dependence," she said. "And with Western markets closing or imposing tariffs, countries in Asia increasingly find themselves tied to Beijing, a 'silver bullet' for energy modernization that comes with a heavy price."
"By investing in EVs, solar panels, batteries, and hydropower, and by nearshoring supply chains, China strengthens its economic grip, sets standards for green technologies, and secures long-term commitments from recipient countries, including loans and repayment obligations," Junusova said.
"In many cases, these countries have little choice, as they don't have alternative sources of capital, technology, or expertise—sectors where Beijing holds an advantage, and must balance Chinese investment with their own economic and green development goals."
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/policy-asia/climate-action-vacuum-looms-over-cop30-while-china-dominates-clean-energy-tech">Nikkei Asia</a>. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with <a href="https://www.kr-asia.com/nikkei-teams-up-with-36kr-in-asia-tech-news-coverage/">Nikkei</a>.

Climate action vacuum looms over COP30 while China dominates clean energy tech

Sustainability

… system decided not to turn left, even when it seemed logical to do so. We’ve already achieved this in testing.
<h3>36Kr: What other physical AI applications do you foresee? And given the growing US-China tech rivalry, who holds the upper hand in this field?</h3>
HX: Whoever starts earlier has the advantage, and data will be the key asset. Progress at major digital model firms has slowed recently, not due to algorithms or compute power, but limited data.
Anyone can lead in physical AI, but success depends on execution, essentially who can engineer systems well, deliver real-world performance, and offer better user experiences. That’s what drives the feedback loop.
That’s also why Xpeng believes making a car bigger, prettier, or cheaper isn’t enough. Hardware is just the start, software is equally important. For this reason, I spent nearly two hours at Tech Day discussing how we aim to merge the physical and digital worlds to enhance user experience. The rise of physical AI has only just begun.
<h3>36Kr: Tesla is exploring flying cars, too. What sets Xpeng apart?</h3>
HX: Both Tesla and Xpeng are pursuing cross-domain integration to redefine categories. For example, we’re embedding VLA technology into robots. Traditional robots use reinforcement learning for limb control, so their legs, waists, and hands don’t coordinate well. We’ve rebuilt that logic, as it was no longer optimal under the new paradigm.
I don’t know Tesla’s exact approach to flying cars, but we’re both innovating across domains in our own ways.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3541461020143492">article</a> was written by Xiao Man for 36Kr.

Xpeng’s next chapter lies in physical AI, says CEO He Xiaopeng

Xpeng Motors

East Asia

Artificial Intelligence

Embodied Intelligence

Foundation and Large Models

… said.
Another key candidate, HLX22, targets HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy. The global Phase 3 trial, backed by nearly USD 200 million in investment, is underway and positioned to compete directly with Keytruda.
Most HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer patients are inoperable, and current regimens offer only eight to ten months of progression-free survival (PFS). Under the HLX22 combination, Henlius has observed some patients maintaining disease control for up to two years.
“If patients can live longer with stable disease, the commercial potential expands dramatically,” Zhu said.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3528272267582338">article</a> was written by Hu Xiangyun for 36Kr.

Henlius stands out in Hong Kong’s cooling biotech market with profits and pipeline progress

Biotechnology

Hong Kong

<a href="https://liberlive.com/">LiberLive</a>, a music technology company, has introduced LiberAOS, a proprietary high-dynamic audio sampling and synthesis system. The technology serves as the core of the company’s second-generation instrument, the C2 stringless guitar.
According to LiberLive, LiberAOS is the world’s first high-dynamic sampling and synthesis architecture designed specifically for stringless guitars. The system integrates four modules—signal capture, processing, audio engine, and acoustic output—forming a complete end-to-end music production workflow.
Technically, LiberAOS is built around two central dimensions: interaction and sound quality. On the interaction side, an optimized signal processing system enables precise, real-time responsiveness. On the sound quality side, a professional-grade tone library and dynamic processing technology aim to deliver studio-level performance. The design preserves the expressive characteristics of traditional guitar playing while enhancing them through intelligent interactivity, offering a balance of fluid operation and authentic tone for use in live performances, professional recording, or casual practice.
At the core of the LiberAOS architecture is a multicore heterogeneous chipset, also developed by LiberLive. Serving as the platform’s data processing hub, it works with a magnetic pick and a pressure-sensitive fingerboard to form a responsive sensing matrix. The system captures subtle performance nuances—from variations in finger pressure to changes in picking angle—extracting multidimensional signals such as force, angle, and frequency to interpret and reproduce a player’s intent with precision.
LiberAOS functions much like a compact embedded audio workstation. Its quad-core parallel architecture operates like four producers working simultaneously to ensure real-time performance stability. The proprietary audio engine acts as an intelligent producer, analyzing performance intent within milliseconds and drawing from a tone library containing tens of millions of samples to select the most appropriate sound for each note.
To achieve natural instrument timbre and musical expressiveness, LiberLive collaborated with professional acoustic laboratories to sample classic guitar models from brands including Martin and Taylor, and extended the sampling to pianos, drums, and bass guitars. Each guitar alone required about a month of sampling, covering variables such as pick material, string angle, playing strength, and even the tactile differences between fingernails and fingertips. These detailed variations form the foundation of LiberLive’s dynamic sound database.
As a result, each note played on the C2 is not a single static audio file but part of a categorized collection of tonal samples classified by dynamics, technique, and emotional expression. This enables the system to match each sound precisely to the performer’s musical intent.
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For output, the C2 features a dual-band speaker system with 3.25-inch bass drivers, acoustically tuned for layered, full-bodied sound. Even without external amplification, it delivers spatially rich audio suitable for small live performances.
By establishing a complete technological loop, the C2 advances on its predecessor’s ease of use while introducing major upgrades through LiberAOS. The instrument also adds functions such as intelligent sing-and-play and multiple performance modes, enabling quick track creation with near studio-level sound quality.
Through this release, LiberLive seeks to bridge the gap between professional-grade audio performance and user-friendly smart instruments, positioning the C2 as a next-generation tool for both music creators and performers.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3528346634280068">article</a> was written by Huang Nan for 36Kr.

LiberLive unveils LiberAOS, a high-dynamic audio system for its C2 stringless guitar

Music

Creative

… where line markings by Partner Robotics’ robot segmented the performance area into white-tinted zones to guide formations for the 60th National Day celebration." width="1920" height="1280" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Partner-Robotics-Singapore-NDP.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Partner-Robotics-Singapore-NDP-720x480.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Partner-Robotics-Singapore-NDP-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Partner-Robotics-Singapore-NDP-768x512.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Partner-Robotics-Singapore-NDP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158166" class="wp-caption-text">Photo shows the completed showcase project, where line markings by Partner Robotics’ robot segmented the performance area into white-tinted zones to guide formations for the 60th National Day celebration. Photo source: Partner Robotics.</figcaption></figure>
Wang said the industry has shifted significantly since 2024. Robots are now deployed in active construction projects rather than limited to demonstrations. Usability has also improved, enabling workers to operate robots without constant support from manufacturers. This evolution, he said, reflects closer alignment between products and market needs. For startups, that means ensuring technology, market, and capital work together so solutions address construction challenges.
Huan Chen, partner at China Growth Capital, said that the construction sector is on the verge of an intelligent transformation:
<blockquote>"AI is transforming the traditional construction industry worldwide. Leveraging years of dedicated R&amp;D in construction robotics, Partner Robotics enters the market by focusing on high-demand floor tile-laying. Combining strong technology innovation with deep industry know-how, its products have gained strong recognition and adoption from customers in both domestic and overseas markets. Kecheng Wang, the company's founder, brings extensive experience in robotics development and on-site deployment, along with profound insights into construction applications. We believe his team is well positioned to turn embodied intelligence into real productivity and drive the AI-plus-construction evolution.”</blockquote>
This article was published in partnership with <a href="http://www.partnerrobotics.com/sy">Partner Robotics</a>.

Partner Robotics raises Series A funding to deploy robots on construction sites worldwide

… 3.2 billion) in 2023, while startup funding totaled JPY 780 billion (USD 5.1 billion). These figures signal a strengthening innovation pipeline that aligns with Japan’s national targets of fostering 100,000 startups and 100 unicorn companies by 2027.
<figure id="attachment_158187" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-158187" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-158187" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/KSAC-TechInnovation-2025-Gwendolin-Mah.jpg" alt="Photo of Gwendolin Mah, head of international programs at MedTech Actuator, delivering the opening keynote on October 29." width="1920" height="1280" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/KSAC-TechInnovation-2025-Gwendolin-Mah.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/KSAC-TechInnovation-2025-Gwendolin-Mah-720x480.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/KSAC-TechInnovation-2025-Gwendolin-Mah-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/KSAC-TechInnovation-2025-Gwendolin-Mah-768x512.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/KSAC-TechInnovation-2025-Gwendolin-Mah-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158187" class="wp-caption-text">Photo of Gwendolin Mah, head of international programs at MedTech Actuator, delivering the opening keynote on October 29.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Kansai’s legacy of scientific excellence</h3>
The Kansai region plays an outsized role in Japan’s innovation story. More than half of the country’s Nobel laureates hail from Kansai, underscoring the area’s enduring academic strength. Kyoto University, for instance, has produced more Nobel laureates than any other university in Asia.
That legacy was reaffirmed this year when professor Shimon Sakaguchi from the University of Osaka <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2025/press-release/">received the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine</a>. Sakaguchi shared the accolade with US researchers Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell for their work on peripheral immune tolerance, the mechanism that prevents the immune system from attacking the body. Their findings have reshaped understanding of autoimmune diseases and immunotherapy.
With more than 90 member institutions and growing, KSAC’s network continues to expand, attracting interest from academia, industry, and investors alike. Kansai’s ecosystem remains at the heart of this progress, supported by a strong academic base, active public-private partnerships, and a shared commitment to scaling homegrown technologies for global markets.
This article was published in partnership with the <a href="https://ksac.site/">Kansai Startup Academia Coalition (KSAC)</a>.

KSAC deep tech showcase reflects Japan’s drive toward 2027 innovation goals

Japan

Two US-built <a href="/industry/ai">artificial intelligence</a> coding assistants, Cursor and Windsurf, recently announced the launch of their proprietary models, Composer and SWE-1.5, respectively. The rollout took an unexpected turn when users discovered that both tools were actually running on Chinese-made AI systems.
Developers in several countries began noticing Chinese-language text appearing in code snippets generated by Cursor. Around the same time, Windsurf confirmed that its core model was provided by Z.ai (formerly Zhipu AI) after the company’s official account on X reposted Windsurf’s launch announcement with a congratulatory note.
The revelation drew mixed reactions online, with some users joking that it might be time to start learning Mandarin. But beneath the humor lies a deeper story about how quickly China’s AI ecosystem is reshaping the global landscape.
In the US, relationships between AI model developers and application startups have long been fraught. When <a href="/company/openai">OpenAI</a> was reportedly in talks to acquire Windsurf earlier this year, Anthropic immediately cut off Windsurf’s model access. Now, with open-source models climbing global leaderboards, developers are increasingly turning to non-US providers for flexibility and lower costs.
Windsurf isn’t alone. Vercel recently added Z.ai’s GLM-4.6 to its API offerings. Cerebras, a major US chipmaker, said it would begin promoting GLM-4.6 as a primary model starting November 5. Together AI has deployed <a href="/company/alibaba">Alibaba’s</a> Qwen-3-Coder, while inference platform Featherless now supports Moonshot AI’s <a href="https://kr-asia.com/is-kimi-k2-strong-enough-to-spark-chinas-next-deepseek-moment">Kimi K2</a>.
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Just a year ago, Chinese companies were integrating models from OpenAI and Anthropic into their systems. Now, the flow has reversed. The reason, analysts say, is straightforward: China’s open-source models have caught up in both performance and cost. The rise of <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a>, Alibaba’s Qwen, and the growing prominence of Z.ai have strengthened their credibility.
The fact that two of the most popular US coding assistants rely on Chinese models underscores the competitiveness of China’s AI developers, especially in coding, where benchmarks and performance are easy to quantify.
Affordability is another major factor. Social Capital founder Chamath Palihapitiya recently said Groq migrated workloads to Moonshot’s Kimi K2 model because it was “way more performant and frankly just a ton cheaper” than offerings from OpenAI and Anthropic. Cost efficiency, he added, has become the AI sector’s new frontier.
Coding tools are one of the few AI categories that have achieved clear product-market fit. Anthropic currently leads, with OpenAI’s GPT-5 and Codex expected to intensify competition. Meanwhile, Chinese firms are moving quickly to secure market share.
Data from OpenRouter, which aggregates over 100 AI models, shows that four of the five most used products as of September were coding-related tools. Within that group, Chinese models are rapidly gaining traction. According to PPIO, Z.ai’s GLM and Moonshot’s Kimi ranked among the most used globally in the third quarter, with GLM’s usage peaking above 10% and Kimi holding between 2–5% market share.
Chinese developers are also turning this momentum into direct revenue. In September, Z.ai introduced a subscription service for developers similar to Anthropic’s Claude Code, priced between RMB 20–200 (USD 2.8–28), roughly one-tenth the cost of its US counterpart. The plan supports more than ten major coding tools and is available worldwide. According to 36Kr, the service has already generated annual recurring revenue of over RMB 100 million (USD 14 million).
Following that launch, Moonshot rolled out its own developer package for Kimi on October 24, and <a href="/company/minimax">MiniMax</a> introduced a free limited version of its M2 model with plans for a paid tier.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3535638936771456">article</a> was written by Xiao Xi for 36Kr.

Coding tools Cursor and Windsurf found using Chinese AI in latest releases

Philippine conglomerates are forming partnerships with Chinese and Vietnamese <a href="/industry/ev">electric vehicle</a> companies, accelerating the spread of EVs in a market dominated by Japanese automakers late to the electrification game.
Chinese EV brands took center stage at the Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit held in Manila on October 23 by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP).
<a href="/company/byd">BYD</a> unveiled the new eMax 9 DM-i, a luxury plug-in hybrid multipurpose vehicle. The booth also featured a full EV on display. Zeekr, part of <a href="/company/geely">Geely</a>, debuted a coupe during the exhibition.
Major Philippine conglomerates Ayala Corp. and SM Group are laying some of the groundwork for the arrival of new EV brands in the country.
BYD touted discounts for buyers who financed their purchase with an auto loan from the Bank of the Philippine Islands, a lender under Ayala. At the Kia booth, an Ayala affiliate promoted a charging service.
Ayala's automotive arm, ACMobility, became an authorized distributor for BYD in 2023. There are about 40 dealerships nationwide, with plans to have nearly 80 by the end of the year.
SM Group subsidiary BDO Unibank entered into a strategic partnership with Vietnam's Vingroup in September. BDO, the largest commercial bank in the Philippines, will provide financial support for Vingroup's EV taxi service, Green GSM, which began Philippine operations in June.
Emerging conglomerate Alliance Global Group opened a <a href="/company/tesla">Tesla</a> flagship dealership in Metro Manila last year. Rapid chargers are being installed in parking lots at Alliance Global-owned commercial properties.
The Philippines has lagged behind other big Association of Southeast Asian Nations members in adopting EVs due to a lack of charging infrastructure and high electricity costs. Now that influential conglomerates have started to take action, EVs have a better chance of gaining a foothold.
"We're happy because they are the ones who are completing the infrastructure," said EVAP president Edmund Araga when asked about conglomerates' EV-related investments. "They address not only the issues on e-vehicles, on chargers, but even on renewables."
EV sales are on the rise. New EV registrations from January to July this year totaled 29,715, according to EVAP, accounting for 5% of all vehicles and exceeding 2024's full-year total of 24,286 EVs. The level is projected to reach 35,000 EVs this year.
The rise of automakers like BYD and Vingroup is a threat to Japanese brands, which account for a large proportion of the Philippines' new car market.
Japanese automakers were largely absent from the EV summit, though Honda Motor displayed electric two-wheelers.
Japanese carmakers place a priority on the Philippine International Motor Show hosted by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines. It is the country's largest automotive show held every two years.
New car sales totaled 343,410 vehicles for January-September, with Toyota Motor ranking first with 164,797 units and Mitsubishi Motors in second with 65,421 vehicles, according to CAMPI and other sources. The top two automakers have a combined market share of nearly 70%, and six of the top ten are Japanese companies.
While this data does not include BYD and other fast-growing EV brands, the total share of Japanese automakers is still high overall. Japanese automakers are hoping to capture demand with new fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles and popular sport utility vehicles.
Some local conglomerates are reassessing their ties to established automakers in order to put do more with EVs. In September, Ayala said it would stop selling vehicles from Germany's Volkswagen. The group will also terminate a dealer agreement with Honda—a partner since 1990—at the end of this year.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/electric-cars-in-china/philippine-conglomerates-offer-inroads-for-china-vietnam-ev-brands">Nikkei Asia</a>. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with <a href="https://www.kr-asia.com/nikkei-teams-up-with-36kr-in-asia-tech-news-coverage/">Nikkei</a>.

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