Topics covered on the February 2024 issue:

・This was compiled by “Weekly Japanese Industrial and Policy News”.

Legislation and Policy News
-    METI provides Google Cloud free of charge to generative AI development companies
-    METI contributes JP￥45 billion to cutting-edge semiconductors
-    Establishment of a specialized organization to examine the safety of AI
-    6-month residence status for digital nomads
-    Azure adopted as computational resource for domestic LLM development project “GENIAC”
-    Japan-Ukraine economic recovery promotion meeting held in Tokyo
-    TSMC Kumamoto 2nd Factory will receive up to JP￥732 billion in subsidy 

Survey and Business Data
-    124 Japanese companies, including Kao, rated the highest in terms of environmental friendliness

Company & Organization News
-    Nippon Steel confirms 33% reduction in blast furnace CO2 emissions using hydrogen reduction technology
-    Chubu Electric Power invests directly in Dutch offshore wind power company
-    Kioxia announces investment in mass production of advanced memory
-    Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and JX Oil Exploration collaborate to build CCS value chain between Japan and Australia
-    Germany's H2 Global Foundation signs memorandum of understanding on clean hydrogen with JOGMEC and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government
-    JOGMEC signs a memorandum of cooperation with Brazil's Minas Gerais Economic Development Authority (SEDE) and Development Promotion Corporation (Invest Minas)
-    Renesas acquires US semiconductor software development company for JP￥889 billion
-    Toyota and Chiyoda Corporation to jointly develop world's smallest water electrolysis system
-    Panasonic Energy procures graphite for EV battery material from Australia
-    Toyota Tsusho supports decarbonization of Kenya
-    JAXA, H3 rocket launch successful
-    Marubeni to produce recycled aviation fuel from household waste in Dubai
-    Mitsubishi Chemical develops biodegradable resin with more than 60% biomass and turns it into soil in 31 weeks
-    Idemitsu, ENEOS, Hokuden, one of the largest hydrogen production bases in Japan in Hokkaido
-    Five electric power companies transfer plutonium in France to Kyushu Electric and Shikoku Electric
-    SoftBank Group and Saudi government-affiliated company manufacturing industrial robots
-    Chubu Electric Power and others create a roadmap for zero fossil fuels in the Galapagos Islands
-    Kawasaki Heavy Industries and French company partner to develop fuel cells for construction machinery
-    Idemitsu, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Swiss companies produce ammonia in North America
-    Kajima invests in Canadian geothermal power generation startup
-    Rakuten Symphony and Ukrainian telecommunications carrier “Kyivstar” reach basic agreement on implementation of Open RAN
-    Rapidus partners with Canadian company to manufacture AI semiconductors
-    Itochu investigates synthetic fuel production in Australia
-    Tokyu Land and Renewable Japan jointly acquire Spain's Valdecaretas solar power plant

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