Energy

Europe has committed nearly €1 billion to advance next-generation satellite navigation at ESA’s Ministerial Council. The funding boosts NAVISP and FutureNAV while launching new missions like Celeste, Genesis, OpSTAR, NovaMoon, and Future PNT Demonstrators, strengthening Europe’s PNT resilience, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy.

Xinjiang has become a testing ground for China’s most advanced systems of surveillance and political control. From mass data collection to intrusive home inspections and large-scale detentions, the region illustrates how state power, technology, and ideology can be fused to govern an entire population with unprecedented precision.

Proximus Global and Starlink have formed a strategic partnership to expand direct-to-cell satellite connectivity across Europe. Leveraging Proximus Global’s IPX network, Starlink will link European mobile operators and support next-generation satellite-to-smartphone broadband. Kyivstar is the first operator to benefit, highlighting the critical role of satellite resilience in crisis environments.

Russia’s space-industrial base hasn’t collapsed; it has rewired itself. Through new regional clusters, sanctioned electronics routed via shadow intermediaries, and deepening reliance on China, Moscow has built a sanctions-adapted system that is resilient but fragile. Here’s a forensic look at who is building what now, and where new chokepoints are emerging.

Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile are launching a new EU satellite constellation with a European Sovereign Satellite Operations Centre in Germany (Munich or Hannover). The joint venture, SatCo, will deliver ubiquitous, secure mobile broadband across Europe starting in 2026, boosting digital sovereignty and critical disaster relief efforts via direct-to-smartphone connectivity.

Quantinuum has been selected by DARPA to advance to Stage B of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative. Following its successful design of a utility-scale system, "Lumos," Quantinuum will now enter a year-long evaluation to develop a detailed R&D roadmap, validating its path to delivering utility-scale quantum computing by 2033.

Partsol Defense has secured a $380,000 contract with the U.S. Department of War for its Atai Cognitive AI and Checkmate 4D Neural Network platforms. Checkmate, powered by proprietary AI Stem Cells, delivers forensic, adaptive intelligence to safeguard America's critical defense supply chains and ensure hallucination-free due diligence on vendors.

Canopy Aerospace & Defense (a Trive Capital portfolio company) has acquired UK-based Tods Technology, a leader in advanced composites and acoustic materials for the maritime defense sector. This strategic move expands Canopy A&D's global reach, strengthens the US-UK defense supply chain, and enhances its ability to deliver mission-critical solutions to 25+ navies worldwide.