Author: admin

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 20 November 2025 – Airbus SE (stock exchange symbol: AIR) is launching the second tranche of its share buyback programme announced on 8 September 2025, which is being undertaken for the purpose of supporting future employee share ownership plan activities and equity-based compensation plans. 

The programme is being executed in multiple tranches, in the open market, over a period ending 16 January 2026, for up to a maximum number of 4,140,000 shares (with the maximum monetary amount being that required to acquire the targeted number of shares at prices fixed in compliance with the Delegated Regulation, and will be effected in one or more tranches). The first tranche of the programme, completed on 31 October 2025, resulted in 2,070,000 shares being repurchased.

Airbus has mandated an investment firm to manage the execution of the second tranche of the programme, which will comprise an amount up to a maximum of 2,070,000 shares, beginning on 20 November 2025 and ending no later than 16 January 2026. The investment firm will make its trading decisions concerning the timing of purchases independently of Airbus. 

The programme will be carried out subject to market conditions and in compliance with applicable rules and regulations, including the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on market abuse (“EU Market Abuse Regulation”) and its Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2016/1052 (the “Delegated Regulation”).

The programme is undertaken pursuant to the authority granted by shareholders to the Airbus Board of Directors at the Airbus Annual General Meeting held on 15 April 2025, to repurchase up to a maximum of 10% of the Company’s issued share capital. The programme is intended to support the execution of future employee share ownership plan activities and equity-based compensation, while avoiding dilution of existing shareholders. 

Detailed information on the share buyback programme will be made available in a timely manner, including on the Airbus website at: 

https://www.airbus.com/en/investors/share-price-and-information.

DISCLAIMER

This press release does not constitute or form part of an offer to sell securities, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for any securities, to or from any person in any jurisdiction.

The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness. This announcement is not intended as investment advice, nor is it a recommendation to transact in any security. The information in this announcement is subject to change.

Hello from Tokyo, where Nikkei Asia recently hosted its live webinar on what to expect in Asia in 2026. (Subscribers can catch the recording here.)

The session covered predictions from Nikkei Asia editors (including yours truly) on everything from currencies and tariffs to elections and border clashes. The session ended with a Q&A segment, and one of the very last questions we took from viewers was about what the impact of AI will be on the job market next year.

The theme of the webinar was predictions, so naturally the question was phrased as what will happen, rather than what is happening already. Still, I think it underscores the tendency when talking about AI to always look to the horizon. Perhaps because so much of the impact currently is unclear or muddled — while AI is replacing some entry-level positions in some industries, for example, it is spurring hiring in others.

Apart from inspiring angst in the job market and fever on the stock market, the AI investment boom is sharply impacting parts of the tech supply chain not related, or only tangentially so, to artificial intelligence. This week’s Tech Asia feature looks at how the appetite for AI processors has thrown the entire memory chip market into turmoil.

Industry sources compare the unfolding supply crunch to the supply chain chaos of the Covid-era, which brought with it unprecedented shortages of chips and other components. It is amazing to think that, in some ways, a mere investment cycle could bring as much disruption as a pandemic.

I am particularly pleased to share this feature — a collaborative effort from four of our tech correspondents — as it reveals the hidden impacts of AI that are unfolding right now, as well as offering a glimpse at what is in store for the coming months.

In less disruptive news, the hunt for AI investment targets is also drawing renewed attention to Japan’s often overlooked start-up scene, as recent funding deals involving Sakana AI and Turing show.

Foggy memory

The voracious appetite for AI computing power has made Nvidia’s processors some of the most sought-after components in the world. To get the most out of these chips, however, requires advanced memory — and lots of it.

This sudden surge in demand has been a boon for memory chipmakers, especially smaller players, given their years-long struggle with oversupply and depressed prices.

But as this exclusive feature by Cheng Ting-Fang, Lauly Li, Tsubasa Suruga and Kim Jaewon shows, there is also a darker side to the boom. With chipmakers rushing to churn out advanced memory for AI applications, others in the tech supply chain are finding it increasingly difficult to secure enough memory for smartphones, PCs and other devices.

Industry sources are warning that the bottleneck in memory chip supplies could lead to higher prices for consumer electronics and even delayed product launches as early as next year.

“It is a bit like during Covid,” said an executive with a Japanese component supplier. “Even if you have the money, you can’t get the supplies.”

Cloud concerns

Alibaba provides tech support for Chinese military “operations” against targets in the US, according to intelligence cited in a White House national security memo raising concerns about the technology giant, writes the Financial Times’ Demetri Sevastopulo.

The official memo, provided to the FT, includes declassified “top secret” intelligence on how the Chinese group supplies the People’s Liberation Army with capabilities that the White House believes threaten US security.

The claims, which the FT cannot independently verify, reflect growing US concerns about Chinese cloud services, artificial intelligence and Beijing’s ability to access and exploit sensitive data in the US.

The allegations against Alibaba are just the latest concerns raised by US officials and lawmakers over Chinese tech companies with purported links to the PLA.

According to the White House memo, Alibaba also provides the Chinese government and PLA with access to customer data that includes IP addresses, WiFi information and payment records, as well as different AI-related services. It said employees had transferred knowledge about “zero-day” exploits — previously unknown software vulnerabilities that developers had no opportunity to patch — to the PLA.

Alibaba rejected the claims, saying: “The claims purportedly based on US intelligence that was leaked by your source are complete nonsense. This is plainly an attempt to manipulate public opinion and malign Alibaba.”

Asked about the memo, a US official said the administration “takes these threats very seriously and is working day and night to mitigate the ongoing and potential risks and effects from [cyber] intrusions that use untrusted vendors”.

The White House and CIA both declined to comment.

More smoke than fire?

Talk of a potential merger between south-east Asia’s leading ride-hailing players, GoTo and Grab, is once again in the air, this time coming from the Indonesian government itself.

But as Nikkei Asia’s Lien Hoang writes, there is at least one prominent source of scepticism: Grab President and COO Alex Hungate.

Speaking at a forum in Ho Chi Minh City, Hungate said the bar for such a deal would be “very high”, as Grab’s organic growth at the moment was going well.

“That story has come and it’s gone away, maybe three or four times in the last six years,” he told the forum’s moderator.

GoTo operates a ride-hailing service in Indonesia and Singapore through subsidiary Gojek, while Nasdaq-listed Grab is based in Singapore and operates in eight south-east Asian nations. A combination of the two would create a dominant player in the region, though this has in turn sparked concerns of a monopoly in Indonesia.

Startups level up

Two of Japan’s most prominent artificial intelligence start-ups have secured fresh funding, underscoring the appetite for AI investments even as concerns over lofty valuations grow.

Self-driving start-up Turing is in talks with several major automakers to jointly develop fully autonomous vehicles, after securing ¥9.77bn ($63mn) in fresh equity funding, its CEO told Nikkei Asia’s Tsubasa Suruga.

Founded in 2021, Turing is taking the “end-to-end” approach to self-driving in which generative AI handles everything from taking in information from camera images to issuing driving commands.

Large language model developer Sakana AI, meanwhile, has become Japan’s most valuable start-up after completing a funding round that pushed its value to approximately ¥400bn ($2.63bn). The latest round roughly doubles Sakana AI’s valuation from the Series A funding round in September last year. The new funds will be allocated to AI model development.

Suggested reads

1. Taiwan prosecutors probe ex-TSMC exec over possible security law breach (Nikkei Asia)

2. Indonesia in ‘golden share’ talks as rivals seek to create $29bn ride-hailer (FT)

3. India boosts homegrown WhatsApp rival in tech nationalism drive (FT)

4. MAGA politicians demand transparency on AI job losses (Nikkei Asia)

5. Taiwan plans to spend $3bn to pursue ‘AI island’ ambitions (Nikkei Asia)

6. Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance battles mom-and-pop stores for India’s shoppers (FT)

7. ASEAN’s 2025 IPO proceeds soar over 50%, led by Singapore, Vietnam (Nikkei Asia)

8. Baidu swings to unexpected quarterly loss as China’s AI race heats up (Nikkei Asia)

9. Google sues Chinese group selling software behind text message scams (FT)

10. Europe’s carmakers face ‘devastating’ chip crisis as Nexperia supply crunch continues (FT)

#techAsia is co-ordinated by Nikkei Asia’s Katherine Creel in Tokyo, with assistance from the FT tech desk in London. 

Sign up here at Nikkei Asia to receive #techAsia each week. The editorial team can be reached at techasia@nex.nikkei.co.jp

• IBM Technology Campus: IBM’s new German headquarters, the IBM Technology Campus in Ehningen, features a modern and collaborative working environment, state-of-the-art technical infrastructure and stunning architecture.

• AI Potential, Hands-on: To mark the opening of the new Technology Campus, IBM is demonstrating its latest solutions in the areas of AI, quantum computing and hybrid cloud as part of the Think on Tour.

• Anniversary Commemoration: IBM traces its origins back to 1910, marking 115 years in Germany.

Nov 20, 2025

Ehningen, November 20, 2025 – IBM (NYSE: IBM) has inaugurated the company’s new German Headquarters and Technology Campus in Ehningen, Germany. Ana Paula Assis, IBM Senior Vice President & Chair EMEA and Growth Markets, and Wolfgang Wendt, Chairman of the Management Board of IBM Deutschland GmbH, together with 450 political and business leaders, opened the new campus.

Dr. Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and State Modernization, Thomas Strobl, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, for Digitization and Municipalities of the State of Baden-Württemberg, as well as members of parliament from the federal and state governments and other local political representatives were all present.

IBM Technology Campus – A Marketplace of Ideas

The IBM Technology Campus is located adjacent to the existing IBM Quantum Data Center in Ehningen, bringing together the IBM German Headquarters, Research and Development, and the newly designed IBM Innovation Studio under a single roof.

A total of 3,500 modern and collaborative workstations are available in the four buildings for IBM employees, partners and companies.

Federal Minister for Digital and State Modernization Dr. Karsten Wildberger: “The new IBM Technology Campus sends a strong signal for Germany as a location for innovation. IBM stands for technological excellence and global networking like no other company. This center for AI, quantum computing, and cloud technology is creating a place where the future is being shaped. Investments like this strengthen our digital innovation and ensure competitiveness and prosperity. I am delighted to be here today, where digitalization and progress are visibly converging.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Digitalization and Municipalities of the State of Baden-Württemberg, Thomas Strobl: “The opening of the new IBM German headquarters in Ehningen proves IBM’s confidence in Baden-Württemberg as a business and technology location. This underlines the attractiveness of our country for innovative companies and shows that we offer good conditions for research, development and digital innovations. Nationwide, no other state invests as much money in research and development as Baden-Württemberg. We are drivers of innovation – and companies like IBM make a significant contribution to this.”

Wolfgang Wendt, Chairman of the Management Board of IBM Deutschland GmbH and General Manager DACH: “Our new IBM Technology Campus in Ehningen highlights the importance of Germany as a technology location for IBM and our deep connection to the region. With 115 years of presence in the German market, we will continue to build towards the future with our resilient architectures, sovereign AI and hybrid cloud approach – contributing to Germany‘s digital autonomy and economic well-being. We also have a strong research and development component here with laboratories and quantum computers, large local cloud data centers and additional planned investments into the billions by the 2030s. IBM is also building the workforce of tomorrow with a comprehensive range of training courses in close cooperation with universities and vocational academies.”

Modern architecture for collaborative work

The campus was designed by the architectural firm Kadawittfeldarchitektur, with interiors embedding IBM’s Workplace standards, crafted by the architectural company Ippolito Fleitz Group. Both companies are internationally recognized for their excellence and recipients of numerous prestigious awards.

The campus structures are thoughtfully arranged around a central marketplace featuring open spaces and recreation zones. This vibrant hub fosters collaboration among employees from research and development, consulting, sales and administrative functions enabling the exchange of ideas in a dynamic and flexible working environment. The new building offers adaptable areas for diverse business needs with interconnected walking paths and green spaces creating a modern, inspiring and pleasant working environment.

IBM Think on Tour

This year’s IBM Think on Tour was the first event at the new IBM Technology Campus the day of its inauguration. High-profile decisionmakers from the business and public sector strategized about how to best leverage the full potential of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and hybrid cloud technologies.

About IBM

IBM is one of the world’s leading companies in the fields of hybrid cloud and AI as well as consulting. We help customers in more than 175 countries gain insights from their data, optimize business processes, reduce costs, and gain competitive advantage in their industries. Thousands of government agencies and enterprises in critical infrastructure sectors such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on the hybrid cloud platform from IBM and Red Hat OpenShift to deliver their digital transformation quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting provide open and flexible options for our customers. All of this is underpinned by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. For more information, see https://www.ibm.com/de-de.

Media contact:

Marie-Ann Maushart

Manager Communications DACH

maushart@de.ibm.com