Category: 3. Business

Despite growing interest in neuroimaging biomarkers for idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD), a critical gap persists in identifying accessible, non-invasive tools for early diagnosis and monitoring. We aimed to establish MRS as a practical, reproducible, and clinically applicable biomarker tool in IPD diagnosis and progression tracking. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can detect neurochemical alterations in vivo, yet most studies are limited by small cohorts, single-voxel methods, or high-field MRI dependence [11]. The novelty of our study lies in its use of multi-voxel MRS on a widely available 1.5 Tesla scanner in a relatively large cohort, with targeted assessment of the substantia nigra—a region often underrepresented due to technical challenges. By correlating metabolite ratios with detailed clinical severity scales.

Regarding sociodemographic characteristics, our study demonstrated no significant differences between patients and controls concerning age (61.45 ± 9.82 vs. 64.37 ± 10.61 years; p = 0.09) or sex distribution (77.5% vs. 71.8% male; p = 0.44). This is consistent with the previous epidemiological studies that reported similar demographic distributions in Parkinson’s disease cohorts, suggesting that age and sex matching were successful in avoiding confounding effects [12]. However, we found a significantly higher proportion of patients with occupational exposure to agricultural fields compared to controls (p = 0.001), supporting the hypothesis that environmental toxins may contribute to disease risk. This aligns with the findings of another study, which emphasized environmental and lifestyle influences on Parkinson’s disease, especially in rural populations. Thus, our study adds further evidence that environmental exposure should be considered in disease risk assessment, particularly in resource-limited regions [13].

Regarding radiological findings, our study revealed significant neurometabolic alterations in IPD patients compared to controls, with decreased NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios and elevated Cho/Cr ratios across the caudate, lentiform nuclei, and substantia nigra. These findings are consistent with earlier reports that MRS can differentiate Parkinson’s patients from healthy individuals [13, 14]. For example, Shoeibi et al. [15] demonstrated similar metabolic alterations, particularly reduced NAA/Cr in the substantia nigra, reinforcing the value of spectroscopy as a biomarker of neuronal loss.

Additionally, Lucetti et al. [16] demonstrated cortical NAA/Cr reduction in newly diagnosed patients, which supports the notion that metabolic alterations occur early in disease, though they localized changes outside the basal ganglia due to technical artifacts. Taken together, our results confirm the reproducibility of MRS findings in IPD, while highlighting that methodological differences across studies can influence observed regional patterns.

Our findings also align with Amartumur et al. [3] and Das and Ramteke [4], who emphasized the role of metabolic stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neurodegeneration in IPD pathophysiology, processes that MRS captures indirectly through metabolite shifts. However, Marino et al. [17] reported no significant differences in NAA/Cr or NAA/Cho between IPD patients and controls in the lentiform nucleus, findings that contradict ours. This discrepancy may stem from their smaller sample size, differences in voxel placement, or technical limitations of 1.5 T acquisition. By contrast, our relatively larger cohort and multi-voxel approach provided stronger statistical power to detect subtle metabolic changes, particularly in the substantia nigra.

Regarding correlation with disease severity, in our study, NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios correlated negatively and strongly with UPDRS scores and Hoehn and Yahr stage, while Cho/Cr ratios correlated positively with disease severity. For instance, left substantia nigra NAA/Cho showed a strong negative correlation (r = –0.823, p < 0.001), confirming that metabolite alterations mirror clinical disability. This is consistent with the previous findings. Marino et al. [17] observed negative correlations between NAA/Cr and UPDRS, although their results did not reach significance in smaller subgroups, emphasizing the need for larger cohorts such as ours.

Similarly, Cao et al. [18] also reported diminished substantia nigra NAA/Cr levels in drug-withdrawn PD patients, supporting its role as a progression marker. Our results diverge from some earlier reports. Another study found no differences in basal ganglia metabolite ratios in IPD, suggesting that MRS was more sensitive to atypical Parkinsonism (MSA, PSP). However, their patient numbers were limited and lacked detailed correlation with UPDRS subscales. By contrast, our study’s novelty lies in comprehensive correlation across all UPDRS domains, providing robust evidence that metabolite changes not only distinguish patients from controls but also quantify disease burden. Mazuel et al. [19] further showed that acute levodopa administration could modulate putaminal metabolites, suggesting that treatment status is a confounding factor, which we partially addressed but could not fully eliminate, given that only one of our patients was drug-naïve.

Regarding correlation with disease duration, most radiological markers in our study showed weak or no correlation with disease duration, except for right substantia nigra NAA/Cho, which correlated negatively (r = –0.304, p = 0.010). This suggests that metabolite decline may occur selectively in specific regions over time, independent of clinical staging. Similar results were reported by another study, which observed that while cross-sectional metabolite differences were limited, correlations with disease severity emerged in patients with longer disease duration. In contrast, Clarke and Lowry [14] emphasized that metabolite reduction was more apparent in atypical Parkinsonian syndromes, highlighting the complexity of disease progression markers. Our findings thus support the hypothesis that MRS can capture region-specific neurodegeneration over time, although longitudinal follow-up is required to confirm progressive metabolic decline.

This study presents several notable strengths. First, the sample size is relatively robust for MRS-based research in Parkinson’s disease, including 71 well-characterized IPD patients and an equally matched control group. Second, the study employed a multi-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy approach, allowing for comprehensive metabolic assessment across key subcortical regions, including the substantia nigra, which is often underrepresented in spectroscopy due to technical challenges. Third, the inclusion of detailed clinical correlation using the full Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale and Hoehn and Yahr scales adds depth to the interpretation of magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings. Finally, the study was conducted using a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner—a modality widely available in clinical practice—thereby enhancing the external validity and real-world applicability of the results.

Despite its contributions, this study has several limitations that should be acknowledged. One significant limitation is the use of a 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner, which offers lower spectral resolution compared to 3 T or 7 T systems, possibly limiting the accuracy of metabolite quantification. Additionally, the majority of participants were already receiving dopaminergic therapy, and only one patient was drug-naïve, which introduces the potential for medication-induced alterations in metabolite levels. Furthermore, the cross-sectional design of the study limits the ability to assess causality or monitor changes over time. The study population was also geographically limited, with a predominance of rural patients, which may impact generalizability. Finally, the study did not evaluate longitudinal clinical outcomes or therapeutic responses, which would be essential for establishing the prognostic value of magnetic resonance spectroscopy biomarkers.

As Javier Milei looks to contain a run on the peso ahead of critical midterm elections, Argentina’s libertarian president has turned to Washington for help. 

Donald Trump’s administration, eager to support a political ally, has obliged with a series of unusual manoeuvres, led by Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, aimed at supporting the peso and Milei’s troubled government. 

“We do not want another failed state in Latin America, and a strong, stable Argentina as a good neighbour is explicitly in the strategic interest of the United States,” Bessent wrote on X on Tuesday.

But the US intervention leaves it exposed to a volatile economic situation and has begun to stir unease among American voters.

What happened to Argentina? 

Milei’s government fell into crisis last month after a landslide loss at local elections in Buenos Aires province, where almost 40 per cent of Argentines live, casting doubt on the level of support for his free market reforms. 

A run on the peso forced the government to burn through a big chunk of its scarce hard currency reserves, raising expectations that it would have to abandon its exchange rate band.

An abrupt forced devaluation would have endangered Argentina’s macroeconomic stability just before a critical midterm election on October 26, where Milei needs to expand his tiny minority in congress in order to continue his economic agenda. 

What has the US done to help so far and why?

In a bid to support what it sees as a politically like-minded ally, the US Treasury has taken the highly unusual step of intervening to prop up the peso and provide financing to the Argentine government. 

Since October 9, Washington has made three direct purchases of pesos totalling roughly $400mn, according to Argentine economists’ estimates, although neither government has confirmed the amount. 

In addition, Argentina’s central bank said on Monday it had signed a $20bn “exchange rate stabilisation” agreement with the Treasury. 

While few specifics have been shared, the arrangement will also see the US tap its Exchange Stabilization Fund to trade dollars for pesos, providing dollar liquidity to the cash-strapped Latin American economy.

Will Washington do more?  

Last week Bessent said the Treasury was also in the process of arranging a $20bn loan package with capital from private banks and sovereign wealth funds to help Argentina pay down its debt. 

He described the proposal as “a private-sector solution to Argentina’s upcoming debt payments”. But details of the arrangement — and the extent of the US government’s involvement — remain unclear.

“There’s a remarkable lack of transparency about what’s going on,” said Mark Sobel, a former Treasury official and US chair of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum.

“Part of me thinks that they’re just throwing a lot of big numbers and ideas out there to try and create an announcement effect to get the Argentines past the elections.”

Has it helped Argentina? 

The US support has partially calmed Argentina’s market turmoil. Yields on Argentine debt, which move inversely to prices, had reached 14.6 percentage points above comparable US Treasuries before Bessent first proposed the financial lifeline. The spread has since fallen to 10.5 percentage points, as investors see Washington’s support reducing default risk.

But the interventions have failed to halt the run on the peso, which fell to a record low of 1,489 per dollar on Tuesday, close to the lower limit of its exchange rate band of 1,491 pesos per dollar.

Analysts say local investors doubt Milei will be able to keep the peso at its current level after the elections, with or without US support. “The number of dollars deposited in Argentine banks has reached a record high as people and businesses dollarise their savings,” said Nery Persichini, lead researcher at broker GMA Capital.  

Trump added to the uncertainty last week, when he said at a press conference that the US “would not be generous with Argentina” if Milei lost the upcoming elections. Bessent later said the US support was contingent on Argentina continuing “robust policies” rather than the poll result.

What could go wrong? 

If Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party fares poorly in the midterm elections — winning only about 30 per cent of votes or less than the main leftwing Peronist opposition party for example — pressure on the peso would likely increase, forcing Milei to devalue the currency. 

It is unclear how far the peso could fall in that scenario, with investors sceptical of the Milei government’s ability to pass the reforms needed to improve Argentina’s weak and unstable economy.

The country’s sovereign bond prices would also likely continue to drop, making it harder for the government to refinance some $17bn in dollar-denominated debt coming due next year.

Even if the libertarians do well, economists say Milei may have to devalue the peso and introduce a more flexible currency regime that allows Argentina to rebuild its hard currency reserves.

“The current exchange rate scheme is on its last legs,” said Fabio Rodriguez, a director at M&R financial consultancy in Buenos Aires. “The market will not take it well if the government attempts to use US money to sustain an artificially strong peso. Investors want Argentina to use the aid as a base to make swift changes.”

The US, meanwhile, faces exposure to potential losses on its currency purchases and risks being left on the hook providing a long-term credit line to Argentina, which would reduce its flexibility in the case of a US financial crisis.

There is also the risk of a domestic political backlash, with the move already triggering concern among some of Trump’s core voters, who see it as at odds with the president’s America First doctrine. 

 

Pop Mart, the maker of the hugely popular Labubu dolls, says its sales have surged after the launch of mini versions of the monster-themed toys in August.

The Chinese firm says its global revenue for the three months to the end of September jumped by about 250% compared to a year earlier.

Sales outside of China helped drive the increase with revenue in America up by more than 1,200%, while in Europe they rose by over 700%.

The figures build on a recent streak of strong sales for Pop Mart. Its shares gained more than 5.5% in Hong Kong on Thursday, giving it a stock market value of about $45.5bn (£34bn).

Pop Mart is best known for selling toys in “blind boxes” – a type of packaging that conceals its contents until it is opened. The marketing method has been criticised for encouraging gambling-like behaviour and compulsive buying.

Collectors have been obsessed with Labubus – the fictional elf-like creatures with a row of jagged teeth – which have sparked long queues in shops worldwide.

Labubu has taken off, especially in the US, thanks to celebrity endorsements by including celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Lisa from K-pop group Blackpink.

Partnerships with major names such as Coca-Cola and the manga franchise One Piece have also helped to boost Labubu’s profile around the world.

Launched in 2019, Labubu dolls have helped Pop Mart become a major retailer, operating more than 2,000 vending machines and stores around the world.

The company began selling its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2020, with their price has risen by more than 280% since then.

Pop Mart’s shares had dipped in recent weeks over concerns raised by the likes of Wall Street investment bank JPMorgan that it was overvalued and that the firm would be unlikely to sustain the popularity of its toys.

This article was first published in The Business Times on October 17, 2025.

Solid fundamentals, pragmatic policies and strong coordination can preserve financial stability, but we must not be complacent

As global financial conditions began to tighten in 2022, memories of past bouts of turbulence loomed large: the 2008 global financial crisis triggered many corporate defaults and severe credit contractions; the 2013 “taper tantrum” brought about acute exchange rate pressures and capital outflows, raising global concerns over several ASEAN economies.

Driving this new wave of concern was one of the sharpest tightening cycles in decades, unleashed by the US Federal Reserve and other major central banks after global inflation surged. The ultra-low interest rates and massive asset purchases of the COVID-19 era were quickly reversed. Interest rates jumped, the US dollar strengthened, and fears of renewed financial stress spread worldwide.

So as the cycle progressed through 2023, the question was inevitable: Would ASEAN+3, a cooperative grouping of the 10 ASEAN member states plus China, Japan, and South Korea, face another bout of financial turmoil?

The shield that held

ASEAN+3 financial markets – closely integrated with global cycles – reacted swiftly to the shocks: bond yields surged, credit conditions tightened, local currencies weakened and stock markets fell as capital outflows intensified.

The region’s financial market stress index, which captures volatility across key financial indicators, spiked sharply – especially in bond and credit markets, as shown in the figure below. Economies with more open and market-dependent structures were hit the hardest.

 

On paper, all signs pointed to a crisis. Yet, unlike in earlier episodes, ASEAN+3 held firm. There were no widespread institutional failures, no systemic banking collapse and no sovereign defaults. Instead, regional economies adapted swiftly to market volatility without major disruptions.

This resilience underscores just how much the region has learned from past turbulence, and how much stronger its financial systems have become.

Understanding ASEAN+3’s resilience

Policymakers across the region acted in a timely manner, deploying a broad toolkit. Central banks – especially those with inflation-targeting frameworks – used monetary policy decisively, not only to contain inflation, but also to stabilize exchange rates and safeguard financial stability.

Foreign exchange intervention helped smooth excessive volatility and temper depreciation pressures, while capital flow management and macroprudential measures were applied prudently to cushion the impact of external shocks.

Collectively, these well-calibrated actions prevented market turbulence from snowballing into systemic instability.

Robust fundamentals provided a solid foundation. Local currency bond markets in the region had expanded significantly, strengthening resilience by facilitating domestic financing and reducing rollover and exchange rate risks.

This growth reflects sustained capital market development, the rise of domestic institutional investors, growing infrastructure financing needs and regional efforts to curb foreign currency exposure. Sound banking systems – with high capital adequacy ratios and prudent supervision – added another line of defense.

Moreover, most ASEAN+3 economies maintained sufficient foreign reserves – acting as a form of “self-defense” to manage capital flow volatility, support exchange rate stability and sustain investor confidence during stress. These buffers enabled regional economies to absorb external shocks without abrupt policy shifts.

Policy priorities to address vulnerabilities

ASEAN+3 navigated the last tightening cycle without spiraling into crisis, but another severe shock could still expose fault lines and strain buffers. Debt serviceability remains a key concern, particularly for economies with high external exposure and for sectors with elevated corporate debt-at-risk, such as property, construction, manufacturing and raw materials.

A sharp spike in interest rates or renewed currency depreciation could quickly reignite pressures. Moreover, financial institutions are also now more exposed to market risks, making them increasingly sensitive to swings in global liquidity and sentiment.

These risks call for a pragmatic approach and stronger policy frameworks. That means ensuring frameworks are comprehensive and well-coordinated, bolstering surveillance and risk monitoring, and – crucially – articulating policy objectives and targets more clearly. Transparent guidance on how and when to deploy key tools, such as foreign exchange intervention or capital flow measures, can anchor market expectations, reduce risk premia and improve policy credibility.

Policymakers should continue developing local currency bond markets and expanding a broader base of long-term institutional investors, including insurance companies and pension funds. This would help reduce reliance on foreign currency borrowing and external financing. Improving access to hedging instruments and maintaining adequate reserves would further enhance resilience to volatility.

Equally important is closer regional cooperation. Stronger information sharing, early warning systems and coordinated policy responses can help contain cross-border spillovers. Promoting local currency settlement in trade and investment – alongside strengthening regional financial safety nets such as bilateral swap lines and the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation – would further bolster regional stability and resilience.

Looking ahead

The 2022-to-2023 global tightening cycle was a major test – and ASEAN+3 passed it. The region has demonstrated that solid fundamentals, pragmatic policies and strong coordination can preserve financial stability, even under intense global pressure.

Yet, resilience must not breed complacency.

The challenge now is to lock in the gains, address lingering vulnerabilities and enhance regional preparedness for future shocks. By reinforcing policy frameworks, deepening local markets and strengthening regional cooperation, ASEAN+3 can not only weather the next global storm, but also emerge from it stronger together.

Story Continues

TOKYO, Japan ― Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced the RA8M2 and RA8D2 microcontroller (MCU) groups. Based on a 1 GHz Arm^® Cortex^®-M85 processor with an optional 250 MHz Arm^® Cortex^®-M33 processor, the new MCUs are the latest Renesas offerings to deliver an unmatched 7300 Coremarks of raw compute performance, the industry benchmark for MCUs. The optional Cortex-M33 processor enables efficient system partitioning and task segregation.

Both RA8D2 and RA8M2 devices are ultra-high performance MCUs as part of the second generation of the RA8 Series – the RA8M2 are general-purpose devices, and the RA8D2 MCUs are packed with a variety of high-end graphics peripherals. They are built on the same high-speed, low-power 22-nm ULL process used for the RA8P1 and RA8T2 devices introduced earlier this year. The devices include single and dual core options, and a specialized feature set to address the needs of a broad base of compute intensive applications. They take advantage of the high performance of the Arm Cortex-M85 processor and Arm’s Helium™ technology to offer a significant performance boost for digital signal processor (DSP) and machine learning (ML) implementations.

The RA8M2 and RA8D2 devices offer embedded MRAM that has several advantages over Flash technology – high endurance & data retention, faster writes, no erase needed, and byte addressable with lower leakage and manufacturing costs. SIP options with 4 or 8 MB of external flash in a single package are also available for more demanding applications. Both the RA8M2 and RA8D2 MCUs include Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and a 2-port TSN switch to address industrial networking use cases.

Both of the MCU Groups provide a combination of the high performance of the Cortex-M85 core, together with large memory and a rich peripheral set, making them particularly suitable for a wide range of IoT and industrial use cases. The lower power CM33 core can act as a housekeeping MCU, executing system tasks while the high performance CM85 core stays in sleep mode, to be woken up only as needed for high compute tasks, thus lowering the system power consumption.

“The RA8M2 and RA8D2 complete Renesas’ new generation of RA8 MCUs, purpose-built for the high-performance microcontroller market,” said Daryl Khoo, Vice President of the Embedded Processing Marketing Division at Renesas. “This portfolio empowers Renesas to deliver scalable, secure and AI-enabled embedded processing solutions that accelerate customer innovation and time-to-market across a broad spectrum of industrial, IoT and select automotive applications. Renesas’ commitment to innovation is reflected in the RA8 Series’ ability to address complex processing requirements while maintaining lower power consumption and minimizing total cost of ownership to future-proof customers’ designs.”

RA8D2 Feature Set Optimized for Graphics and HMI Applications

The RA8D2 MCUs provide a plethora of features and functions for graphics and HMI applications:

• High resolution Graphics LCD Controller supports up to 1280×800 displays with both parallel RGB and 2-lane MIPI DSI interfaces
• Two-Dimensional Drawing Engine offloads the graphics rendering tasks from the CPU and supports graphics primitives
• Multiple camera interface options enable camera and vision AI applications,
  • 16-bit camera interface (CEU) with support for image data fetch, processing and format conversion
  • MIPI CSI-2 interface offers a low pin-count interface with 2 lanes, each up to 720Mbps
  • A VIN module performs vertical and horizontal scaling and format and color space conversions of YUV and RGB data inputs received from the MIPI CSI-2 interface
• Audio interfaces such as I2S and PDM support digital microphone inputs for audio and voice AI applications
• Comprehensive graphics solution with industry-leading embedded graphics GUI packages from SEGGER emWin and Microsoft GUIX, integrated into Renesas’ FSP
• Software JPEG decoder optimized for Helium, available with both emWin and GUIX solutions, allows decode of JPEG images with up to 27fps end-to-end graphics performance with Helium acceleration
• Multiple graphics ecosystem partners such as Embedded Wizard, Envox, LVGL and SquareLine Studio are offering solutions that employ RA8D2 using Helium to accelerate graphics functions and JPEG decoding

Key Features of the RA8M2 and RA8D2 Group MCUs

• Core: 1 GHz Arm Cortex-M85 with Helium; Optional 250 MHz Arm Cortex-M33
• Memory: Integrated 1MB high-speed MRAM and 2MB SRAM (including 256KB TCM for the Cortex-M85 and 128KB TCM for the M33). 4MB and 8MB SIP devices coming soon.
• Analog Peripherals: Two 16-bit ADC with 23 analog channels, two 3-channel S/H, 2-channel 12-bit DAC, 4-channel high-speed comparators
• Communications Peripherals: Dual Gigabit Ethernet MAC with DMA, USB2.0 FS Host/Device/OTG, CAN2.0 (1Mbps)/CAN FD (8Mbps), I3C (12.5Mbps), I²C (1Mbps), SPI, SCI, Octal serial peripheral I/F
• Advanced Security: RSIP-E50D Cryptographic engine, robust secure boot with FSBL in immutable storage on-chip, secure debug, secure factory programming, DLM support, tamper protection, DPA/SPA protection,

The new RA8M2 and RA8D2 Group MCUs are supported by Renesas’ Flexible Software Package (FSP). The FSP enables faster application development by providing all the infrastructure software needed, including multiple RTOS, BSP, peripheral drivers, middleware, connectivity, networking, and security stacks as well as reference software to build complex AI, motor control and cloud solutions. It allows customers to integrate their own legacy code and choice of RTOS (FreeRTOS and Azure RTOS) with FSP, thus providing full flexibility in application development. In addition, Zephyr support is now included. Using the FSP will ease migration of existing designs to the new RA8 Series devices.

Winning Combinations

Renesas has combined the new RA8 Group MCUs with numerous compatible devices from its portfolio to offer a wide array of Winning Combinations, including the Smart Glasses and Pet Camera Robot for the RA8M2, and both Ki Wireless Power Transceiver System (Tx) and Ki Wireless Power Receiver System (Rx) for the RA8D2. Winning Combinations are technically vetted system architectures from mutually compatible devices that work together seamlessly to bring an optimized, low-risk design for faster time to market. Renesas offers more than 400 Winning Combinations with a wide range of products from the Renesas portfolio to enable customers to speed up the design process and bring their products to market more quickly. They can be found at renesas.com/win.

Availability

The RA8M2 and RA8D2 Group MCUs are available now, along with the FSP software. The RA8M2 devices are available in 176-pin LQFP, 224-pin and 289-pin BGA packages. The RTK7EKA8M2S00001BE Evaluation Kit is also available. The RA8D2 MCUs are offered in 224-pin and 289-pin BGA packages. The RTK7EKA8D2S01001BE Evaluation Kit supports the RA8D2 devices. Information on all these offerings is available at www.renesas.com/RA8M2 and www.renesas.com/RA8D2.

Renesas MCU Leadership

The world leader in MCUs, Renesas ships more than 3.5 billion units per year, with approximately 50% of shipments serving the automotive industry, and the remainder supporting industrial and Internet of Things applications as well as data center and communications infrastructure. Renesas has the broadest portfolio of 8-, 16- and 32-bit devices, delivering unmatched quality and efficiency with exceptional performance. As a trusted supplier, Renesas has decades of experience designing smart, secure MCUs, backed by a dual-source production model, the industry’s most advanced MCU process technology and a vast network of more than 250 ecosystem partners. For more information about Renesas MCUs, visit renesas.com/MCUs.

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) empowers a safer, smarter and more sustainable future where technology helps make our lives easier. A leading global provider of microcontrollers, Renesas combines our expertise in embedded processing, analog, power and connectivity to deliver complete semiconductor solutions. These Winning Combinations accelerate time to market for automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT applications, enabling billions of connected, intelligent devices that enhance the way people work and live. Learn more at renesas.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram.

(Remarks). All names of products or services mentioned in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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The content in the press release, including, but not limited to, product prices and specifications, is based on the information as of the date indicated on the document, but may be subject to change without prior notice.

 

Mexico City, Mexico, October 22, 2025 – ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a global leading provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions, recently kicked off its 2025 Broadband User Conference in Mexico City, Mexico.

 

This year’s congress themed “AI Boosting Broadband Benefits”, brought together over 400 global ICT industry leaders, top telecom operators, enterprise innovation pioneers, and strategic partners to exchange insights on broadband innovations in the intelligent era.

 

The conference highlighted a series of AI-driven innovations, showcasing how AI is accelerating the evolution of next-generation broadband solutions and driving network intelligent transformation to new heights.

 

In the opening keynote, Xiao Ming, President of ZTE Overseas, emphasized that broadband is evolving from mere connectivity to intelligence, serving as the digital neurons system of modern society. He noted that today’s users expect networks that are faster, smarter, and more caring. Guided by this vision, ZTE is accelerating the shift toward intelligent broadband, empowering operators to enhance user experience, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new growth opportunities.

 

Xiao Ming further outlined ZTE’s strategic roadmap, positioning enhanced network experience as the foundation, optimized user interaction as the catalyst, and expanded scenario value as the vision. Through integrating AI-powered smart home solutions, advanced networking, and intelligent operations, ZTE aims to help global partners achieve new levels of business excellence and sustainable growth.

 

“On the journey from ‘Connectivity Provider’ to ‘Intelligence Creator’, ZTE will continue to collaborate with global partners to co-build a sustainable, intelligent world driven by openness, collaboration, and shared success,” Xiao Ming concluded.

 

A key highlight of the conference was the panel discussion session “Winning the Fiber Race: Are Operators Truly Capturing the Rewards?”, which gathered senior leaders from telecoms, enterprises, and digital ecosystems to explore how Fibre drives growth.

 

Meanwhile, three dedicated exhibition zones showcased ZTE’s latest innovations in AI×Optical Network, AI Ecosystem, and Sports Innovation, offering visitors a comprehensive view of ZTE’s cutting-edge technologies and real-world applications.

 

AI×Optical Network

In the FTTx field, ZTE’s Light PON and Light ODN solutions support smooth evolution, enabling faster and low-cost network deployment with compact and outdoor OLTs and simplified network architecture, meeting the network construction demands of ISP and MSO. AI technologies bring in higher quality and efficiency. For example, the iintelligent ODN network planning tool enables one-click network planning and design, effectively reducing the time and labor, and fiber fingerprint technology provides full visibility and management, achieving fault location accuracy within one meter and cutting fault location time by over 90%.

 

In terms of optical transport networks, focusing on “OTN for AI” and “AI for OTN”, ZTE proposes the HI-OTN solution for high performance high intelligence. With single-wavelength 1.6T and 12THz full-band technologies that enable single-fiber 100T transmission, it provides an ultra-broadband and ultra-fast optical network foundation for AI services. Moreover, the AI-powered optical network health assessment and precise optical module failure warning functions shorten the fault maintenance time by 30%. By integrating AI-powered root-cause analysis for alarms, ZTE has boosted troubleshooting efficiency by 20%, significantly accelerating optical network O&M.

 

For IP networks, the AI HI-IPNet solution accelerates the monetization of IP networks. With AI-Native 400GE/800GE high-performance routers, it helps operators build networks with optimal TCO. The end-to-end millisecond-level low-latency slicing supports the development of high-value services such as private lines, cloud gaming, and real-time interaction, boosting revenue growth for operators. Furthermore, AIOps enables proactive O&M and minute-level precise fault diagnosis, ensuring highly efficient and stable network operation.

 

Regarding AI home, ZTE leads a new era of smart life. For home connectivity, ZTE AI Wi-Fi 7 and Gigabit FTTR are equipped with innovations such as AI-powered intelligent antenna, seamless roaming, and acceleration engine. This enables operators to deliver tailored experience by providing scenario-based packages based on thriving ecosystem. As to smartness, the AI media terminals have transformed a single TV box to a full-scenario integrated terminal. It reduces the cost by 30% and increases the ARPU by 20%, redefining the new large screen ecosystem. At the same time, the triple value engine of “smart viewing, smart storage, and smart connectivity” creates a new carrier-class paradigm of “security as a service”. Furthermore, ZTE’s AI Smart View won the “Most Innovative Smart Home Experience” award at Network X 2025.

 

Focusing on “experience as a service”, ZTE AI home provides every family with ultimate full-scenario smart experience through AI innovations and scenario-based services.

 

AI Ecosystem

As AI applications demand scalable, high-performance computing, ZTE presented its end-to-end intelligent computing data center solutions, featuring modular, prefabricated intelligent computing containers with liquid cooling, cutting delivery time by 40%. In power distribution field, intelligent bus bar pooling is adopted to support a wide range of cabinet power densities. In response to the uncertainty of future businesses, it provides a compatible and co-construction solution. 

 

Meanwhile, by combining AI-enabled intelligent management system perception and autonomous learning, it achieves optimal energy efficiency during the operation, meeting the requirements for efficient and flexible deployment.

 

ZTE also showcased its full-stack intelligent computing solution, featuring a comprehensive range of general and AI servers, including the industry-focused AiCube all-in-one appliance, to build a high-performance computing foundation. On the software side, it offers a navigational low-code AI platform and Co-Sight Agent Factory, which lower the barrier for AI model training and inference, enable pipeline-based, minute-level AI app development，allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to build their own AI capabilities amid the wave of digitalization.

 

The ultimate enabler of intelligent computing is energy. ZTE Digital Energy provides the energy foundation for AI computing and communication networks. The renewable energy business exhibition area showcases solutions for PV, energy storage, and the integration of PV with storage, offering smart and clean energy to global operators and enterprise clients. It provides full-scenario, end-to-end EPC capabilities and qualifications for renewable energy projects. The energy storage system features triple-layer protection for ultimate safety. The newly launched “Energy Matrix” integrates storage and generation, supports intelligent hybrid use and multi-energy convergence, and includes intelligent modular power units with over 98% efficiency and a high power density of 70.2W/in³. It supports single-circuit load power-off and metering. Combined with the “One Site, One Strategy” energy operation solution, it reduces solar energy waste by 20%, saves 50% in fuel consumption, and cuts electricity usage by 25%, leading the way in energy digitalization.

 

Sports Innovation

In anticipation of the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming to the Americas, ZTE unveiled the “One Day for Football Fans” experience zone, demonstrating how its technologies elevate fan engagement—from ultra-fast live streaming and immersive multi-screen viewing to seamless connectivity across stadiums and fan zones.

 

ZTE’s FTTR solutions extend ultra-gigabit optical connectivity to hotels and retail stores, enhancing both operational efficiency and user experience. AI-powered cameras and monitoring systems further improve safety and service quality.

 

For large venues, the AI-Optical Stadium solution deliver all-optical 10 Gbps FTTR-B networks, significantly shortening the service provisioning time while increasing the bandwidth.

 

The AI All-Scenario Live Broadcast solution, based on the Cloud Premium Video Platform and hybrid cloud architecture, serving over 150 operators in more than 40 countries, supports 4K/8K ultra-HD playback, cross-device continuity, and AI-enhanced operations, redefining the viewing experience.

 

Throughout the conference, ZTE and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to digital intelligence co-construction across Latin America.