PolyPlus Battery Company ("PolyPlus"), a privately-held company focused on the development of next generation batteries, is pleased to announce that it has installed a pilot manufacturing line for producing advanced Lithium Seawater Batteries (Li/SWBs) for subsea and deep ocean applications. These batteries have unprecedented energy density of 2000 Wh/kg and >1500 Wh/l. The manufacturing line is now fully operational at PolyPlus' facility in Berkeley, California allowing interested government, academic and industry customers to obtain fully functional batteries in support of applied research and development projects.

Lithium seawater batteries provide key advantages over other primary batteries (such as lithium thionyl chloride) including a 10X increase in energy density along with inherent safety. This revolutionary technology is based on water-stable Protected Lithium Electrodes (PLEs) invented by PolyPlus that enable the construction of pressure tolerant batteries, having zero self-discharge, and exceptional energy density. Depending on size and form factor, the batteries can reach energy densities of 2000 Wh/kg and >1500 Wh/l, which is an order of magnitude greater than competing technologies, including Li-ion. PolyPlus' Li/SWB represents a game changing technology for long endurance applications, including deep ocean sensors and subsea nodes. Lithium/seawater batteries built by PolyPlus do not require a pressure housing (pressure housings significantly degrade the energy density of conventional batteries) and accordingly Li/SWBs deliver extremely high energy density in practice. They also are close to neutral buoyancy and are exceptionally safe for use and storage on maritime vessels, vehicles and aircraft.

The PolyPlus lithium seawater battery can be arranged in a number of geometric formats, including a tubular stacking of individual cells with a total battery energy that is readily customized (e.g., from 100 Wh to > 10 kWh). Recent Navy-sponsored open water tests of PolyPlus' batteries with a rated capacity of 200Ah demonstrated and confirmed that the PLE and batteries are capable of deployment and operation without a pressure housing in a relevant operating environment. PolyPlus is also working on high-rate lithium seawater batteries suitable for powering autonomous vessels and in particular for extending the mission duration of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).

Completion of the pilot production line allows government and industry partners to purchase fully operational batteries, validate the performance of the batteries, and enable emerging maritime platforms. Working with PolyPlus' technical team, customers can modify the form, fit and function of the batteries to meet a broad set of energy needs.

"PolyPlus Battery Company is grateful for the long-term support that we have received from the Office of Naval Research on the development of lithium seawater batteries and more recently from the Defense Production Act Title III program for the manufacture of this game changing battery for marine applications" said Steve Visco, PolyPlus CEO. Visco underscored the important role that the Department of Energy (DOE) has played in early recognition and support of our PLE and PLE based battery technologies. "We are exceptionally thankful to the DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office and ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy) for their substantial support of our groundbreaking PLE battery technologies and manufacturing developments," Visco also said.

PolyPlus Battery Company is headquartered in Berkeley, CA, and is a world leader in the development of next-generation battery technology. The Company invented and patented the protected lithium electrode (PLE) which is a core technology of our commercially ready lithium seawater battery and enabling of other high area capacity lithium battery chemistries, such as lithium-air. PolyPlus is also at the cutting edge of rechargeable Li metal battery technology. Our solid-state glass-protected lithium metal electrode is a disruptive technology that can address the huge demand for a superior energy dense solid-state secondary battery for electric vehicles and most applications that are currently powered by Li-ion. PolyPlus has a world-class team of scientists and engineers and a rich pool of intellectual property totaling more than 230 granted and pending patents. The PLE was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 50 Best Inventions of 2011, and by the Edison Committee with a Gold Edison Award in 2012.

Market research institution IDC（International Data Corporation), in its recent report "Market Share of Commercial Service Robots in China Catering Industry", marks KEENON Robotics as top of the list in both Market Share and Growth in China's commercial service robots for the catering industry in 2021. The company's growth rate of 153.4% is leading the rest of the industry, with a market share of 48.6%, almost twice as large as the second largest.

"The demand for service robots, such as delivery robots, is growing significantly across many industries, especially catering," IDC reported. "The catering industry has become one of the most mature industries in the application of commercial service robots, with the market displaying a rapid growth trend over the past two years. In 2021, the total market size of commercial service robots in the catering industry in China reached $84 million US dollars, which is an increase of more than 110% compared to the previous year – this is significant growth."

IDC Research Manager, Can Cui further noted, "The commercial service robot market for China's catering industry achieved rapid growth in 2021, labor shortages, and favorable national policy; establishing a positive long-term trend. In the short-term, however, with the market becoming more mature and more refined in terms of operations, products, teams, costs, and services, there will be improved profitability as developments in catering spread to related industries and overseas expansion will become a key direction for market development."

As a leading enterprise in the industry, KEENON Robotics has a significant edge by maintaining high growth levels and occupying nearly 50% of the domestic market share.

As one of the earliest enterprises exploring the application scenarios of commercial robots in China, KEENON Robotics has witnessed the entire process of commercial service robots application in the catering industry since the beginning. So far, the innovative range of T1, T2, T5, T6, T8, and more catering delivery robots have been adopted by industry partners, with KEENON already boasting a rich product line capable of matching any catering needs.

In 2021, catering-specific service robots from KEENON Robotics exploded in popularity and use, with almost 65% of the top 100 food and beverage brands, such as Haidilao Hotpot, Pizza Hut, Xiao NanGuo Restaurant, Grandma's House, and more, adopting KEENON Robotics products.

In the same year, KEENON Robotics completed Alibaba's exclusive strategic financing and SoftBank Vision-led investment of $200 million D round financing. The company achieved outstanding results and was also ranked on the Hurun global Unicorn Company list in the year. Meanwhile, the company was awarded the TOP 10 best investment cases in advanced manufacturing by the CVINFO 2021 Annual List.

Currently, KEENON Robotics has successfully launched in North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, South America, the Middle East, and Africa, with six major global business areas. In these areas, KEENON Robotics is cooperating with large local multinational companies on strategic development to continue supporting the world with commercial service robots.

In the future, KEENON Robotics will continue to increase R&D investment, accelerating the growth of distribution channels to the global market, boosting digital transformation, and improving efficiency. KEENON Robotics is also willing to take a role as an industry leader together with other industry partners to push the limits of science and technology and promote the popularization and development of commercial robots, which can truly bring about the technology to change lives.

Interestingly, a confluence of trends is fast reshaping the modern space enterprise. With the authorities pushing for a new space force, new threats to US space assets have recently prompted the Pentagon to act faster and develop more resilient architectures. Meantime, the commercial space industry is growing at an accelerated rate, creating new opportunities for partnerships. Undoubtedly, to be successful, the US must continue to invest in modern technologies. It must continue to lead in space technology, ensuring its continued growth and development.

Further, pundits argue that the edge of humanity's space activity is rapidly moving to the lunar space. Broadly speaking, lunar space refers to the sphere that the earth and moon form. It's quickly opening up new opportunities for space exploration and exploitation. As the United States plans a crewed lunar landing in the 2020s, commercial companies are fast racing to develop the technology and infrastructure necessary to support such a daring endeavor. One good example is the moon's orbital stability. As such, many nation-states are increasingly deploying satellites to conduct high-level military reconnaissance and research.

The new paradigm generally requires the United States to take firm leadership in shaping the rules and frameworks that govern space matters. The authors of this report broadly recommend that the United States should lead the way in developing favorable frameworks. So, the time to act is now. With the prevailing trends, commercial firms will be critical to developing space technologies and profit-making activities. Most likely, this will become a reality by the year 2050. However, for this to happen, the United States must swiftly develop an aggressive strategy to ensure its role as a global leader in space technology matters.

Happily, the US National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) has already established a digital transformation community. The community aims to foster innovation whilst promoting a culture of collaboration. During this period, the agency plans to create a team of early adopters; these will explore new digital technologies and attack barriers. The team will include the agency's internal users- of course, these are the ultimate digital transformation effort customers. It's expected that the committee members will be open to new ways of working and seeking opportunities that drive the digital age.

Analysts note that- at least in the short term- commercial interests will greatly dominate space technology. Moreover, in about 30 years, these concerns will likely expand to the spherical space- the space that defines the earth and moon's orbit. Thus, the United States must create a framework that protects space interests as well as the primary stakeholders. It must also lead to space security issues and push the boundaries of human economic activity to its rightful place. Such a framework is necessary to ensure the space program's long-term security and prosperity.

But other issues significantly impact the overall equation here. Consider this, for instance: The cost of a single space rocket that can carry humans to Mars is estimated to be a whopping $10 billion. Ultimately, it would take thousands of flights, traveling over a period of 40 years, to reach man's ultimate goal. Space exploration also faces a long list of other challenges- these include the introduction of low-cost launches. Thus, for decades, some leading companies have had a strong working relationship with NASA, pushing together as the primary contractors for what's called the Space Launch System. Evidently, as long as the companies remain committed, NASA will always achieve its goal.

Ultimately, the future of space tourism will likely be dominated by a handful of private companies working in cahoots with government agencies. Among these is Blue Origin, a company that has successfully landed its suborbital New Shepherd rocket several times since late 2015. Another major commercial space company, Space-X, generally focuses on re-usable rocketry. As for NASA, it must rid itself of some unreliable commercial space travel players; the primary culprit is Boeing. SLS is another controversial player in the space exploration game. Indeed, some argue that SLS is the most controversial of the four main contractors currently associated with NASA.

So, exactly how is NASA, an iconic US organization, embracing the modern digital transformation? True, NASA was formerly dominated by the government's strategic initiative. However, the modern space agency has been going through rapid and fundamental change. Lately, NASA has fully embraced the modern digital transformation, thus attaining remarkable progress.

Pall Corporation, a leader in filtration, separation and purification technology, announced the construction of a new manufacturing facility focused on solutions that will serve advanced nodes for semiconductor manufacturers. Pall is investing more than $100M USD for the first phase of expansion, with subsequent investments over the course of construction. The facility will be located in western Singapore.

The new facility will primarily produce lithography and wet-etch filtration, purification and separation solutions that will help meet the high demand for advanced node solutions. The facility will be located on a seven-acre campus that will include more than 18,000 square meters of manufacturing and office space.

"The world is undergoing exponential growth in data generation, processing and storage due to increasing demands from wireless communications, the Internet of Things, automotive technology (autonomy, electrification and connectivity), cloud computing and artificial intelligence/deep learning. This facility will help support the rapid pace of innovation necessary for our customers to meet growing end market demand," said Naresh Narasimhan, President of Pall Corporation.

Construction of the first phase will begin in summer of 2022 and high-volume manufacturing (HVM) capability will be completed between late 2023 and early 2024. Additional capacity will be added in subsequent years as the site undergoes a phased ramp to its full potential. When completed, the site will more than double Pall's current installed capacity for manufacturing microelectronics filtration and purification solutions.

"With the construction of this new facility, we will bring a greater percentage of our manufacturing capacity closer to the manufacturing base of the majority of our customers, which will help reduce supply chain complexity and risk," said Shangaza Dasent, Vice President/General Manager of Pall's Microelectronics business unit.

To support the new site, the company plans to hire more than 300 employees with science, engineering and manufacturing experience.

Mr. Tan Kong Hwee, Executive Vice President of the Singapore Economic Development Board commented: "Pall's new manufacturing facility in Singapore that supplies filtration solutions for advanced semiconductor manufacturing will strengthen Singapore's semiconductor ecosystem and deepen our role in the global supply chain for semiconductors. It is also a testament to the growing business and job opportunities for Singaporeans in this exciting high-tech industry. We are delighted to be working with Pall on their growth plans."

Pall Corporation is a filtration, separation and purification leader providing solutions to meet the critical fluid management needs of customers across the broad spectrum of industries. Pall works with customers to advance health, safety, and environmentally responsible technologies. The Company's engineered products enable process and product innovation and minimize emissions and waste. Pall Corporation serves customers worldwide.