Our Scans · (LF.9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

• [New] Cybersecurity protection for critical infrastructure similarly depends heavily on European regulatory frameworks such as the Network and Information Security 2 Directive, while NATO identifies operational vulnerabilities and resilience requirements. Hudson Institute
• [New] Renewable Energy Directive III requires 42% of industrial hydrogen to come from renewable sources by 2030, which supports proton exchange membrane electrolysis demand. Mordor Intelligence
• [New] Production from projects operated by TotalEnergies and CNOOC is expected to begin during the second half of 2026, although timelines surrounding Uganda's emerging petroleum industry have shifted previously. The Fintech Times
• [New] Continued AI infrastructure deployments, higher memory content per AI server, and sustained demand for high-bandwidth memory will support memory revenue growth through 2027 and beyond. Network World
• [New] Other use cases with more than one billion IoT devices by 2033 are connected (autonomous) vehicles, IT infrastructure, asset tracking & monitoring, and smart grid. Statista
• [New] The US-based organization highlights a growing risk that innovation alone will not be enough without professionals prepared to apply emerging technologies, navigate complexity, and translate scientific knowledge into solutions. CNS Media
• [New] 4G is the fastest-growing technology, projected to achieve a CAGR of 7.5% from 2026 to 2032, as it enhances communication between connected vehicles and infrastructure. 6wresearch
• [New] Nation-State & Hacktivism: Netflix is not a critical infrastructure target like power grids, but as a U.S. tech company, it could become collateral in broader cyber conflicts (e.g. if sanctions trigger retaliatory cyber actions). Risk Intelligence Service
• The timeline for the quantum threat remains uncertain, but organizations - particularly Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) owners and government agencies - must begin preparation for migration now. Cyber Security Agency of Singapore
• Industry research identifies AI as one of the major forces expected to reshape luxury over the coming years. Kalkine
• Full development of alternative fuel bunkering and charging infrastructure would generally take five to 10 years, while some projects could stretch as far as 2050. gCaptain
• Connecting Canada's fragmented grids east-west-north through new and expanded transmission lines: Consultations will address barriers to interprovincial interties, including duplicative infrastructure and wasted power that affects reliability and affordability. Torys LLP
• Building the infrastructure needed to double Canada's electricity generation: Consultations will consider how to finance the build-out, spread costs over time, and keep electricity affordable. Torys LLP
• The BIS expects debt pressure to continue beyond 2031 as ageing populations increase pension and healthcare costs while governments demand more money for infrastructure, renewable energy, and defence. Armstrong Economics
• Venezuela will keep ownership of its natural resources while leveraging capital, technology and operational expertise to support the recovery of a strategic industry that has been severely affected by sanctions. Al Jazeera
• The short-term goal of the Net-Zero Industry Act aims to achieve net-zero manufacturing capacity to meet at least 40% of the EU's annual deployment needs by 2030 (Regulation 2024/1735, 2024). Scientific Advice Mechanism
• As a complement to adoption data, we can anchor the economic weight by sector with PwC's 2030 view which quantifies 5G's GDP impact by industry-led by healthcare and smart utilities, followed by consumer & media (~ US$254 B), manufacturing, and financial services. cavliwireless.com
• As the world progresses into an age of orbital industrialization, the distinction between space infrastructure and terrestrial infrastructure will continue to dissolve. DebateUS
• DeepSeek helped force a global reassessment of how efficiently competitive AI models could be developed, and a successful multibillion-dollar raise would give it substantially more resources for models, talent, infrastructure, and domestic chip partnerships. Tech Startups - Tech News, Tech Trends & Startup Fundin
• SpaceX has set a target of exceeding 2 GW by year-end 2026, and it has outlined a goal of 20 GW in power-and-cooling infrastructure by the end of 2027. Crypto Briefing
• Industry pushback focused on economic hits-e.g., CII-driven slow steaming could add 5-10% to voyage times, inflating costs amid volatile fuel prices. Searoutes
• AI infrastructure spending is projected to reach $450 billion in 2026, with inference workloads accounting for over 70% of AI compute demand. ODG Electronics

Last updated: 21 September 2026