👶 Sub-Saharan Africa Tops Global Births. Marine Energy Capacity Declines. China Leads Advanced Manufacturing.

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Rural health gets massive makeover with $50B federal investment. Propeller launches $50M AI fund to connect MENA startups with US markets. ADB is backing India’s skill push with $846M to upgrade ITIs and train youth for future-ready jobs. State collaborates with city and county of Honolulu on clean energy grant.

Alef Education signed a partnership with Microsoft and G42's Core42 to develop AI-powered learning platforms. Khan Academy partnered with Karnataka and the Philippines to support online learning. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee introduced a new AI lab in partnership with Microsoft, focused on manufacturing applications.

Today's Topics

👶 Preschool. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for >30% of global births
🍃 Green Skills. Global marine energy capacity declines
🏭 Advanced Manufacturing. China owned nearly 50% of advanced manufacturing firms

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👶 Sub-Saharan Africa Accounted for >30% of Global Births

In 2024, Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for over 30% of global births. The high birth rate is straining the region’s ability to provide quality early childhood education, exacerbating existing financial constraints, income inequalities, and budgeting challenges. Rural areas face the largest gaps, where long travel distances and informal childcare dominate. These disparities restrict school readiness and long term learning outcomes. Governments are responding unevenly, but initiatives like UNICEF’s Early Childhood Development Framework are pushing countries to expand preschool enrolment and strengthen national childcare policies.

🍃 Global Marine Energy Capacity Declines

Global marine energy capacity declined by nearly 35MW from 2018 to 2024. The decline reflects high capital costs and the challenge of scaling tidal and wave technologies compared with wind and solar. Yet steady pilot deployments in Europe and Asia show continued interest, especially for coastal resilience and diversification goals. IRENA states that with a global market potential of 350 GW by 2050, ocean energy can provide clean, predictable electricity to coastal nations and islands around the world. 

🏭 China Owned Nearly 50% of Advanced Manufacturing Firms

China owned nearly half of the global advanced manufacturing firms during 2009 and 2023. China has built the world’s most comprehensive advanced manufacturing ecosystem, combining low-cost production, rapid prototyping capacity, and strong government incentives that push firms to commercialise new technologies quickly. China’s advanced manufacturing remains high due to its large-scale industrial base, strong government support for industrial upgrading, integrated supply chains, and sustained investment in automation, R&D, and workforce skills.

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