Brands
Phillips opens Innovation Campus in India
MUMBAI: A few days ago Phillips opened a new campus in India. This marks a stage – wise migration from its current location in Ulsoor to this upcoming 500,000 square feet state-of-the-art facility spread over 12.5 acres.
Philips Semiconductors CEO Frans van Houten says, “Philips Innovation Campus (PIC) is elementary to Philips technology strategy and will become its global competence center to fuel growth and create value in the business areas of healthcare, lifestyle and technology. In the domain of lifestyle, it will significantly contribute to Digital TV and Blu-ray. Connectivity will be the key area of contribution under the Technology domain.”
Specifically referring to the activities of Semiconductors R&D team in PIC Van Houten said, “We are working on cutting-edge 65nm SoC designs and libraries, IP modules and are investing heavily in our Nexperia Home and Mobile platforms using the skills of the India design team. Additionally, a large number of global design-ins for our DTV and advanced cell phone programmes are being supported from here.
“India has become a major growth opportunity for us both from consumer and technology points of view and the investment in this Campus reflects our commitment to expanding our presence here. PIC’s growth plans are concrete and realizable.” Van Houten says that PIC expects to have 2500 employees by the of 2007.
“PIC has emerged as a critical partner in the development of strategic and futuristic technologies for Philips worldwide. It contributes around one-third the software content for our products worldwide and has established itself as a key center of excellence. It houses R&D activities under one roof in order to bring about synergy, cross-fertilisation of ideas and sharing of best practices” he added.
PIC CEO Dr. Bob Hoekstra said, “Phillips conducted a survey on expectations of the future workplace. The new Campus is designed around its employees, facilitating an easy to experience work environment with advanced features. This flows from the three brand pillars of Philips – Designed around you, Easy to experience, and Advanced. It is designed to offer a dynamic innovation environment.”
Brands
Netflix acquires Ben Affleck’s AI film-tech firm InterPositive
Streaming giant picks up production startup to streamline digital filmmaking
LOS ANGELES: Netflix has officially acquired InterPositive, an AI film-technology startup founded by actor and director Ben Affleck. The move marks a significant investment by the streaming service into assistive AI tools designed to support the technical side of movie production. While many AI companies focus on generating new images or scripts, InterPositive focuses on the logistical challenges of filmmaking. The firm’s technology is designed to handle technical tasks that often delay post-production, such as correcting lighting inconsistencies and ensuring visual continuity across different takes.
The acquisition is not about replacing human actors or writers. Instead, Netflix intends to use the technology as a digital assistant for directors. The software understands cinematic logic, meaning it can automatically adjust background elements or environmental effects to ensure a film looks polished and consistent without months of manual editing.
In a Netflix post on Thursday, Affleck emphasised that the project was born out of a desire to support the craft rather than automate it. “I knew I had a responsibility to my peers and our industry, to protect the power of human creativity and the people behind it. In creating InterPositive, I sought to do just that,” Affleck wrote. “From the invention of the moving image to the transition to digital, from motion capture to virtual production, technology has evolved alongside the artists who use it. Our shared commitment to continuing this legacy makes joining together a natural next step.”
Netflix chief product and technology officer Elizabeth Stone said, “Our approach to AI has always been focused on meaningfully serving the needs of the creative community. InterPositive’s technology is purpose-built for filmmakers and showrunners to naturally support their visions. We’re excited to welcome the team to Netflix and continue building a future where technology enhances storytelling, while people remain at the core.”
Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria added, “New tools should expand creative freedom, not constrain it. Ben and his team are part of a long tradition of artists leading innovation in storytelling. Their work gives filmmakers more choices, control, and protection for their vision.”
The deal coincides with a broader partnership between Netflix and Artists Equity, the production company led by Affleck and Matt Damon. Following the success of their recent projects on the platform, this acquisition cements Affleck’s role as both a creative and technical advisor to the streamer. Affleck noted that the partnership was a logical fit due to “Netflix’s decades of experience applying and scaling technology responsibly.” He will serve as a senioradvisor for the integration of the technology, ensuring the tools remain focused on helping filmmakers.
For the film industry, this acquisition signals a shift in strategy. Rather than just buying finished movies, Netflix is now owning the specialized technology used to build them. By bringing these tools in-house, the company aims to reduce the rising costs and lengthy timelines associated with high-budget original films while giving their productions a technical edge in speed and visual quality.
