This year the research and development organization imec celebrated 40 years since it was created by 70 scientists from a university in Belgium, to being a key player in facilitating innovation in the semiconductor value chain working with hundreds of universities and researchers and bridging the goal of going from lab to fab.

Intel has shortlisted a number of buyout firms for the next round of bidding for its Altera unit, according to people familiar with the matter, as the beleaguered chipmaker makes headway on a process started by its now ousted CEO.

South Korea's conservative president Yoon Suk Yeol has declared martial law, accusing the left-wing bloc that controls the national assembly of North Korean sympathies and plotting rebellion.

China has banned exports to the US of items related to the minerals gallium, germanium and antimony that have potential military applications, a day after Washington's latest crackdown on China's chip sector.