As AI workloads hit data movement bottlenecks, MIT spinoff Lightmatter is betting that photonics, not more transistors, holds the key to next-generation infrastructure. After years of pioneering photonic computing, Lightmatter is moving from research to commercialization. Its flagship interconnect products — Passage M1000 and L200 — are set to enter production in 2025 and 2026

As the era of commercial quantum computing inches closer, the United States and China are accelerating efforts to secure the digital world against quantum threats. In July 2024, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finalized its selection of cryptographic standards designed to withstand quantum attacks — a pivotal milestone in global cybersecurity

Coming out the other side after nearly a decade of legal troubles, Samsung Electronics stands at a crossroads. Chairman Lee Jae-yong is rebuilding the group leadership structure, driving major mergers and acquisitions, and reforming corporate culture to proactively be prepared for potential future challenges

The Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School of Public Policy has released the Critical and Emerging Technologies Index (CETI) report, which quantifies the capabilities of 25 countries in five areas: AI, biotechnology, semiconductors, space, and quantum technology. The index intends to provide accessible information to policymakers and researchers to understand national strengths and weaknesses in critical technology fields. Each category holds a different weight in the index, with semiconductors at 35%, AI 25%, biotech at 20%, space at 15%, and quantum technology at 5%

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has openly admitted to global employees that Nvidia has surpassed Intel in the AI chip market. This candid acknowledgment underscores the company's dramatic fall from its former dominance in the semiconductor sector and highlights the scale of Intel's struggles in the AI era

With China's domination in the global LCD panel industry, coupled with long-term overcapacity in panel production and the fact that higher-generation fabs are more efficient and cost-effective than older, lower-generation lines, panel players from Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have been continuously closing and selling plants in recent years

Three months after the US abruptly halted shipments of downgraded AI chips to China in April, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang returned to the country in mid-July to announce that Washington had given the green light for the H20—a China-specific version of its AI accelerator. His cheerful demeanor during the visit marked a stark contrast to the more tense and formal appearance he had during his previous trip

TSMC has shrugged off currency volatility, reciprocal tariff threats, and looming chip trade duties to raise its 2025 US dollar revenue growth forecast from 25% to 30%. Industry sources point to a four-part strategy that's giving the foundry heavyweight the firepower to power through macroeconomic crosscurrents

In a stunning about-face that has left the tech industry reeling, US President Donald Trump has abruptly lifted export restrictions on H20 AI chips to China—effectively erasing months of stringent semiconductor sanctions overnight

Amid rising doubts over China's AI trajectory, two setbacks have rattled its startup ecosystem: Manus, the buzzed-about AI agent startup, is reportedly exiting the Chinese market, while DeepSeek R2 — a trillion-parameter large language model — is facing a critical GPU shortfall. Just as sentiment soured, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made a high-profile appearance at the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, where he announced the lifting of export restrictions on the China-specific H20 chip

Malaysia is ramping up efforts to grow its domestic integrated circuit (IC) design industry, as key states such as Selangor, Sarawak, and Penang launch competing initiatives to position themselves as the country's next semiconductor innovation hub

Founded in 2016 by former Tokyo Seimitsu (Accretech) engineer Sheng Jinghao, Jian Wen Lu (Zhejiang) Semiconductor was once considered a standout contender in China's push for 5G RF chip independence. Its mission: to bypass foreign patent restrictions and develop high-frequency filters, long viewed as a chokepoint in RF front-end design

The parade of power players to Lei Jun's door tells a story. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have all made the pilgrimage to meet with Xiaomi's founder and CEO during their China visits. This isn't a coincidence — it's recognition of where the real gravity now lies in China's innovation landscape

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is engaging in a high-stakes diplomatic and commercial push across Washington and Beijing, positioning artificial intelligence (AI) as a defining force for global industries and innovation. And for now, his efforts appear to be yielding results

With TSMC commanding the lion's share of foundry orders for data center AI accelerators, second-tier players like UMC, GlobalFoundries (GF), and SMIC are urgently repositioning to tap into the AI market. Each is adopting a unique strategy to stay relevant in a rapidly intensifying competitive field