Taiwan-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers are increasingly involved in the supply chains of TSMC and Chinese foundries, according to industry sources. SEMI projects global semiconductor equipment sales will grow 3.4% year-on-year in 2024, reaching US$109 billion, with further growth expected in 2025 driven by demand from both frontend and backend sectors
Just 19 of China's 137 current electric car brands will be profitable by the end of the decade, leaving the rest to exit the industry, consolidate, or battle for a minor market share, according to consultancy Alixpartners
Fueled by the growing demand for advanced chips that require EUV lithography systems, Japan-based companies are increasing investments and eyeing the supply of materials used in critical technology, reports Dempa and Nikkei
Concerns are mounting among Western governments and semiconductor companies regarding potential overcapacity in legacy chips, reminiscent of past issues seen in the solar industry. However, before Chinese-made legacy chips flood the market, China-based chipmakers are bracing for intense internal competition that could significantly impact their profitability
Samsung Electronics' largest union, the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), initially planned a three-day strike starting on July 8. However, the union recently announced that it will initiate a two-phase indefinite strike starting on July 11, adopting a tough stance against company management
Nissan Motor has decided to initiate in-house mass production of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries starting from fiscal 2028 (April 2028 - March 2029), as the cost of ternary lithium-ion batteries has not decreased as expected
Micro LED TVs are considered an important next-gen technology, but their high prices have prevented them from becoming more widespread. Samsung Electronics has made plans to reduce the price of Micro LED TVs, intending to reduce production costs to one-tenth of the current value within the next 2-3 years
The semiconductor market has become the fourth largest market in the world, following crude oil, automotive, and petrochemical products. With a scale of more than US$500 billion in 2023, it is expected to exceed US$1 trillion by 2030. Attracted by the industry's robust outlook ignited by the Generative AI infrastructure, Middle Eastern countries are diversifying their business portfolios to include the semiconductor and AI industries
Mecademic Industrial Robotics, a leader in micro-automation, is set to expand its presence in the high-growth medical devices and electronics markets, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region
AMOLED has overtaken LCD as the mainstream screen technology for mobile phones, heaping pressure on Taiwanese panel makers who specialize in the latter, according to industry sources
Samsung Electronics' largest union, the "National Samsung Electronics Union," began a general strike on July 8, 2024, and announced an indefinite two-phase strike on July 10. This development comes as Samsung faces labor unrest amid a recovery in the semiconductor industry and aggressive investments in foundry and HBM businesses
Screen unveils its three-year mid-term business plan, aiming to increase its overseas R&D spending to address advancements in semiconductor process miniaturization, while also investing in domestic facilities to increase production capacity
AI PCs' acceptance by consumers depends on the potential of AI technology, AI chips, and suppliers like assembly providers in the end-user market. In the Japanese market, research firms estimate that the shipment of commercial AI PCs for enterprise clients will reach around 6.2 million units by fiscal year 2030 (April 2030 to March 2031), accounting for 72% of the commercial PC market
The US government's export ban on Nvidia's high-end AI chips has spurred efforts in China to produce domestic AI chips to meet the burgeoning demand in the country's AI sector
