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Thursday 15 May 2025
Huawei's quiet IDM ambition: 11 shadow fabs across China under the spotlight
Huawei is now believed to operate at least 11 semiconductor fabrication plants across China, covering memory, logic, and foundry segments—underscoring its strategic shift toward becoming a fully integrated device manufacturer (IDM), similar to Intel or Samsung
Thursday 15 May 2025
Samsung reportedly considers outsourcing memory photomask production; raises concerns over domestic supply
Samsung Electronics is reportedly planning to outsource the production of photomasks used in memory manufacturing. To prevent technology leaks, Samsung has traditionally produced all photomasks in-house. However, due to multiple recent factors, the company intends to adjust this strategy
Thursday 15 May 2025
China surges in OLED push after LCD triumph, as Samsung, LG escalate tech rivalry
China, having solidified its dominance in the LCD panel market, is now intensifying its push into organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology. A government-driven "trade-in" program has sparked a surge in the domestic smartphone market, with Chinese manufacturers rapidly expanding into the foldable device sector. This strategic focus has significantly accelerated OLED panel production
Thursday 15 May 2025
US-China tariff truce eases PC component price hikes
In a notable breakthrough for global trade, senior officials from the US and China convened in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss a preliminary trade deal. Both nations have agreed to substantial tariff reductions for 90 days, a move expected to relieve the PC components industry and gaming sector by stabilizing prices and alleviating ongoing supply chain disruptions
Thursday 15 May 2025
Huawei cornered in Middle East: Trump, Nvidia redraw AI frontlines
The US-China tech conflict is intensifying even as leaders project a veneer of diplomacy. During trade talks in Geneva, President Donald Trump said the US was "not looking to hurt China," hinting at a tension pause. Yet, almost simultaneously, Washington imposed new export restrictions on AI chips, explicitly banning the global use of Huawei's Ascend processors
Thursday 15 May 2025
SMIC and Hua Hong reportedly seek more orders from US IC design firms amid China foundry competition
Chinese foundries SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor are reportedly stepping up efforts to expand their American presence, not by building fabs there, but by securing orders from US-based IC design companies under the local-for-local, China-for-China strategy amid intense chipmaking competition in China
Thursday 15 May 2025
JDI to cut over 1,000 jobs in major restructuring, close Mobara plant by 2026
Japan Display Inc. (JDI) confirmed plans on May 15 to lay off over 1,000 employees in Japan as part of a large-scale restructuring, according to reports from Nikkei Asia and Asahi Shimbun. With approximately 2,700 domestic employees as of March 2025, the move could slash the company's Japanese workforce by nearly half and reduce its global headcount—currently around 4,100—by nearly one-third
Thursday 15 May 2025
China's IC innovation forum reports 94% mass production rate among 118 showcased chips
VeriSilicon Holdings Co. launched the 15th Songshan Lake China IC Innovation Summit Forum on May 13, 2025, in Dongguan's Songshan Lake district. This year's forum highlights 10 domestically developed chips tailored for embodied intelligent robots, spanning machine vision, voice AI, and spatial computing. The event brings together key stakeholders across the semiconductor supply chain to examine emerging technologies and industry directions
Wednesday 14 May 2025
China clears rare earth exports for 5 firms in strategic nod to Europe, Vietnam
China has granted rare earth export permits to domestic magnet manufacturers for the first time since introducing sweeping restrictions in April 2025, in a move reflecting a calibrated stance on mineral controls amid easing trade tensions with the US
Wednesday 14 May 2025
From flagship to family car: SiC drives China's EV boom amid intense price wars
Although the 2025 Shanghai International Auto Show has concluded, its ripple effects continue to shape the automotive landscape. Bolstered by the Chinese government's early implementation of trade-in subsidies, alongside a confluence of auto show buzz and promotional campaigns, China's passenger vehicle retail sales soared to 1.81 million units in April 2025, marking the second-highest monthly figure on record
Wednesday 14 May 2025
Samsung secures orders from Nintendo, paving way for future orders from Nvidia and Qualcomm

Samsung Electronics' foundry division is actively pursuing orders for its 2nm process technology and is currently conducting process evaluations with major clients, including Nvidia and Qualcomm

Wednesday 14 May 2025
Chinese panel makers scale back LCD production as tariffs bite
Chinese panel manufacturers BOE Technology and TCL China Star Optoelectronics (TCL CSOT) have reportedly begun scaling back their LCD panel production in response to the tariff policies imposed by the Trump administration since January 2025, which have effectively blocked their export channels to the US. Despite strategic efforts to expand into alternative markets across Europe and Asia, these companies face significant challenges securing new customers in the short term. Compounding their difficulties, the Chinese government has reduced subsidies, leaving production cuts as their only viable recourse
Wednesday 14 May 2025
Huawei-tied SiCarrier guns for US$2.8 billion funding as China advances chip tool self-sufficiency
SiCarrier, a Chinese semiconductor equipment startup backed by the Shenzhen municipal government, is seeking to raise US$2.8 billion in its first funding round, targeting a valuation of around US$11 billion. Founded in 2021 and closely linked to Huawei, the firm has emerged as a key player in China's national drive for chipmaking self-sufficiency
Wednesday 14 May 2025
Huawei, Keppel strike energy pact to power low-carbon data centers
Huawei International and Keppel Ltd.'s Infrastructure Division have entered a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly develop renewable energy solutions, particularly in photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS)
Wednesday 14 May 2025
South Korea's Moreh aims to outpace China's DeepSeek with cost-efficient alternative
South Korean AI software company Moreh is developing "K-DeepSeek," a model designed to surpass China's DeepSeek while slashing development costs, according to TheElec and ET News. Moreh insiders revealed the company's commitment to achieving academic certification by the third quarter of 2025, enabling commercial deployment