Xiaomi has launched a 7-billion-parameter version of its open-source voice model, MiDashengLM, which incorporates Alibaba's open-source Qwen 2.5 series. This model focuses on in-car systems and smart home devices, enhancing Xiaomi's AI strategy and expanding its reach in voice application markets

Japanese optical giant Canon, which had not built a new semiconductor lithography equipment production plant since 2004 due to a declining market, announced on July 30, 2025, the completion of a new semiconductor lithography equipment factory at its Utsunomiya optical products plant. The facility is expected to begin operations in September

In a milestone move signaling the transition of South Korea's space ambitions from government-led development to commercial enterprise, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has officially signed a technology transfer agreement with Hanwha Aerospace, granting the company rights to manufacture and launch the nation's first domestically developed space launch vehicle, the KSLV-II Nuri rocket

Samsung Electronics' foundry production lines for process nodes above 4nm have recently achieved their highest utilization rates, according to South Korean media outlet ChosunBiz, citing industry insiders

Facing dual pressures from international instability and slowing growth in its main markets, South Korea's collaborative robot giant Doosan Robotics is actively undergoing a strategic transformation. Despite widening losses, the company has aggressively acquired US robotics solutions provider Onexia to drive growth through global expansion and technological upgrades

Starting in 2025, AI glasses are set to become the hottest trend in the smart wearable market. Following Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo, Google, and startup Xreal, Alibaba has also announced its entry into the AI glasses arena, igniting a new wave of competition among smart terminal devices. The surge driven by the combination of AI glasses and wearable devices is rapidly propelling China's original design manufacturer (ODM)/original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and printed circuit board (PCB) supply chains into a new phase of transformation and upgrading

The US Congress has added a new clause to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), requiring the Pentagon to evaluate whether BOE Technology — China's top display panel manufacturer — should be labeled a "Chinese military company" (CMC)

As the global AI industry continues to expand, competition in semiconductor technology is intensifying. South Korea's industrial sector has begun voicing concerns that to maintain growth momentum in its semiconductor industry, it must foster fabless IC design startups to enhance system semiconductor competitiveness

Nintendo announced that it would raise the price of the first-generation Switch console in the US beginning August 3, 2025, citing 'market conditions' as the reason in a statement on its website

Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from July 28 to Aug 3, 2025. The top three topics include Tesla striking a US$16.5 billion chip deal with Samsung amid 2nm rumors. Former Intel China head Ian Yang joined AMD, surprising the industry. Meanwhile, China quietly gains ground in mature chip processes with startups like Pengsun

The US has reduced tariffs on imports from South Korea from 25% to 15%. This reduction benefits South Korean automakers like Hyundai Motor by cutting annual losses of around KRW30 trillion (approx. US$2.2 billion) and enhancing their competitiveness in the North American market

Benefiting from the development of the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market, Hanmi Semiconductor's second quarter 2025 performance continues to hit new highs, with overseas markets such as Taiwan significantly increasing their revenue share. Despite intensified competition in the next-generation bond equipment market, the company remains confident it will maintain a leading position

Early panel procurement, fueled by US tariffs and China's "trade-in" incentives, drove up global LCD TV panel shipments and total shipment area in the first half of 2025. Taiwan's Innolux overtook China's HKC in unit shipments, rising to the third position globally and reshaping the competitive landscape

Singapore-based ASMPT, founded in Hong Kong in 1975, has grown from a regional distributor into one of the world's most influential semiconductor equipment makers. With AI and hyperscale data centers driving a new wave of demand for advanced packaging, ASMPT's dominance in thermo-compression bonding (TCB) technology places it at the center of the industry's next inflection point