Major Chinese technology companies have unveiled their strategic goals for 2025, with plans spanning from electric vehicle sales to artificial intelligence innovations. Tech giants Xiaomi, Baidu, and Huawei have outlined their vision for the year ahead, signaling transformative changes and challenges facing China's technology sector

Growing demand for artificial intelligence semiconductors is reshaping the global chip industry, but South Korea's ambitions to capture market share face significant hurdles despite the sector's explosive growth potential

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) has announced a KRW36.4 billion (US$24.79 million) investment to fund 48 next-generation semiconductor R&D projects by 2025. The initiative focuses on Processing-In-Memory (PIM) chips, advanced packaging, on-device AI semiconductors, system semiconductors, and compound power semiconductors

Following Northvolt's bankruptcy filing, Volvo is exploring new battery partnerships in South Korea to advance the construction of the NOVO Energy battery plant

The trio of major European chip-making giants—STMicroelectronics (STM), NXP, and Infineon—have recently announced plans to establish local chip manufacturing supply chains in China. Their decisions stem from the growing need for flexible supply chains, as without local production in China, these manufacturers risk losing their foothold in the Chinese market

Samsung Electronics has launched a comprehensive overhaul of its advanced packaging supply chain, focusing on "reassessing" materials, components, and equipment to boost competitiveness. This shift, reported by South Korean media, is expected to impact both domestic and international suppliers, sparking widespread industry attention

Japanese printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer Meiko has doubled its market value, driven by the need for the global supply chain relocation away from China. By proactively setting up production facilities in Vietnam, Meiko has become a key player amidst the US-China tensions. Satellite communications opportunities have also significantly boosted its revenue growth

Honda and Nissan's ongoing merger negotiations are reportedly an attempt to counter the rising dominance of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers. The Japanese automakers, prompted by declining sales in their Chinese joint ventures, are exploring the possibility of combining forces to challenge BYD's growing market presence

Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division is revising its production strategy as falling DRAM prices and weak IT demand weigh on profits. South Korean securities firms have slashed Samsung's fourth quarter 2024 operating profit forecast from KRW4.6 trillion (US$31 billion) to KRW3.6 trillion, marking a 6.7% decline quarter over quarter, reflecting mounting pressures from an economic downturn and aggressive pricing by Chinese competitors like ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT)

Kyushu has raised its assessment of the economic benefits stemming from semiconductor investments spearheaded by TSMC. This adjustment comes as Taiwanese semiconductor suppliers increasingly cluster in the region as part of their diversification strategies

Honda and the financially troubled Nissan have announced plans to merge, with Mitsubishi Motors expected to decide on its participation within the month. While speculation suggests the Honda-Nissan merger talks aim to prevent Foxconn from gaining involvement with Nissan, past acquisitions involving Japanese corporations have yielded mixed results, potentially influencing the outcome of this proposed merger

Honda and Nissan aim to forge synergies across seven areas, including vehicle platform commonality and software development, as they strengthen ties through strategic collaboration. Their merger, rooted in memoranda signed in March and August 2024, underscores a shared focus on automotive intelligence and electrification

Samsung Electronics's hiring of Jing-cheng "Vic" Lin(J. C. Lin) from TSMC in a bid to bolster its semiconductor packaging technology made headlines in early 2023. However, reports suggest Lin has now left the company following his contract completion, prompting speculation about his future plans

A recent report has revealed that the CPU department under Arm China, a Chinese chip IP designer and service provider, has started laying off employees. The department consists of around 30-40 staff members. Even though the number of layoffs is not large, it still has a significant impact on Arm China given the scale of the company

China's BYD enjoyed a year-end surge to push total sales to 4.25 million passenger cars last year, narrowing its gap with Tesla as the two vie for the crown of the top-selling electric vehicle (EV) maker of 2024