DIGITIMES Asia news

Monday 7 July 2025

South Korea recruits technocrats into government for AI push

South Korean president Lee Jae-myung has pledged to invest KRW100 trillion (US$73.9 billion) in AI development to make the country the third-largest AI power after the US and China. Lee is also turning to technocrats for three of the key positions in his new administration to lead his AI campaign

Monday 7 July 2025

Humanoid robots accelerate development, expected to become a lifeline for South Korea's battery industry

Due to the slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) demand and intensified competition in the battery market, South Korea's major battery manufacturers LG Energy Solutions (LGES), SK On, and Samsung SDI have shown lackluster performance. However, as global IT and automotive companies actively invest in the humanoid robot industry, batteries dedicated to humanoid robots are poised to become a key factor in reversing this trend

Sunday 6 July 2025

From behind the curve: Apple and Xiaomi chase long-dominated 5G modem self-reliance

Apple and Xiaomi are doubling down on efforts to develop in-house 5G baseband chips, joining a race long dominated by tech heavyweights like Qualcomm and MediaTek. Both companies signaled their ambitions in 2025 to break away from reliance on third-party modem suppliers and take fuller control of their mobile silicon strategies

Sunday 6 July 2025

Yamaha Motor launches robotics division to tap semiconductor equipment demand

Yamaha Motor is accelerating its pivot into the semiconductor equipment space with the launch of Yamaha Robotics, a newly established division focused on robotic systems for electronics manufacturing. The company aims to position the business as its third major revenue pillar, alongside motorcycles and marine engines

Sunday 6 July 2025

Baidu, Huawei spark open-source AI arms race

Baidu and Huawei announced the open-sourcing of their proprietary large language models (LLMs) on June 30, 2025, signaling a strategic shift in China's AI landscape. The move reflects a growing push to rival closed-source leaders such as OpenAI and Anthropic through a more collaborative, transparent approach

Sunday 6 July 2025

China's humanoid robots cut out US chips, and 90% of the supply chain is now local

As US President Donald Trump intensifies rare earth export negotiations with China, Beijing is countering with a media blitz to highlight its rising independence from US semiconductor technology. In June 2025, Chinese authorities arranged a foreign press tour covering biopharma, humanoid robotics, AI, and automotive sectors, with executives from major firms showcasing efforts toward tech self-sufficiency and global competitiveness

Friday 4 July 2025

Big screens, bigger stakes: LG and Samsung compete in the SDV display market

The global automotive industry is rapidly pivoting toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs), fueling a parallel surge in demand for large in-car displays. Market research firm Omdia forecasts that displays larger than 10 inches will account for a staggering 81% of automotive display sales by 2027, nearly doubling their market share from 2021

Friday 4 July 2025

Japan's chip tool market to top JPY5 trillion in FY26 amid AI boom

The Japan Semiconductor Equipment Association (SEAJ) has updated its sales forecast for Japanese-made semiconductor manufacturing equipment over the next three fiscal years, projecting a steady increase reaching JPY5.51 trillion (US$38.35 billion) by fiscal 2027. The latest forecast sees modest growth driven primarily by investments in cutting-edge chip technologies and AI-related applications

Friday 4 July 2025

South Korea's 3D printing boom sparks fears of tech leaks to China

Many South Korean companies are turning to 3D printing to cut production costs, using the technology to manufacture products in critical sectors such as aerospace and defense, areas classified as national core technologies. However, some cases involve the use of Chinese-made 3D printers or subcontractors leaking proprietary technologies to China. Critics argue that South Korea's current registration-based system for operating 3D printing businesses lacks sufficient oversight, leaving the industry vulnerable to security breaches and intellectual property theft

Friday 4 July 2025

Huawei's semiconductor matriarch charges forward with dual front: chips and talent

As US-China tech tensions intensify, Huawei is accelerating efforts to achieve technological independence after being added to the US Entity List in 2019. He Tingbo, president of HiSilicon and a central figure in Huawei's semiconductor strategy, is stepping into a pivotal role. She has been appointed head of Huawei's Senior Talent Compensation Division, expanding her authority over executive pay and talent development, key pillars in the company's long-term innovation agenda

Friday 4 July 2025

AOS to settle US export violation with US$4.25 miilion over Huawei shipments

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOS), a California-based chipmaker, has agreed to pay US$4.25 million to resolve allegations that it violated US export controls by shipping restricted components to Huawei Technologies in 2019, the year Huawei was placed on the US Entity List

Friday 4 July 2025

China-based USI moves upmarket with L10 edge AI server for global clients

Universal Scientific Industrial Shanghai (USI), a China-based electronics design and manufacturing company, has completed delivery of a Level 10 (L10) full-system joint design manufacturing (JDM) project. The lightweight edge AI server, co-developed with a major international client, targets deployment in healthcare, retail, and industrial applications across Europe and North America

Friday 4 July 2025

Renesas ditches SiC to focus on MCU, GaN products for AI sector

Japanese semiconductor firm Renesas has halted mass production of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors and will now launch new products including microcontroller units (MCU) for the edge AI and AIoT markets, and gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors for AI data centers, as the company restructures its business focus

Friday 4 July 2025

Intel's new AI accelerator may adopt HBM4? SK Hynix stresses no confirmed details

Intel recently held its AI Summit in South Korea, sharing the latest trends in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and innovative applications across various industries. The event also explored future AI development directions and cross-industry collaboration strategies. Among the highlights, cooperation between SK Hynix and Intel on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for next-generation AI accelerators attracted significant attention

Friday 4 July 2025

South Korea cuts reliance on Japanese chip materials, but faces hurdles in advanced technologies

In the high-stakes world of semiconductors, materials are everything. In South Korea, the issue became a national priority after a 2019 trade dispute with Japan sent shockwaves through its tech sector. In a tit-for-tat diplomatic standoff, Tokyo slapped export restrictions on critical chipmaking materials—photoresists, hydrogen fluoride, and polyimide. With Japanese firms controlling more than 90% of the global supply, the move threatened to derail South Korea's chip production and exposed its deep dependence on foreign suppliers

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Oct 2, 10:32

SK Group partners with OpenAI to advance global AI infrastructure

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