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Wednesday 2 April 2025
Rapidus faces yield and customer challenges for 2nm chip ambition despite launching first fab
Rapidus officially launched its IIM-1 semiconductor fab in Chitose City, Hokkaido, on April 1, marking a major milestone in Japan's ambition to produce cutting-edge 2nm chips. However, company executives caution that improving yield rates and securing future customers remain key challenges, reports Nikkei and Bloomberg
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Saturday 5 April 2025
Trump tariffs spare no country; Asia and Europe are hit harder
President Donald Trump is imposing tariffs on US trading partners worldwide, his biggest assault yet on a global economic system he has long bemoaned as unfair.
Trump said Wednesday he will apply a minimum 10% tariff on all exporters to the US and slap additional duties on around 60 nations with the largest trade imbalances with the US. That includes substantially higher rates on some of the country's biggest trading partners, such as China — which now faces a tariff of at least 54% on many goods — the European Union and Vietnam
Saturday 5 April 2025
Tata Electronics appoints semiconductor veteran KC Ang to lead manufacturing push in India
Tata Electronics has made a significant move to bolster its semiconductor manufacturing ambitions by appointing industry veteran KC Ang as President and Head of Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing. Ang, bringing over three decades of experience in the semiconductor sector, will assume his new role in 2024, reporting directly to Tata Electronics CEO Randhir Thakur, according to the Economic Times and Mint
Saturday 5 April 2025
Apple's China pivot threatens LG's display and camera stronghold
As Apple accelerates efforts to diversify its iPhone component supply chain, LG Group's component subsidiaries are monitoring market developments closely. While LG Display (LGD) and LG Innotek maintain significant positions in Apple's display and camera module supply chains, Chinese vendors are rapidly gaining ground, challenging South Korea's long-standing dominance
Saturday 5 April 2025
US robotics firms advocate for national strategy amid rise of China's 'Ge Wu' platform
A quiet revolution is reshaping the future of global manufacturing, with robotics technology at its center. In this unfolding race, the US and its Western allies are increasingly wary of China's potential to take the lead
Saturday 5 April 2025
Outmaneuvering Huawei and Tesla: How Momenta quietly claimed China's auto-driving crown
As Tesla and Huawei continue to dominate headlines in China's autonomous driving race, another player is quietly reshaping the landscape. Founded in 2016, Momenta has captured more than 60% of China's urban Navigation on Autopilot (NOA) market for third-party suppliers, according to Xinhua News Agency. In a field crowded with tech giants and cash-burning startups, this stealth-mode contender has rapidly become a pivotal force in China's smart mobility sector
Friday 4 April 2025
South Korean tech giants Naver and Kakao chart divergent AI-driven paths
South Korean leading tech conglomerates Naver and Kakao have placed artificial intelligence firmly at the core of their future strategies, as evidenced by recent shareholder meetings. However, despite this shared focus, the companies are pursuing markedly different approaches shaped by distinct leadership styles and internal priorities, reports ETNews and ZDNet Korea
Thursday 3 April 2025
China restricts companies from investing in US as tensions rise
China has taken steps to restrict local companies from investing in the US, according to people familiar with the matter, in a move that could give Beijing more leverage for potential trade negotiations with the Trump administration
Thursday 3 April 2025
Microsoft joins corporate China exodus with Shanghai AI lab closure
Microsoft has closed its AI and IoT laboratory in Shanghai, adding to the growing list of multinational corporations scaling back operations in China. According to a report by The South China Morning Post, the lab in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park now stands empty, with office equipment removed and Microsoft's corporate logo taken down from the building
Wednesday 2 April 2025
Goertek pours US$390 million into Vietnam expansion, inks key HUST partnership
Goertek, a leading Chinese electronics manufacturer, is expanding its footprint in Vietnam with a proposed VND9,717 billion (approx. US$391 million) investment while also formalizing a partnership with Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) to support talent development and joint research initiatives
Wednesday 2 April 2025
Sharp offloads dormant LCD plant to Aoi for semiconductor packaging pivot
Sharp Corporation announced on March 31 that it has agreed to sell an idle LCD panel factory in Mie Prefecture, Japan, to local electronics component maker Aoi Electronics. Known as Mie Plant 1, the facility spans roughly 60,000 square meters (approx. 14.83 acres) and has been inactive since 2015, when Sharp halted small- and medium-size LCD production there
Wednesday 2 April 2025
Qualcomm acquires Vingroup's AI division for talents
According to a press release, Qualcomm has acquired MovianAI, the former generative AI division of VinAI, which is part of the Vingroup. This acquisition will enhance Qualcomm's R&D capabilities, potentially fostering significant innovations
Wednesday 2 April 2025
Vivo swerves EV hype for home robots as China ages
Vivo, China's top smartphone brand from 2021 to 2024, is making a surprising pivot into the home robotics market. While global tech giants double down on electric vehicles (EVs) amid a saturated smartphone landscape, Vivo is betting its future on consumer-grade robots for personal and household use
Wednesday 2 April 2025
Made in China, built to compete: Loongson's 64-core server takes on Intel in HPC race
At the 2025 ZGC Forum, Chinese chipmaker Loongson introduced the 3C6000/D—its first dual-socket 2U server fully designed and manufactured in-house. The launch highlights China's efforts to advance homegrown high-performance computing (HPC) technologies amid tightening US export restrictions and signals progress in building domestic alternatives to foreign server chips
Wednesday 2 April 2025
Towa's HBM4 packaging breakthrough powers ambitious growth plan
Towa, a prominent name in Japan's semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry, has introduced a new technology specifically designed for the sixth-generation high bandwidth memory (HBM4) advanced packaging. In addition to this development, the company revealed a strategic three-year midterm plan set to culminate in March 2028. The aim is to expand its sales channels throughout Asia for its leading equipment. Towa forecasts a 31% increase in consolidated revenue from March 2025 figures, expecting it to reach JPY71 billion (US$473.97 million), while net profit is projected to rise by 39% to JPY10.9 billion
Wednesday 2 April 2025
China hits its 'ChatGPT moment' with DeepSeek, says 01.AI CEO Kai-Fu Lee
At the 2025 ZGC Forum in Beijing, held from March 27 to 31, artificial intelligence (AI) dominated the agenda. At the event's flagship "Future AI Pioneer Forum," 01.AI CEO and Sinovation Ventures founder Kai-Fu Lee shared his perspective on the trajectory of generative AI in China
Research Report Database
Intel signals overhaul of IDM 2.0 and foundry strategy with Lip-Bu Tan's appointment, says DIGITIMES