SoftBank announced the acquisition of part of Sharp's Sakai Display Products (SDP) factory in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, for JPY100 billion (approx. US$6.7 million) on March 14, 2025. The company plans to transform the site into a large-scale AI data center, with operations expected to begin in 2026, reports NHK and Nikkei

On March 13, Gree Electric opened its first "Dong Mingzhu Health Home" store in Beijing's Tongzhou district, signaling a major expansion beyond air conditioning into the broader home appliance market

China's Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics, and Physics (CIOMP) is offering "uncapped" salaries to PhD researchers as the nation races to develop domestic semiconductor lithography capabilities amid escalating US technology restrictions

These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of March 10 – March 15

Baidu Inc. released a new artificial intelligence model that articulates its reasoning, in an apparent bid to regain momentum against up-and-coming rivals like DeepSeek

Apple plans to begin AirPods production at its supplier Foxconn's facility in Hyderabad, India, starting in April 2025, with an initial focus on exports. This move represents Apple's ongoing strategy to diversify its supply chain beyond China amid escalating trade tensions. The initiative also underscores India's emerging role in global electronics manufacturing

India's semiconductor industry is experiencing growth with key investments, such as VCI Global's semiconductor wire plant and Jabil's second factory. However, challenges persist, such as underutilized chip design potential and limited support for startups. Strategic partnerships, like Infineon's collaboration with CDIL, aim to strengthen India's e-mobility and renewable sectors

Since President Trump took office, China has come to view the US with increasing skepticism, prompting the Chinese government to implement several countermeasures in response to perceived US hostility

At the beginning of 2025, the US Department of Defense blacklisted China's lithium battery leader, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), followed by US President Donald Trump imposing a 20% tariff on Chinese products, including lithium batteries. Recently, the US further prevented the US Department of Homeland Security from purchasing batteries manufactured by Chinese companies

On March 6, 2025, China's AI scene is brimming with confidence, with some media even suggesting that domestic firms could outpace OpenAI. Newcomer Manus is being positioned as a rival to DeepSeek, but whether it has the technological depth to back up the hype remains an open question. Flashy marketing alone won't close the gap

Recently, AMD held a launch event in China for its latest GPU product, the Radeon RX 9070 series, highlighting its commitment to the Chinese market. The introduction of DeepSeek enhances the commercial applications of AI in the edge and endpoint markets, providing AMD with a unique competitive advantage compared to Nvidia

Samsung Electronics is considering a major overhaul of its semiconductor division as Exynos chip losses mount. Reports suggest the company may transfer its Exynos application processor (AP) division from System LSI, under the Device Solutions (DS) unit, to the Mobile eXperience (MX) division within Device eXperience (DX). This shift would follow Apple's model, giving Samsung's mobile division full control over chip development to enhance integration and performance

Alibaba's Qwen (Tongyi Qianwen) and the emerging AI agent Manus have recently announced a strategic partnership, generating buzz across the artificial intelligence sector. This collaboration seeks to combine their expertise in large-scale language models and computational platforms specifically catered to the Chinese market. Together, they aim to create a versatile AI agent product tailored for domestic users. Technical teams from both companies are actively working together to advance this initiative

On the evening of March 12, Lens Technology announced plans to issue overseas foreign-listed shares (H-shares) and seek a listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE). The move is aimed at expanding its global market reach, enhancing its international brand image, and strengthening its overall competitiveness, following extensive research and evaluation