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Tuesday 3 June 2025
Huawei's Hubble shifts gears: from chips to AI, robotics
Huawei launched Hubble Technology Investment Co. in response to US sanctions in 2019, a wholly owned subsidiary aimed at accelerating China's push for semiconductor independence. Hubble has since become a cornerstone of Huawei's strategy to localize its supply chain, with investments spanning chip design, fabrication equipment, semiconductor materials, and EDA software
Tuesday 3 June 2025
SoftBank and Intel forge AI memory venture to challenge HBM dominance
Japan's SoftBank has partnered with Intel to co-develop cutting-edge DRAM tailored for AI applications, aiming to challenge the incumbent High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) technology. The new chip initiative could receive backing from the Japanese government and is part of a broader national effort to revitalize Japan's semiconductor ecosystem
Tuesday 3 June 2025
Japan Display scraps Taiwan deal over geopolitical risks
Japan Display Inc. announced on June 2, 2025, that it will cancel its plans to invest in Taiwan's PanelSemi Corp., citing rising geopolitical risks within the semiconductor sector. However, the two companies will continue their joint development projects
Tuesday 3 June 2025
BOE's OLED surge stirs déjà vu for South Korea's display sector
BOE Technology Group is fast-tracking its 8.6-generation (8.6G) OLED production line in Chengdu, raising red flags for South Korean display makers. Having already ceded LCD leadership to China, South Korean firms now worry their edge in OLED may also be under threat
Tuesday 3 June 2025
Samsung upgrades capacity layout, reportedly transforming old memory lines into packaging mainstay
Samsung Electronics is reportedly repurposing its existing facilities to bolster its advanced semiconductor packaging capabilities, aiming to enhance competitiveness in the rapidly growing AI and high-performance computing markets. Equipment transfers are expected to begin as early as the second half of 2025
Tuesday 3 June 2025
Huawei defies US sanctions with record revenue and R&D transformation
Huawei posted its second-highest revenue on record as the Chinese telecommunications giant demonstrates resilience despite years of US trade restrictions that have reshaped its business model
Tuesday 3 June 2025
Taiwan's EZconn secures major US data center contract, eyes expansion in ASEAN
Taiwan-based optical communications manufacturer EZconn is poised to leverage the global rise in artificial intelligence and continued US infrastructure spending to drive growth across its three main product lines in 2025. Despite challenges related to currency fluctuations, the company expects to maintain stable gross margins while achieving positive revenue and profit growth throughout the year
Tuesday 3 June 2025
Nittobo announces 20% price increase on fiberglass products
Leading Japanese glass cloth manufacturer Nittobo Boseki announced on June 2, 2025, that it will increase the price of certain fiberglass products in its composite materials business by 20% starting August 1, 2025. Products affected include roving, chopped strands, chopped strand mats, roving cloths, cut fibers, and surface mats
Tuesday 3 June 2025
Chip packaging material shortage deepens as top supplier raises prices 20%
Rising artificial intelligence chip demand has strained supplies of critical materials used in advanced semiconductor packaging, with Japan's Nittobo announcing price increases of as much as 20% starting August 2025 amid persistent shortages
Tuesday 3 June 2025
Tata Electronics reportedly eyes Malaysia for semiconductor acquisition to bolster ATMP capabilities

Tata Electronics is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire a semiconductor facility in Malaysia, with DNeX's SilTerra among the top targets. Notably, Foxconn already holds a stake in DNeX and previously signed an MoU to build a 12-inch fab, underscoring growing global interest in Malaysia's chipmaking potential

Tuesday 3 June 2025
Exclusive: Renesas to sell near-new SiC gear as EV pivot clouds Taiwan partnerships
Renesas Electronics is reportedly exiting its silicon carbide (SiC) initiative, with Japanese media confirming the company has canceled plans for mass production in early 2025 and dissolved the dedicated development team. Citing Nikkei, Nikkan, and Jiji, industry sources note that Renesas has long focused on automotive logic ICs and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). Its expansion into SiC and gallium nitride (GaN) power components was a response to growing demand from the EV industry
Tuesday 3 June 2025
South Korean exports to the US and China fall sharply, but semiconductor sales hit record high

South Korea's exports to the US and China tumbled by more than 8% in May, reflecting growing pressures from global trade tensions and supply chain realignments. Despite the broader slump, the country posted record-breaking semiconductor exports for the month, offering a rare bright spot amid mounting economic uncertainties

Tuesday 3 June 2025
India outlines EV manufacturing scheme as firms weigh investment hurdles, import incentives
India has issued detailed guidelines for the "Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India" (SPMEPCI), aiming to attract new investments from global EV manufacturers. Under the scheme, approved applicants must commit to a minimum investment of INR41.5 billion (approx. US$500 million) within three years, with the objective of establishing domestic manufacturing facilities for electric four-wheelers (e-4Ws)
Tuesday 3 June 2025
US targets EDA exports as Xiaomi’s XRing O1 raises alarm over China’s IC design gains
Xiaomi has launched the XRing O1, claiming to use a 3nm process, while Huawei and Lenovo have successively introduced 5 nm-class chips. The fact that China can still bypass multiple US sanctions and continue advancing in cutting-edge chip design has shocked the US and heightened export vigilance
Tuesday 3 June 2025
South Korea's chip crown becomes a strategic burden

South Korea's leadership in DRAM, NAND, and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is becoming a strategic liability amid rising US-China friction. With SK Hynix and Samsung holding a combined 70% of DRAM and more than half the NAND market, the country anchors a supply chain vital for AI training and HPC workloads. A single disruption could trigger global price shocks and shortages, particularly in AI computing and mobile devices