Renesas Electronics CEO Hidetoshi Shibata said on March 26 that layoffs and a pay freeze are necessary responses to the prolonged slump in the global semiconductor market. Speaking at an online shareholders meeting, Shibata framed the moves as survival-driven rather than strategic
Amid uncertainties regarding US tariff policy, Taiwanese server manufacturers are adapting for the future. DIGITIMES analyst Yen Chou noted that servers produced in the US will be expensive, particularly affecting cloud service providers (CSPs) like AWS and Microsoft
China's EV industry is now building on the past glories of its automotive sector. The much-criticized issue of "overcapacity" seems to be a perpetual non-concern. Outdated, low-quality EVs are sent to the scrapyard during market transitions. China's system naturally eliminates laggards that fail to keep pace. The Chinese assure the world there is no need to worry unnecessarily, emphasizing that they possess greater resilience and flexibility than other nations to tolerate failures. Even if only three EV manufacturers remain profitable, the Chinese will not falter
At Nvidia GTC 2025, the discussion surrounding advanced autonomous driving heated up, with US automotive alliances and tech industry groups joining forces to urge President Donald Trump to take action. Their goal: to expedite the deployment of self-driving cars by overcoming current regulatory hurdles before China takes the lead in this emerging sector
With the White House soliciting industry input for its "Artificial Intelligence Action Plan" until March 15, OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic have unveiled detailed proposals to shape US AI policy. These firms, identified by 01.AI CEO Kai-Fu Lee as future AI market leaders, emphasize the need to balance innovation, national security, and global competitiveness
As US export controls tighten on advanced semiconductor technologies, Shenzhen-based SiCarrier unveiled new 5nm-capable fabrication tools at SEMICON China 2025. The company claims its proprietary deep ultraviolet (DUV) and non-optical process equipment can manufacture 5nm chips without relying on ASML's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems
The South Korean government recently announced a collaboration with Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and DB Hitek to enhance the operational quality of the national public foundry platform, MoaFab, through advanced manpower, equipment support, and other resources
SMIC released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 financial results on March 27, reporting record revenue and wafer shipments. However, profitability declined amid persistent US export controls and reduced investment income. Net profit attributable to shareholders dropped more than 20% year-over-year
Semiconductor equipment vendors have historically operated in stealth mode, relying on proprietary technologies and patents as their main defense. Product launches were subdued, often reaching foundries only after extensive validation—far from the world of bold marketing campaigns
Chinese manufacturers continue expanding production capacity for UV curing materials, creating market oversupply and triggering intense price competition across global markets. Despite these short-term challenges, industry leaders Eternal Materials and Qualipoly Chemical (QPC) remain optimistic about long-term prospects, citing the technology's energy efficiency and environmental advantages
Lens Technology reported CNY69.9 billion (approx. US$9.62 billion) in revenue for 2024, a 28.3% year-over-year increase, according to its annual results released on March 27. Net profit attributable to shareholders rose 19.9% to CNY3.62 billion, while adjusted net profit—excluding non-recurring items—jumped 46.3% to CNY3.29 billion
Zhiyuan Robotics (AgiBot), a Chinese AI startup specializing in embodied intelligence, has become a central player in the humanoid robotics supply chain as a major customer of Lens Technology
SK Hynix has completed the full acquisition of Intel's NAND Flash division, concluding a four-year process. The assets will be integrated under Solidigm, SK Hynix's US subsidiary, to enhance R&D collaboration for enterprise-grade SSDs
SenseTime reported its full-year 2024 earnings, revealing a significant narrowing of losses alongside a surge in generative AI (GenAI) revenue, underscoring the Chinese AI company's strategic shift toward faster-growing business lines and disciplined cost management
Recent reports indicate that China plans to introduce new chip performance standards regulations. Officially, the aim is to control the power consumption of chip products to promote energy savings and carbon reduction. However, many have noticed this will directly impact high-performance AI chips, such as Nvidia's H20. If the Chinese government is determined to enforce these regulations strictly, American chipmakers will have to adjust their product specifications to continue selling in the Chinese market
