STMicroelectronics unveiled a strategic partnership with China's Hua Hong Semiconductor, with a plan to commence production of 40nm process MCUs in Shenzhen by the end of 2025. STMicroelectronics noted the importance of establishing a local manufacturing footprint in China to retain a competitive edge in the EV market.
Rohm Semiconductor is grappling with a significant slowdown in the electric vehicle (EV) market, leading to reduced semiconductor demand and an unexpected financial loss.
Jiang-song Fu, chairman of IC distributor Professional Computer Technology (PCT), projected 2024 to be the trough for their operations. Despite this, the company expects to remain profitable. He highlighted that the AI trend is set to drive substantial growth for various IoT products, including automotive electronics, over 2025-2026.
Taiwanese IT product manufacturers expect AI server demand to drive their growth in the fourth quarter of 2024, as consumer electronics enters the traditional low season. Looking forward to 2025, the manufacturers expect even stronger orders, with AI servers showing the strongest momentum, followed by AI PCs, while automotive electronics will also be a major growth driver.
Wolfspeed's board has announced the dismissal of CEO Gregg Lowe, effective at the end of November. Lowe, who has led the semiconductor company since 2017, will be replaced by Board Chair Thomas Werner on an interim basis as the company searches for a new CEO.
SK Group's silicon wafer manufacturer SK Siltron has confirmed that it will receive a loan of US$544 million from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to invest in its silicon carbide (SiC) wafer factory at its US subsidiary, SK Siltron CSS, which is expected to commence production in 2025.
Europe's automotive sector is facing sweeping changes, marked by mass layoffs and factory closures, with Germany's top automakers—Volkswagen AG, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz—feeling the greatest impact. As labor unions protest, fearing a jobless wave, the situation reveals a broader labor shortfall in Germany, particularly in the booming semiconductor sector, where former auto workers are snapped up even before formally entering the job market.
Leading integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) have expressed concerns about the automotive semiconductor market outlook for 2025. Despite these challenges, Taiwan-based IC design firms within the automotive supply chain remain committed to exploring growth opportunities.
Pegatron is poised to expand its server operations significantly, with initial results from its automotive and server businesses expected to materialize in 2025. Despite being a relative newcomer in the server market, Pegatron emphasizes that after two years of building fundamentals, it anticipates reaping the fruits of its earlier labor next year. While focusing on the three leading cloud service providers (CSP), the company is also pursuing orders from second and third-tier CSPs and enterprise customers. Additionally, it has secured orders from a major semiconductor company in Taiwan, with the project in its final verification stage and shipments scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
Power management IC (PMIC) specialist Silergy has seen growth in the third quarter of 2024 compared to last year, which chairman Wei Chen attributes to the end of inventory adjustments at its communications-related customers, and a steady inflow of orders across all of the company's new product segments, particularly in the automotive business.
The global semiconductor shortage that plagued automotive chips from 2020 to 2022 has subsided, as electric vehicle (EV) demand in Europe and the US falls short of projections. While this eases immediate supply concerns, major industry players are reassessing their strategies amid new challenges.
Automotive supply chain players are increasingly branching out into non-automotive sectors, notably semiconductors, with companies like Global PMX and TsangYow at the forefront.
Himax Technologies exceeded third-quarter 2024 expectations, fueled by strong automotive IC revenue from Chinese orders. Despite a revenue decline and lower gross margin, the company remains optimistic about growth in the automotive, AI, WLO, and OLED sectors amid market uncertainties.
According to Nikkei, Rohm's performance for the first half of fiscal year 2024 (April to September 2024) has significantly underperformed expectations, resulting in a loss. A key factor behind this downturn is weak demand for automotive power semiconductors, driven by unfavorable conditions among its automotive clients.
Tessolve, an India-based semiconductor engineering firm owned by Hero, the world's largest two-wheeler brand, has acquired German-based IC design house Dream Chip Technologies. This acquisition marks a significant step in India's efforts to expand its in-house semiconductor capabilities in both design and production.
As ultra-wideband (UWB) technology matures and market demand increases, UWB is gradually entering the automotive and consumer electronics sectors. Its remarkable performance in digital key and safety functions for automobiles has garnered attention, despite facing challenges from Bluetooth technology and ecosystems like the Huawei-led SparkLink Alliance.
Software-defined vehicles (SDVs) are at the forefront of automotive electronic innovation, and the surge in generative AI further amplifies software's transformative power. Yet, as automotive technology and AI advance, a multitude of software and algorithms flood the field, prompting a fundamental question: which software genuinely defines and shapes the hardware's core?
NXP Semiconductors anticipates that its revenue and profit performance for the fourth quarter of 2024 will be below market expectations, with an estimated range of US$3 billion to US$3.2 billion, as a result of a slowdown in the automotive industry, uncertainty regarding demand in Europe and the US, and general macroeconomic weakness.
October 27 marked the second anniversary of Jae-yong Lee's tenure as Samsung Electronics' (Samsung) executive chairman. However, both Lee and Samsung are facing unprecedented challenges.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are accelerating their European shipments ahead of potential anti-subsidy tariffs of up to 35% that could take effect from November 1. While recent EU-China negotiations have made progress on pricing terms, significant uncertainties persist in the evolving trade landscape.
On Semiconductor's (Onsemi) latest financial results met expectations despite challenging market conditions. The company also offered a cautious outlook for 2024 and 2025.
Oki Electric Industry and Nisshinbo Micro Devices have announced the development of an analog IC for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in vehicles, reports Nikkei.
BYD's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales excelled in October, buoying the performance of its Taiwanese suppliers in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to market sources.
Taiwan-based makers have seen demand for power semiconductors pick up in China's automobile sector, but the automotive market remains challenging in the foreseeable future, according to industry sources.
