Japanese NAND flash maker Kioxia debuted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime Market on December 18, marking a significant milestone. Despite an initial stock price surge, the company's current market value stands at less than half of the JPY2 trillion (approx. US$13 billion) valuation it held upon separating from Toshiba in 2018.
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk raised concerns about chip shortages during a discussion with TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei, emphasizing the transformative potential of drones and multifunctional robots. Taiwan's academic sector is spearheading at least 10 humanoid robot projects, with plans for continued expansion.
Nanya Technology has greenlit a strategic alliance with DRAM design firm PieceMakers Technology, committing up to NT$6.6 billion (US$1.5 million) in a cash capital increase to secure a 38% stake. The collaboration targets customized ultra-high-bandwidth memory solutions tailored for AI and edge computing demands.
Nvidia has overcome production hurdles for its highly anticipated Blackwell chip, with CEO Jensen Huang confirming the resolution of design flaws in collaboration with TSMC. Shipments are now set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024, with a full ramp-up by the first quarter of 2025. Despite recent thermal management challenges in the GB200 Rack system, impacting shipment capacity, the supply chain confirms these issues have been resolved, ensuring smooth production.
Amid surging AI demand, SK Hynix has unveiled a 61TB SSD tailored for AI data centers, marking a significant leap in the enterprise SSD (eSSD) market and intensifying competition with industry leader Samsung Electronics.
In 2024, China's artificial intelligence (AI) framework market is experiencing robust growth, with Huawei's MindSpore securing nearly 30% market share, successfully positioning itself among the global mainstream AI frameworks. This data was revealed at the recent MindSpore AI Framework Summit hosted by Huawei.
China has approved a new set of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) services, marking the smallest batch this year, indicative of a potential saturation in the domestic AI market.
Asustek Computer is on track to achieve its second-highest profit ever in 2024, driven by sustained growth in notebook and motherboard sales combined with a strong AI PC market share, according to chairman Jonney Shih at the company's recent year-end banquet.
Despite market speculations about potential delays in Nvidia's GB200 NVL72 series server shipments, industry sources confirm that Foxconn Technology (Hon Hai) is maintaining its original schedule. Initial shipments are set to begin in December 2024 as planned.
TSMC chairman C.C. Wei recently relayed Tesla CEO Elon Musk's view that Tesla should bet its future on multifunctional robots instead of electric vehicles. This echoes Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's recent comments highlighting humanoid robots as one of the few robot categories suitable for high-volume manufacturing.
The edge AI computing sector reached a crucial maturity milestone in 2024, with 2025 expected to witness large-scale edge AI implementation, according to Etron Technology chairman Nicky Lu.
Nvidia faces growing competition from ASIC chip developers, as Broadcom, Google, and AWS advance their development efforts in AI chips, according to industry sources.
Broadcom's stellar performance and outlook have energized the ASIC market, prompting numerous companies to enter the AI chip arena. The industry sentiment has shifted from overwhelming support for Nvidia to optimism about ASIC chips driving the next wave of AI demand. Cloud service providers are already working to reduce their dependence on Nvidia, as the surge of ASIC developers threatens to disrupt Nvidia's AI chip dominance and intensify competition for AMD.
Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) convened a meeting on December 16, 2024, where Chunghwa Telecom chairman Lee-Feng Chien presented a comprehensive strategy to advance its domestic artificial intelligence (AI) industry. During the Executive Yuan-hosted session, Chien outlined six key considerations for propelling the industry forward.
In response to Taiwan's panel and traditional industries facing fierce competition from Chinese peers, deputy minister of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Chin-tsang Ho said that the MOEA will offer R&D subsidies totaling NT$11.6 billion (approx. US$354.15 million) starting in 2025 and welcomes applications from related industry players.
At a Bluetooth audio technology seminar on December 18, 2024, Airoha discussed current trends and provided perspectives on market development and competition. The company emphasized the increasing importance of integrating AI into Bluetooth devices to meet customers' demands for "hearing clearly and speaking distinctly."
Rapidus shared progress on its 2-nanometer (nm) chip production preparations at SEMICON Japan 2024, highlighting its innovative AI-enabled overhead transport system. The company remains on schedule for trial production in April 2025, while IBM emphasized the chips' significant power efficiency advantages.
Micron Technology reported record fiscal first-quarter revenue driven by data center SSD sales, which now represent over half of total revenue. While HBM shipments doubled quarter over quarter, the company's fiscal second-quarter guidance fell below expectations due to weakening demand in non-AI segments. However, AI-driven growth prospects remain strong for fiscal 2025.
After revealing the latest financial results, Micron held an earnings call, discussing the recovery paces across markets. The company is optimistic about the demand for HBM as it continues to secure customers and develop HBM4.
Nvidia is reportedly forming a humanoid robot supply chain in Taiwan, targeting key machine tool manufacturers as partners and considering local assembly lines. However, existing partners have clarified that their collaboration models with Nvidia remain unchanged.
Japanese robotics giants Fanuc and Yaskawa Electric are realigning their development strategies toward the US market amid declining demand in China. This shift is evident in their revenue breakdowns and recently announced business plans.
Amid potential US tariffs and growing AI momentum, Paul Peng, chairman of the Taipei Computer Association (TCA), confirmed the Taiwan tech sector's ongoing implementation of supply chain diversification strategies.
Zhipu AI, a Chinese artificial intelligence unicorn specializing in large language models (LLMs), has secured CNY3 billion (US$412 million) in its latest funding round—its second this year. According to Caixin, new investors include strategic and state-backed entities, alongside existing participants like Legend Capital. The proceeds will support the development of Zhipu's Generalized Language Model (GLM) series, strengthening its position in the AI industry.
Advantech has announced its ambitious plans to establish dominance in the rapidly growing sectors of edge computing and artificial intelligence (AI). Chairman KC Liu revealed the company's strategic transition, emphasizing its dedication to leveraging the transformative power of these technologies to seize new opportunities across various industries.
