Bloomberg reports that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has closed its antitrust review of SoftBank Group's planned US$6.5 billion acquisition of US chip designer Ampere Computing, clearing the final obstacle to the transaction.

Amid rising US–China tech tensions and China's "Robot Plus" initiative, humanoid and service robots have emerged as the next major strategic sectors. Yet even as China's humanoid robotics market expands rapidly, core compute remains heavily reliant on suppliers such as Intel and Nvidia, fueling concerns over technological autonomy.

The growing adoption of advanced processes below 3nm for AI GPUs and AI ASIC chips is driving a surge in test points and shrinking pitch sizes during the chip probing (CP) stage. Industry players widely regard micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) probe cards as the future growth engine, expecting significant contributions by 2026.

With the wave of generative AI applications driving rapid upgrades in high-performance computing architectures and data center networks, market demand for ultra-high bandwidth, lower power consumption, and higher reliability products is increasing. This trend is creating leapfrog growth opportunities for the semiconductor and optical communications industries.

South Korean startup Stratio has developed a mass-producible short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging sensor based on germanium, costing just 1% of comparable market products. By integrating AI algorithms, the company targets applications across recycling, agriculture, food safety, home appliances, and security industries, aiming to become the smartphone's "fourth camera lens."

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) has reportedly locked in supply contracts for ABF substrates with major technology companies such as Alphabet, Tesla, Apple, Amazon Web Services, and Broadcom, leaving its 2026 production almost fully booked, according to South Korean outlets Chosun Biz and EBN. This confirms strong demand for the components used in advanced semiconductor packaging.

South Korea's trade chief said Seoul sees room to coordinate with Taiwan on upcoming US chip tariffs, signaling potential cooperation between the two Asian semiconductor powerhouses as Washington reshapes tariff rules under President Donald Trump. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said Taiwan's ongoing negotiations create space for both sides to seek the most favorable treatment.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing to convert portions of its NAND flash production lines in Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong into DRAM facilities as the company races to meet surging demand for general-purpose DRAM used in AI servers and data centers.

Wu Cheng-Wen, Taiwan's Minister without Portfolio and head of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), told the Financial Times that the United States will not levy heavy tariffs on Taiwan's semiconductor sector, and that Taipei will help Washington understand the industrial model behind the island's chip-manufacturing strength.

The turmoil surrounding Nexperia persists as Wingtech, the Chinese parent company of Nexperia, has formally lodged a complaint with the Dutch government, demanding the withdrawal of its control over Nexperia Netherlands. This follows the Dutch government's recent announcement suspending the takeover execution amid negotiations with China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), while not revoking the original court ruling that authorized the takeover.