Tokyo Electron (TEL)—a long-time close partner of TSMC and a frequent awardee—did not appear on the chipmaker's 2025 Excellent Performance Awards list. The absence is likely related to an incident involving the alleged leak of TSMC's 2nm technology that surfaced in early July 2025.

A new McKinsey report says the global semiconductor landscape is undergoing a dramatic divergence, with the US emerging as the center of leading-edge computation while Europe pivots toward securing industrial supply chains. As 2025 nears its end, the firm notes that a clear pattern has formed in the wave of greenfield Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): the US is consolidating the future of advanced logic production, and Europe is focusing on technological security and manufacturing continuity.

National Development Council (NDC) minister Chun-Hsien Yeh has pointed out that shifting global geopolitical risks are disrupting supply chains. To adapt, Taiwan aims to seize the AI trend by advancing its "five trusted industries" that are closely linked with AI development. The government's strategy includes promoting 10 major AI infrastructure projects to generate over NT$15 trillion (US$462 billion) in output value, driving nationwide industrial upgrades through AI commercialization and integration toward becoming a smart nation.

The International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) will take place from February 15 to 19, 2026, in San Francisco, US, with MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai delivering the opening keynote on semiconductor innovation amid the AI era. The conference highlights a surge in submissions and shifting geographic leadership in integrated circuit (IC) design research.

Nvidia has asserted that its graphics processing unit (GPU) platform remains a full generation ahead of its competitors, responding to increased attention on Google's Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) in the artificial intelligence (AI) chip sector. The company emphasized that GPUs provide greater versatility and performance than specialized ASIC chips like the TPU.

Kneron has launched its next-generation KL1140 edge AI chip, introducing a processor that the company claims can reduce inference costs by tenfold and deliver three times higher energy efficiency compared to cloud-based solutions. The release comes as chip suppliers and system vendors seek ways to mitigate the power burden created by the rapid adoption of AI.

Samsung Electronics and India-based Reliance Industries have deepened their long-standing partnership, exploring cooperation across artificial intelligence, next-generation telecommunications, semiconductors, batteries, data centers, and engineering, following a high-level meeting in Seoul, according to the Korea Times, the Korea Joongan Daily, and the Chosun Daily.

Samsung Electronics has announced its 2026 senior executive promotions, marking a sharp departure from its five-year pattern of steadily reducing the number of high-level advancements. The company increased its total senior promotions to 161, up from 137 in the previous year, drawing widespread industry attention and signaling a strategic shift toward bolstering leadership in future growth sectors, according to ET News and Chosun Biz.

Nvidia will implement 800V infrastructure in its Vera Rubin platform by 2027, with Taiwanese firms leveraging EV expertise for AI servers, potentially boosting revenue in AI power management by 2026.

Japanese semiconductor firm Rapidus, which aims to mass-produce 2nm chips by 2027, has initiated plans for advanced technological developments, including the construction of a second factory in Hokkaido. The company has yet to commence mass production of advanced process chips.