The standoff between China and the US continues, escalating global geopolitical risks and fueling stronger demand for military resources across nations. Nam Liong Global has been actively investing in the research and development of technologies for military equipment and safety protection systems, covering products such as bulletproof gear and emergency medical rescue items.
Advancing RE100 commitments has become a critical goal for the global tech industry, but South Korean companies face complex processes and steep costs in power purchase agreements (PPAs), pushing many toward simpler green premium schemes with limited carbon reductions. Industry and academia are now looking to Taiwan's offshore wind auction strategy as a successful model that reduces corporate procurement pressure.
To support the development of Samsung and SK Hynix's Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, the South Korean government has promoted a nationwide "energy expressway" to increase renewable energy infrastructure. However, the initiative has faced criticism for lacking consultation, increasing inequalities, and proving inefficient. Some experts have argued that the entire Yongin project should be halted and that the national power transmission policy should be restructured.
Gigastorage has taken a significant step forward in its clean energy strategy. Its wholly owned subsidiary, GEG, has signed a three-year corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) with Taiwan Cooperative Bank, marking a milestone in the company's effort to expand its green electricity business. Under the deal, Giga Energy will supply six million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy beginning in 2025.
Jabil announced a significant leadership transition on October 16, stating that Executive Chairman Mark T. Mondello and two other directors will not seek re-election to the board. The departures are scheduled for the company's annual stockholder meeting in January 2026.
GlobalWafers announced on October 16 that its new 12-inch wafer fab, Fab300, in Novara, Italy, has officially begun operations. This marks a significant step in the company's global expansion and a key milestone in Europe's push toward semiconductor self-sufficiency.
On October 9, 2025, China's Ministry of Commerce issued its No. 61 and No. 62 notices, expanding export controls on rare earths. The scope now extends from raw materials to equipment, technology, and assemblies containing rare earth elements. Additionally, the notices include extraterritorial application mechanisms.
Memory module manufacturer Apacer Technology has, in recent years, been actively expanding into full-color cholesteric liquid crystal electronic paper (ChLCD ePaper). Recognizing that Japan has a strong demand for sustainable solutions, the company has joined forces with IRIS Optronics for CEATEC 2025 in Japan, showcasing the latest applications that combine low power consumption, reflective display, and outdoor visibility.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced that the new iPhone Air will open for preorder in China on October 17, with official sales beginning on October 22. The announcement was made during Cook's public appearance in China, where he promoted the device through a live stream on the popular platform Douyin, known internationally as TikTok.
Taiwan's memory module maker Adata Technology has announced a strategic partnership between its enterprise storage brand TRUSTA, Giga Computing, and South Korea's flash controller architecture developer FADU to jointly develop high-end enterprise-grade SSD solutions tailored for next-generation server platforms.
The Taiwan InnoTech Expo (TIE) 2025 will take place as scheduled on October 16–18 at the Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1, signaling confidence in Taiwan's innovation momentum even as Washington considers sweeping new tariffs on semiconductor and technology products.
MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation, a subsidiary of MiTAC Holdings, has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Belgian innovator Tonomia, which focuses on distributed AI renewable energy solutions. This partnership marks an important milestone in advancing sustainable AI infrastructure.
As electric vehicle (EV) adoption surges and global attention on ESG and renewable energy deepens, battery reuse and recycling have become pivotal to the waste battery circular economy. South Korea's eNDIVe is standing out with a dual-track strategy that combines both reuse and recycling, positioning the company for steady long-term growth despite current economic headwinds.
The global rare earth market has long been dominated by China, encompassing everything from ore extraction to separation and refining, and even magnet manufacturing. Although the US possesses rare earth resources, high costs, strict environmental regulations, and China's low-price supply led the US to virtually exit the industry after the 1990s, becoming reliant on imports from China.
Yulon Group's mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platform Line Go is marking two years since its brand upgrade, as the service sees steady growth with over 4.7 million users. In particular, the Line Go Taxi service has become the largest low-carbon emission fleet in Taiwan, with an accumulated driving distance in 2024 equivalent to circling the Earth about 1,367 times.
Chih-Wei Wu, deputy director general of the Energy Administration (EA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), showed journalists around the Maritime Technology Innovation Center (MTIC) in Kaohsiung on October 2. Current tenants include Thunder Tiger, the Taiwan Ocean Research Institute (TORI) under the National Institute of Applied Research (NIAR), Fugro IOVTEC, Maca Tech, Lung Hwa Electronics, and GOAT Engineering.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced that its Loan Programs Office (LPO) has restructured a financing deal with Lithium Americas Corp. (LAC), with participation from General Motors (GM), to support the development of a domestic lithium carbonate production facility. The facility, located at Thacker Pass, Nevada, is expected to produce approximately 40,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate once fully operational.
The Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in South Korea, which is anchored by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, is currently under development. However, experts caution that there are unresolved power grid issues, mainly due to the massive energy demands of the cluster. Additionally, the current energy supply plan may conflict with the national goals for carbon neutrality.
Taiwanese optoelectronics specialist AUO held its Global Partner Summit (GPS) 2025 under the theme "Together, Unlimited Possibilities" on September 12. The event brought together 116 companies and more than 300 supply chain partners from North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Through sharing strategies and achievements in technology and value innovation, AUO and its partners explored ways to create value and advance sustainable development.
Leading European carmakers have called on the EU to ease strict CO2 emission rules and support various powertrain technologies like hybrids to meet market needs. However, the EU has responded cautiously, postponing any decisions on loosening the targets.
AI giants are shifting the global competition in large language models (LLMs) away from benchmark dominance toward sustainability and real-world applicability, signaling a new phase in how artificial intelligence performance is measured. The move highlights rising concerns about energy use, environmental impact, and user experience as essential evaluation metrics.
IAA Mobility in Munich, Germany, is generally seen as a key indicator for the global automotive industry, compared to CES in Las Vegas, the US, which is a showcase of the strengths of innovative technologies. However, the EU is set to review carbon emission regulations in mid-September 2025, shortly after this year's IAA Mobility. At this sensitive juncture, the direction of the IAA seems to have taken a sharp turn.
Kemflo International has completed its activated carbon regeneration plant in Pingtung and is moving forward with environmental certification and licensing as it shifts focus toward circular economy solutions in semiconductor manufacturing. The company aims to establish a new growth area by offering regeneration services for spent activated carbon, widely used in liquid purification processes.
The EU plans to implement the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) in 2028. In response, South Korea is accelerating efforts to enact its own Corporate Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence Act. The legislation will require companies to identify and address human rights and environmental violations within their supply chains. However, provisions for requiring plans to address climate change have triggered fierce debate between industry players and environmental groups.
BoReTech Group, a specialist in environmental and resource recovery engineering, continues to see the bulk of its revenue come from Asia, which accounts for about 74% of total sales. The Americas rank second at 17%, while other regions collectively contribute around 9%.