Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an unstoppable trend. The US will remain strong, not just with OpenAI. Since DeepSeek has broken through the existing frameworks of Chinese enterprises and operates on an open-source model, it is likely that there will be others in the US who will follow suit.

Just before the Lunar New Year celebrations around the world, a black swan emerged, plunging the global technology industry into a state of extreme uncertainty.

The semiconductor industry is swiftly advancing due to high-performance computing and AI smartphones, creating opportunities for AI semiconductors. With the growing demand for advanced chip capabilities, the sophisticated packaging and testing market is expanding. Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT) specializes in test interface technology and leverages AI advancements to drive its research and development.

The global tech landscape has undergone significant transformation since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2019. Government subsidies totaling US$17 trillion, combined with the surge in remote work, have propelled tech giants to unprecedented heights. Currently, nine tech companies have achieved market valuations exceeding US$1 trillion. Including TSMC, these companies command a combined market value of US$18 trillion, demonstrating the concentrated wealth accumulation among select tech giants. This concentration of capital has created opportunities for companies within their supply chains to capture value.

Recent US Section 301 tariffs targeting China's semiconductor industry have spotlighted the mature process segment. While the definition of mature processes remains somewhat fluid, it generally encompasses nodes of 15nm and above that Chinese manufacturers can produce, though some definitions extend to 7nm.

During the keynote speech at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) held at the end of 2024, 2D Field Effect Transistors (2D FET) and carbon nanotubes were mentioned as potential future technologies for logic ICs.

Before the Lunar New Year, HTC disclosed that a portion of its extended reality (XR) research and development team would be incorporated into Google during the first quarter of 2025. Furthermore, Google will acquire non-exclusive licensing rights to HTC's XR intellectual property for a sum of US$250 million.

Amid uncertainties in the Chinese market and reduced spending by automotive chip and power semiconductor manufacturers, Japanese semiconductor equipment makers have revised their sales forecast for fiscal year 2025 (April 2025 - March 2026). Nevertheless, demand for advanced process chips, especially those needed for artificial intelligence (AI), is anticipated to lead to a 5% year-over-year sales growth in 2025.

China's Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has reportedly adopted the 1z process for its 10nm-class DDR5 production, prompting heightened concern at Samsung Electronics, which is now closely monitoring the status of advanced DRAM production in China.

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, China's Vice Premier Xuexiang Ding stated that there are "no winners" in a trade war while acknowledging the numerous difficulties and challenges currently facing the Chinese economy.

Japanese semiconductor cleaning equipment manufacturer Screen plans to increase its semiconductor manufacturing equipment production capacity to 120% of the 2023 level by fiscal year 2026 (April 2026–March 2027), aiming for annual revenue of approximately JPY600 billion (approx. US$3.9 billion) to meet growing demand in semiconductor manufacturing.