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Monday 5 October 2026
Japan's strategic push to reclaim silicon supremacy with Rapidus
In a major effort to rebuild its national semiconductor industry, Japanese contract chipmaker Rapidus plans to partner with 17 domestic and international design firms to broaden its potential customer base and help clients develop proprietary silicon. Established in 2022 to spearhead Japan's return to cutting-edge manufacturing, Rapidus is targeting the commercial production of advanced 2-nanometer logic chips by the second half of fiscal 2027.
Monday 5 October 2026
SDC, LGD seek longer tax credits, cash refunds for OLED investment amid intensifying China competition
Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) are calling on the South Korean government to strengthen tax incentives for OLED investment and research as intensifying competition from Chinese panel makers raises pressure to maintain technological leadership and upgrade production capacity.
Monday 5 October 2026
Exclusive: A*STAR IME's Yu-chieh Chien targets next-gen SiC through 8-inch R&D, reliability gains

Singapore is building a semiconductor R&D hub by attracting both multinational investment and overseas research talent. Dr Yu-chieh Chien, a Taiwanese scientist at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Institute of Microelectronics (A*STAR IME), is one example.

Monday 5 October 2026
KAI targets 6G satellite communications as standardized platforms bridge observation and connectivity ambitions
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) showcased its next-generation medium-sized satellites and compact synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites at AEROTEC 2026 in Changwon, highlighting an expanding space strategy that increasingly extends from Earth observation into communications.
Monday 5 October 2026
Micronex plans Sanand lead-frame plant as India expands chip packaging supply chain
Micronex Technology plans to build a semiconductor lead-frame factory in Sanand, Gujarat, seeking to localize a packaging component as India expands its chip assembly and testing industry. The startup's agreement with Kaynes Semicon connects the proposed plant to Gujarat's growing semiconductor ecosystem, while similar supplier partnerships elsewhere point to a wider push for domestic materials and components.
Monday 5 October 2026
Z.ai GLM-5.3 security draws scrutiny as Anthropic flags weak defenses
Anthropic has warned that GLM-5.3, the latest model from Chinese AI startup Z.ai, approached Claude Mythos Preview on an exploit-development benchmark but lacks sufficient safety protections, raising concerns that malicious actors could use it for cyberattacks.
Monday 5 October 2026
South Korea's AI chip budget goes unspent through August
South Korea's government is pushing to join the "global top three AI powers," but the AI semiconductor development program led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) had spent nothing by the end of August 2026. The core AI semiconductor budget for 2026 totaled KRW166.554 billion (about US$119 million), according to Edaily and Newdaily, yet cumulative execution remained at KRW0.
Monday 5 October 2026
Taiwanese aerospace company AIDC unveils Raven X tactical drone
Aerospace Industrial Development (AIDC) unveiled its first self-developed fixed-wing tactical drone, the Raven X. AIDC president Hsiu-mei Chuang recently stated that the Taiwan-based aerospace company is shifting part of its business focus toward unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) development, following the winding down of its Brave Eagle advanced jet trainer production program.
Monday 5 October 2026
Japan to finalize AI growth investment plan this year
Japan plans to detail the first five years of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's more than JPY370 trillion (US$2.3 trillion) 14-year investment initiative, which is designed to spur investment in AI and other strategic sectors, according to documents submitted Thursday, October 1, to Japan's Growth Strategy Council.
Monday 5 October 2026
Tesla leads Taiwan registrations as it advances FSD road tests
Tesla ranked first in Taiwan's new-car registrations in September and said it is continuing the approval process for its Full Self-Driving (Supervised), or FSD (S), driver-assistance system. The automaker also presented a road-test framework at a technical review meeting as it works with government agencies and academic experts.
Monday 5 October 2026
Nanya Tech expands 3D OSAT to chase HBM-like demand
Nanya Technology is stepping up investment in new factory capacity to expand packaging and testing as some customers move into trial production for specification-based designs. The company said it has won approval from the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) park review committee to set up a 3D wafer packaging and testing plant in Pingtung Science Park, aiming to capture demand for high-performance, high-bandwidth memory solutions driven by fast-growing AI applications.
Monday 5 October 2026
US-China truce extension lifts 4Q freight rates, tightens capacity
After US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping, the two sides agreed to extend their trade truce, a move the market read positively. Industry participants expect previously delayed China-US shipments to be released gradually, pushing freight rates higher from October and tightening cargo space.
Monday 5 October 2026
India roundup: India deepens its role in global technology supply chains

India is expanding its role across semiconductors, electronics and digital services, as new investment rules, supply-chain localization and Apple initiatives highlight both the country's progress and remaining constraints.

Saturday 3 October 2026
Biren readies BR20X, sharpening China's AI GPU challenge to Nvidia
Biren Technology is preparing its next-generation GPU for mass production, advancing a domestic AI accelerator roadmap built around broader low-precision support and locally available manufacturing.
Friday 2 October 2026
LG Energy Solution and GM bet LMR can bridge the gap between LFP cost and high-nickel range
For years, automakers have grappled with an underlying paradox stemming from persistent EV raw-material pressures, as supply chains worldwide have been constrained by a familiar battery-chemistry trade-off: cost-effectiveness versus high-performance density.