Yamaha Motor is accelerating its pivot into the semiconductor equipment space with the launch of Yamaha Robotics, a newly established division focused on robotic systems for electronics manufacturing. The company aims to position the business as its third major revenue pillar, alongside motorcycles and marine engines.
Baidu and Huawei announced the open-sourcing of their proprietary large language models (LLMs) on June 30, 2025, signaling a strategic shift in China's AI landscape. The move reflects a growing push to rival closed-source leaders such as OpenAI and Anthropic through a more collaborative, transparent approach.
As US President Donald Trump intensifies rare earth export negotiations with China, Beijing is countering with a media blitz to highlight its rising independence from US semiconductor technology. In June 2025, Chinese authorities arranged a foreign press tour covering biopharma, humanoid robotics, AI, and automotive sectors, with executives from major firms showcasing efforts toward tech self-sufficiency and global competitiveness.
Following its acquisition of US-based GaN pioneer Transphorm, Renesas Electronics is ramping up its ambitions in the wide-bandgap power semiconductor space. With a bold pivot away from the crowded fast-charging market for consumer electronics, Renesas is positioning its new generation of GaN products for higher-power applications, including electric vehicles, industrial automation, infrastructure, networking, and even AI servers.
US President Donald Trump has unveiled a trade agreement with Vietnam that reduces tariffs on Vietnamese exports to the US from 46% to 20%, while imposing a 40% levy on transshipped goods. Although the full policy details have yet to be released, connector and cable suppliers say the Vietnam deal provides a provisional reference point amid broader uncertainty over regional tariff policies.
Japan-based Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) have jointly developed a medical robot based on Kawasaki's Nyokkey service robot that is currently undergoing trials in Taiwanese hospitals. The robot is set for official sales in fiscal 2026 (April 2026 to March 2027).
Universal Scientific Industrial Shanghai (USI), a China-based electronics design and manufacturing company, has completed delivery of a Level 10 (L10) full-system joint design manufacturing (JDM) project. The lightweight edge AI server, co-developed with a major international client, targets deployment in healthcare, retail, and industrial applications across Europe and North America.
Acer Cyber Security Inc. announced plans to broaden its localized cybersecurity services across Southeast Asia in the second half of 2025, prioritizing Thailand as its key market. The company seeks to leverage its technology expertise and improve its sales partner network amid increasing regional demand.
Acer Medical, a smart healthcare subsidiary of Acer Group, has secured market approval from Singapore's Health Science Authority (HSA) for its AI-assisted diagnostic software, VeriOsteo OP, designed to detect abnormal bone mineral density. This marks the software's official entry into the Singaporean medical market.
On June 2, US President Donald Trump announced a trade agreement imposing a 20% tariff on imports from Vietnam and a 40% tariff on transshipped products. The new tariffs have garnered significant attention within the network communication industry, particularly in Taiwan, where many manufacturers have relocated production to Vietnam, targeting the US market.
Intel recently held its AI Summit in South Korea, sharing the latest trends in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and innovative applications across various industries. The event also explored future AI development directions and cross-industry collaboration strategies. Among the highlights, cooperation between SK Hynix and Intel on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for next-generation AI accelerators attracted significant attention.
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