These are the most-read articles during the week of September 18-22
Pressured by Huawei's comeback? Qualcomm Shanghai R&D center rumored to face massive layoffs
After Dell's de-Sinicization and Marvell's China team were completely laid off, Qualcomm also couldn't hold on. Reports emerge that a large-scale layoff is planned at Qualcomm's Shanghai R&D center in October. Against the backdrop of US-China decoupling, foreign investment in China is shrinking. Not only has Qualcomm's heyday in China come to an end, but recent pressure from competitors like MediaTek and the strong return of Huawei's Kirin could also be the factors that led Qualcomm to "cut ties" with China.
China doubles localization rate for chipmaking equipment, reportedly over 40%
Amid the US containment measures to slow down China's development in semiconductors, China has reportedly increased its semiconductor equipment localization rate to over 40%. Korean media Ddaily quoted industry sources indicating that China's self-sufficiency in semiconductor equipment has exceeded 40%, doubling within two years, with the localization rate of equipment for PVD and oxidation over 50%. According to SEMI, China's localization ratio of semiconductor equipment was 21%, which increased to 35% in 2022.
India approves Tata's ATMP project
Following iPhone case manufacturing, Tata Group plans to set up an ATMP facility in southern India, which may be the first such facility set up by an Indian conglomerate. According to the Times of India, the single-window clearance committee (SLSWCC) of Karnataka approved 91 projects worth INR76.6 billion (US$920 million). The proposals are from companies, including Maruti Suzuki India, South West Mining, Krypton Solutions, and Aegus Consumer.
Huawei steps up NAND flash procurement, say sources
Huawei has stepped up its NAND flash chip procurement for its smartphones, driving up the memory prices recently, according to industry sources.NAND flash wafer prices have been rising in the third quarter of 2023, stimulating replenishment demand from the supply chain. The sources noted that the prices are increasing partly because of Huawei's ambitious procurement, and partly because of reduced output by suppliers.
Chinese home appliance makers aim for vertical applications through self-developed chips
As the smart home ecosystem continues to expand and the AI application trend rages on, many traditional Chinese home appliance makers like TCL, Hisense, Midea, and Gree are observing the massive business opportunity in the vertical application market. Thus, they are deepening their involvement in smart home application scenarios like edge computing AI chips and MCUs.
Why are NAND flash prices soaring?
Initially, the industry predicted that supply chain stockpiles and a severe supply-demand imbalance would prevent NAND flash prices from increasing in 2023. Since upstream memory original manufacturers decided to begin actively reducing output in the third quarter, the market environment has dramatically shifted, and spot market prices are exhibiting a strong trend. The market is taken aback by this unexpected trend reversal.
Effect of US-China rivalry: Samsung China's investment shrinks by over 60% annually
In recent times, South Korean analysts have highlighted the impact of the US-China tensions on Samsung Electronics' investments in China. It has been reported that in 2022, Samsung's investment in China dwindled to a mere US$2.2 billion, marking a substantial 60% decline compared to the previous year's US$5.7 billion.
