Intel is grappling with an operational crisis as its IDM 2.0 transformation plan has yet to yield results, casting doubt on when its foundry business might finally become profitable. This raises the question of whether Intel should consider abandoning its IDM model and separating its product design and manufacturing divisions—a move with both potential advantages and drawbacks. Industry leaders, including former board members, are offering advice in hopes of helping Intel find a viable path forward. However, the conflicting nature of their advice highlights the complexity of the company's dilemma
Taiwan's IC design sector has rapidly expanded in the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) market, driven by growing demand for AI applications. MediaTek has entered Google's TPU supply chain, Alchip Technologies has secured new Amazon Web Services programs, and Global Unichip (GUC) continues to win additional projects. Market chatter indicates GUC has landed the full back-end turnkey order for Tesla's AI5 chip, expected to contribute revenue starting in 2027
In recent years, a growing number of Taiwanese auto–parts suppliers have accelerated their push into the robotics and server supply chains. Most remain in the sampling or small-batch shipment stage, but industry analysts say their products are often highly interchangeable. As a result, turning this cross-sector move into a meaningful revenue surge remains challenging
Huawei has launched the Mate 80 flagship series, with the Kirin 9030 once again capturing domestic and international attention. As the United States continues restricting China’s access to sub-14nm tools, industry debate now centres on how the Kirin 9030 reaches “near-7nm” performance and what this means for China’s broader push toward semiconductor self-reliance
Dutch lithography leader ASML is facing an unprecedented wave of scrutiny after the publication of a new book, De belangrijkste machine ter wereld ("The Most Important Machine in the World"). The release has thrust the company into a debate unlike any it has previously encountered, sharply contrasting with the cooperative, ASML-endorsed narrative presented a year earlier in Focus – The ASML Way
TSMC has sued former SVP, Wei-Jen Lo, for allegedly violating non-compete agreements after joining Intel, but industry insiders believe the case may be quietly dropped given the geopolitical sensitivity. Lo is likely a US citizen beyond Taiwan's reach; no formal extradition treaty exists, and escalating tensions could damage carefully maintained US-Taiwan semiconductor relations
The global memory market is once again nearing an inflection point. With AI workloads spreading across end devices, DRAM has turned into the central bottleneck dictating shipment rhythms for PCs, servers, and AI PCs. Korean suppliers continue to curb production and keep the market tight, prompting rising expectations for new, credible sources of supply
Bloomberg reports that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has closed its antitrust review of SoftBank Group's planned US$6.5 billion acquisition of US chip designer Ampere Computing, clearing the final obstacle to the transaction
Taiwan's energy storage industry struggles with internal policy and structural issues, while the US faces supply chain disruptions and tariff uncertainties. Both markets encounter unique hurdles limiting the growth of lithium battery-based large-scale energy storage projects, which are essential for power grid stability
Luxgen, the homegrown automotive brand under Taiwan's Yulon Motor, holds a unique place in the island's industrial history. Recent reports that Foxtron—a subsidiary of Foxconn—may acquire Luxgen have stirred significant discussion in Taiwan's automotive circles
As 2025 nears its close, the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom is again prompting debate over whether the sector is entering speculative territory. From Silicon Valley to Wall Street and across China's tech and investment circles, comparisons with the 2000 dot-com bubble have intensified. With China now a central participant in the AI landscape rather than an observer, the debate has gained broader industry attention
Elon Musk's declaration that he is "very excited about chips" has rattled the global foundry industry. His plan for a massive Tesla-built wafer fab threatens to turn what was once a victory for Samsung's foundry arm into its next big headache
While TSMC's October consolidated revenue hit a historic high of NT$367.47 billion, up 16.9% year-over-year, the growth rate was the lowest since March 2024
The Future Innovation Tech Expo (FIX) 2025 concluded its Global Media Awards by highlighting companies that have successfully moved from concept to execution. The awards focus on firms translating forward-looking ideas into deployable, real-world systems
China is using the escalating Nexperia dispute to showcase a new, flexible export strategy that mixes hardline control with selective exemptions. As the Dutch government's takeover of the chipmaker triggered factory shutdowns in China, Beijing countered with both sanctions and relief measures, proving it can retaliate while also managing the global supply chain
Since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, his administration has escalated technology export restrictions with unprecedented aggression. Beyond raising overseas H-1B visa application fees to US$100,000 and demanding that Nvidia and AMD remit 15% of their advanced chip revenues from China to the US Treasury, Trump has now banned sales of Nvidia's cutting-edge Blackwell AI chips to China entirely
