China's automotive sector is witnessing a strategic shift from new energy vehicles to intelligent driving technology in 2024. At the forefront of this transformation is Huawei, whose advanced driving systems, powered by its revitalized self-developed chips, are gaining significant market traction. Leading this momentum is AITO, a key Huawei partner, which has posted record sales of new energy vehicles this year

Japanese company Rohm is collaborating with French automotive component manufacturer Valeo to develop a new generation of electric vehicle (EV) components. Rohm will supply silicon carbide (SiC) power modules for Valeo's inverters, with mass production scheduled to begin in 2026

The second phase of Hua Hong Semiconductor's 12-inch wafer fab expansion in Wuxi held a production ceremony on December 10. This event garnered significant attention following the recent announcement of collaboration between STMicroelectronics (STM) and Hua Hong to produce 40nm microcontrollers (MCUs) locally in China by 2025

The patent dispute between Samsung Display (SDC) and BOE has intensified, with each company initiating lawsuits in the US and China. Meanwhile, the geopolitical climate, especially the tensions between the US and China, further complicates this industry rivalry and may affect panels' supply chain and pricing dynamics

China's antitrust probe into Nvidia may be followed by similar actions against other firms, as Beijing ups the ante in retaliation for the latest US trade restrictions

Japan's leading semiconductor materials manufacturers are making strategic moves to develop crucial components for 1-nanometer chip production, positioning themselves at the forefront of next-generation semiconductor technology

The US imposed export controls on Chinese entities, prompting China to retaliate against US semiconductor companies. In response, China has launched investigations into Nvidia and restricted the export of critical materials, highlighting the escalating tech war between the two nations. These actions could lead to significant fines and hinder foreign businesses' operations in China

Sharp and KDDI Corporation have announced a joint venture to develop an AI data center in Osaka. The two companies have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to transform Sharp's former Sakai facility into a state-of-the-art AI data center, marking a strategic initiative to address the growing demand for data infrastructure

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), aimed at bolstering renewable energy and electric vehicles, has drawn sharp criticism from Donald Trump, who dismissed it as a "green new scam." While Trump contemplates a White House return, China's decades-long investment in green industries is poised to deliver significant benefits by 2025, marking its shift away from oil dependency

LG Display (LGD) and Samsung Display (SDC) dominate high-end OLED technology, but their reliance on Apple orders faces pressure from cheaper Chinese OLED panels supplied to local IT firms

In a bid to enhance economic security and strengthen supply chains, the Japanese government is providing subsidies for domestic production in sectors such as semiconductors, advanced electronic components, and batteries

Despite the low profitability of SK Hynix's CMOS image sensor (CIS) business, the company has decided to retain this segment and reorganize its CIS development team under the Future Technology Research Institute, possibly hoping to replicate the successful narrative seen in high bandwidth memory (HBM)

The US House of Representatives is preparing to vote on the fiscal year 2025 national defense budget, which includes a US$3 billion provision aimed at helping US telecoms completely remove Chinese-supplied equipment. The measure specifically targets Huawei and SMIC equipment to prevent potential network communication attacks from Chinese hackers

China-based Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC) has dismissed speculation of a "backdoor listing," issuing a rare public statement on December 9, 2024, to refute rumors connecting it to All Ring Tech, another Hubei-based company

Samsung Electronics is exploring the development of discrete package low-power DRAM (LPDDR) for Apple's iPhones to meet the tech giant's evolving requirements, though Samsung has not confirmed these reports