The South Korean government recently announced a collaboration with Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and DB Hitek to enhance the operational quality of the national public foundry platform, MoaFab, through advanced manpower, equipment support, and other resources
SMIC released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 financial results on March 27, reporting record revenue and wafer shipments. However, profitability declined amid persistent US export controls and reduced investment income. Net profit attributable to shareholders dropped more than 20% year-over-year
Semiconductor equipment vendors have historically operated in stealth mode, relying on proprietary technologies and patents as their main defense. Product launches were subdued, often reaching foundries only after extensive validation—far from the world of bold marketing campaigns
Chinese manufacturers continue expanding production capacity for UV curing materials, creating market oversupply and triggering intense price competition across global markets. Despite these short-term challenges, industry leaders Eternal Materials and Qualipoly Chemical (QPC) remain optimistic about long-term prospects, citing the technology's energy efficiency and environmental advantages
Lens Technology reported CNY69.9 billion (approx. US$9.62 billion) in revenue for 2024, a 28.3% year-over-year increase, according to its annual results released on March 27. Net profit attributable to shareholders rose 19.9% to CNY3.62 billion, while adjusted net profit—excluding non-recurring items—jumped 46.3% to CNY3.29 billion
Zhiyuan Robotics (AgiBot), a Chinese AI startup specializing in embodied intelligence, has become a central player in the humanoid robotics supply chain as a major customer of Lens Technology
SK Hynix has completed the full acquisition of Intel's NAND Flash division, concluding a four-year process. The assets will be integrated under Solidigm, SK Hynix's US subsidiary, to enhance R&D collaboration for enterprise-grade SSDs
SenseTime reported its full-year 2024 earnings, revealing a significant narrowing of losses alongside a surge in generative AI (GenAI) revenue, underscoring the Chinese AI company's strategic shift toward faster-growing business lines and disciplined cost management
Recent reports indicate that China plans to introduce new chip performance standards regulations. Officially, the aim is to control the power consumption of chip products to promote energy savings and carbon reduction. However, many have noticed this will directly impact high-performance AI chips, such as Nvidia's H20. If the Chinese government is determined to enforce these regulations strictly, American chipmakers will have to adjust their product specifications to continue selling in the Chinese market
Japan-based Shibaura Electronics has disclosed that it is preparing to hold a meeting on April 2 with Taiwan-based Yageo regarding the latter's proposed tender offer
The collaboration between Taiwan and Japan in the drone sector is taking shape. The Taiwanese Excellence Drone Alliance (TEDIBOA) has recently formed a new partnership with the Japan Drone Consortium (JDC). Both parties announced further cooperation as Ann Wu, chairman of CIRC, signed a memorandum of understanding with Kenzo Nonami, chairman of JDC
Chinese semiconductors may avoid engagement in traditional advanced process competition, potentially fostering a domestic chip manufacturer similar to "DeepSeek," according to Burn-Jeng Lin, former VP of R&D at TSMC
South Korean display makers have surpassed Japanese manufacturers in the global high-end automotive display market for the first time. In the future, LG Display (LGD) and Samsung Display (SDC) will focus on developing high-end products to expand their business
Mundus Smart Energy, a subsidiary of Taiwan's Lealea Group, is expanding into Japan's high-voltage battery storage market with seven approved projects totaling 14MW. The installations span key economic zones including Tokyo, Kyushu, and Hokkaido. Two 2MW sites in Saitama Prefecture are scheduled to go online by the end of 2025, marking the company's first operational assets in Japan
As the memory chip market re-enters a favorable cycle, industry forecasts predict that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix's operating profits in 2025 could surge by 40% compared to previous predictions. Samsung's operating profit is expected to reach KRW41 trillion (US$28 billion), returning to levels seen during its peak years. SK Hynix will likely achieve a historic high, with operating profits possibly reaching KRW29 trillion
