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Friday 13 February 2026

The Arizona turnaround: How Y.L. Wang became the future of TSMC

The trajectory of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) into the 2030s is being shaped by a new generation of leadership. At the center of that shift is the board-approved promotion of Dr. Y.L. Wang (王英郎).

Friday 13 February 2026

Explainer: how US-Taiwan 'ART' deal rewires global tech economy

On February 12, 2026, the United States and Taiwan finalized a structural "re-pricing" of their economic relationship. The Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) is not a traditional free trade agreement; it is a strategic pact that reshores semiconductor manufacturing to the US while anchoring Taiwan within a "non-red," or non-China, supply chain.

Friday 13 February 2026

Commentary: US-Taiwan tariff deal combines US strengths, boosts Taiwan's outlook

The US-Taiwan reciprocal tariff negotiations officially concluded on February 12, 2026. Notably, tariffs on information and communication technology (ICT) and semiconductors remain at zero, and even if tariffs arise in the future, Taiwan will face the lowest rates.

Friday 13 February 2026

Samsung's non-memory unit to turn profitable in 4Q26 as Exynos 2700 targets 50% share in Galaxy S27

Industry analysts indicate that Samsung Electronics' non-memory division is expected to return to profitability in the fourth quarter of 2026, with a full-year turnaround projected for 2027.

Friday 13 February 2026

TSMC and memory makers boost capex to offset China export restrictions impact

TSMC raised its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to US$52-56 billion, driving strong demand in the global semiconductor supply chain amid AI growth. Memory giants SK Hynix, Micron, Nanya Technology, and Winbond also expanded capacity plans.

Friday 13 February 2026

New Taiwan–US trade pact lowers export barriers, boosts tech supply chains

The Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Taiwan and the US has been officially signed, reducing Taiwan's average export tariffs to the US by 23.45pp and boosting export competitiveness across many industries. The average tariff rate for Taiwanese exports to the US now stands at 12.33%.

Friday 13 February 2026

Industry groups urge rapid review to safeguard Taiwan-US reciprocal trade agreement

Taiwan and the US finalized the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) on February 13, establishing a mutual 15% tariff rate and commitments on food security and defense resilience, while business groups urged immediate parliamentary action to prevent possible US reassessment.

Friday 13 February 2026

Display makers exit old LCD plants as chipmakers hunt cleanrooms

Due to low production efficiency and intense price competition, major panel makers like AUO, Innolux, and LG Display are selling older LCD factories. Semiconductor companies such as TSMC, Micron, ASE, and SK Hynix have shown strong interest in acquiring these high-spec cleanroom facilities to accelerate expansion amid rising AI demand.

Friday 13 February 2026

Naura rises to No. 5 in global semiconductor equipment rankings

China's semiconductor equipment makers are advancing rapidly even as the global chip supply chain undergoes restructuring and geopolitical decoupling.

Friday 13 February 2026

Commentary: NSTC chief’s reform remarks ignite debate over Taiwan’s research metrics

Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Cheng-wen Wu has recently sparked a firestorm across Taiwan's academic community. His blunt critique of long-standing structural problems—punctuated by provocative phrases such as "very shameful" and "despised"—quickly ignited debate over whether Taiwan's research system has become overly dependent on metrics, entrenched in factionalism, and driven by incentives that prioritize quantity over meaningful impact.

Friday 13 February 2026

Applied beats as AI chip spending nears $1tn tipping point

On February 12, Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) announced fiscal first-quarter 2026 financial results that exceeded the midpoint of its previous guidance, driven by a significant surge in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure investments. For the quarter ended January 25, 2026, the company reported revenue of $7.01 billion, a 2% year-over-year decline but a 3% sequential increase. Non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) reached $2.38, remaining flat compared to the previous year.

Friday 13 February 2026

Why Applied says the AI boom is real—just waiting for more cleanrooms

Applied Materials used its fiscal first quarter 2026 earnings call to underscore that AI-related semiconductor demand is running ahead of earlier forecasts, with industry revenues potentially reaching US$1 trillion in 2026 and momentum extending into 2027 despite near-term cleanroom constraints.

Friday 13 February 2026

Samsung said to gain 8nm orders in Europe as 2nm plan advances

Samsung Electronics is said to be expanding its 8nm foundry customer base into Europe following earlier contract wins in the US and Japan.

Friday 13 February 2026

A tariff truce with teeth: US–Taiwan pact shields chips from Section 232 shocks

US Ambassador Jamieson Greer oversaw the signing of a comprehensive Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between the US and Taiwan on February 12, 2026. The agreement, reached under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US (TECRO), is designed to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers while enhancing the resilience of high-technology supply chains.

Thursday 12 February 2026

HBM4 first-mover fog: Samsung and Micron duel for supremacy amid Nvidia supply tension

Samsung Electronics has officially commenced the mass production and commercial shipment of its HBM4 memory, marking a pivotal moment in the global semiconductor landscape.

Thursday 12 February 2026

Tower Semiconductor revamps strategy after Intel deal collapses

Intel's decision to walk away from its September 2023 agreement for Fab 11X in New Mexico has prompted Tower Semiconductor to revamp its manufacturing roadmap, scrap the facility from its 2028 model, and redirect customers — marking a strategic reset for the specialty foundry partner.

Thursday 12 February 2026

GlobalFoundries accelerates silicon photonics targets; eyes US$1 Billion revenue run rate by 2028

GlobalFoundries is aggressively pulling forward its financial targets for silicon photonics (SiPh), betting that the "insatiable" demand for AI compute will cement its position as a critical provider of high-speed data interconnects.

Thursday 12 February 2026

Applied Materials settles with BIS for US$252.5 million over SMIC shipments

Applied Materials, a Santa Clara-based semiconductor equipment maker, has reached a US$252.5 million settlement with the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to resolve allegations of illegal exports to China. The penalty represents the second-highest civil fine ever imposed by the BIS and the maximum amount permitted by statute — equal to twice the value of the illegal transactions.

Thursday 12 February 2026

Winsemi revenue falls 5% in 2025, speeds pivot to AI optical and LEO satellite markets

Win Semiconductors (Winsemi), a GaAs wafer foundry, held its earnings conference on February 11. Its fourth-quarter 2025 consolidated revenue reached NT$4.79 billion (approx. US$152.65 million), up 7% quarter-over-quarter and 29% year-over-year, slightly above expectations. Full-year 2025 revenue totaled NT$16.64 billion, down 5% year-over-year.

Thursday 12 February 2026

TSMC's advanced process drives AI profits; SMIC, UMC, VIS face growth pressure

Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are set to sharply increase AI capital expenditure in 2026, with total investments reaching US$670 billion. This surge has sparked market concerns about an AI bubble, though Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called the CSPs' spending "reasonable and necessary." The semiconductor industry sees a clear divide: TSMC is profiting heavily from AI demand, while Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), and Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) face growth challenges.

Thursday 12 February 2026

SMIC warns AI pull-forward is rewriting chip cycle, lifts mature-node pricing

The global foundry industry is undergoing a structural shift, and it is emerging first in mature process nodes once widely considered oversupplied. SMIC stated on February 11 that its performance in the first quarter of 2025 defied seasonality. Utilization held steady from the prior quarter, and pricing for mature nodes has begun to stabilize.

Thursday 12 February 2026

China claims five places in 2025 global OSAT top 10

The latest global ranking of the top 10 outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers points to a shift in competitive balance. In 2025, five Chinese companies entered the top tier, narrowing the gap with Taiwan’s established leaders and reshaping the industry structure.

Thursday 12 February 2026

SEMI: AI and HBM lift 2025 silicon wafer shipments, revenue still dips

Worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased 5.8% in 2025 to 12,973 million square inches (MSI), while wafer revenue declined 1.2% to US$11.4 billion, according to the year-end analysis released by the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG).

Thursday 12 February 2026

The Netherlands draws a harder line on Nexperia’s Chinese parent

The Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in the Netherlands has ordered a formal investigation into Dutch chipmaker Nexperia BV, deepening a legal dispute that has curtailed the control of its Chinese parent, Wingtech Technology Co.

Thursday 12 February 2026

Samsung weighs Europe chip expansion after Intel retreat opens German window

Samsung is reportedly evaluating a potential European semiconductor expansion alongside its South Korea and US manufacturing base, as the region tightens local production requirements and Germany seeks a replacement for a cancelled flagship chip investment.

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