NetApp Taiwan general manager Peter Chu said the transition from early AI experimentation to agentic AI running mission-critical workloads is creating unprecedented demands on data complexity, scale, and security, while presenting significant opportunities for NetApp. He remains optimistic about the company's 2026 trajectory and noted that global memory shortages have not affected its operations.
Global growth is poised to lose momentum. IMF forecasts show global GDP easing from 3.3% in 2024 to 3.2% in 2025 and 3.1% in 2026. China's growth is expected to slow from 5% to 4.8% and then to 4.2%, while India may dip from 6.6% to 6.2%. Taiwan remains an outlier, supported by strong AI and semiconductor investment and exports, with GDP projected at 7.37% in 2025. Continued strength in AI server exports could also lift its 2026 forecast of 3.54%.
Singapore is expanding its domestic semiconductor capabilities through AI-focused workforce programs, SME digitalization efforts, and new research infrastructure, according to Ang Wee Seng, Executive Director of the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA).
Memory demand remains overheated and supply tight, driving upstream manufacturers to lift utilization while majors such as Micron pivot toward customized, higher value-added output. This is fueling continued growth in outsourced packaging and testing (OSAT) and underpinning an unusually strong fourth quarter of 2025, with visibility now stretching well into the second half of 2026.
Samsung Electronics is positioning a proprietary thermal management technology for external clients as it seeks to reclaim foundry market share from TSMC. The South Korean company plans to offer its Heat Path Block solution to third-party chip designers after validating the system in its upcoming Exynos 2600 processor, according to local media reports.
Intel and Tata to assemble chips locally as global firms, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Vingroup, announced fresh investments in India.
SK Hynix's rumored plan to enter low-power DRAM contract manufacturing for the first time is drawing industry attention, amid speculation that the move is driven by intensifying competition from China's fast-advancing memory suppliers. The shift could have ripple effects for Taiwanese foundries that currently handle much of South Korea's fabless memory output.
Taiwanese semiconductor wafer probe card maker WinWay Technology has entered a long-term supply agreement with Italy's Technoprobe, a leading probe card manufacturer, and Greater China distributor MS SUN Technology. The contract, spanning at least five years, covers the procurement of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) probe card products, marking a significant cross-border collaboration in the semiconductor testing sector.
Taiwan-based printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer WUS Printed Circuit announced an ambitious plan on December 11 to drive its high-performance computing (HPC) segment to account for more than 40% of total revenue by 2026. The company reported that HPC currently represents 33% of its sales, with order visibility extending into the first half of 2026, signaling strong demand momentum.
Precision parts cleaning, once considered a routine task, has become a vital part of the semiconductor supply chain due to increasing demands for advanced process yields. Shih Her Technologies president Shyue-Jer Chen highlighted how this shift affects equipment utilization, process stability, and chip yields, raising the sector's importance year by year.
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) launched a Section 232 national security investigation on April 1, 2025, targeting semiconductors, manufacturing equipment, and related products. The review remains ongoing more than eight months later, as disagreements are still unsettled regarding which items should face tariffs and at what rates.
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