
The memory industry is entering a super cycle as prices keep soaring, with industry sources saying third-quarter 2026 contract price gains show no sign of slowing amid tight supply from upstream vendors. Overall increases could reach 30% to 40%, after second-quarter 2026 contract prices already climbed 40%. As market prices continue to stack higher in the second half, profits at the top three memory manufacturers are set to expand sharply, driving a surge in full-year memory business earnings.
Japan is preparing a sweeping public-private investment strategy totaling more than JPY370 trillion (US$2.3 trillion) by fiscal 2040, spanning 17 strategic sectors including AI, semiconductors, aerospace, and energy-related industries.
Demand for high-end fiberglass cloth is surging on the AI boom, and orders from copper-clad laminate (CCL) customers are leaving the world's two largest suppliers, Nittobo and Taiwan Glass, short of capacity. In particular, low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and low Dk2 products remain the tightest, with supply-demand gaps now expected to last through 2027.
Demand in the passive component market has rebounded alongside the rapid buildout of AI data centers. While Japanese suppliers continue to lead in technology, their capacity expansion has struggled to keep pace with AI-related demand, driving order spillover to Taiwan-based manufacturers.
SK Hynix briefly overtook Samsung Electronics on June 22 to claim the top spot by common-share market capitalization on South Korea's KOSPI exchange, a milestone that reflects how high-bandwidth memory (HBM) has redefined the value of Korea's semiconductor industry.
AI-driven memory price spikes are presenting a challenge for Samsung's smartphone business, with rising component prices eroding the affordability of its budget phones. At the same time, Samsung is seeking to use its new AI features to encourage new device purchases as memory prices dampen smartphone sales globally.
Japanese bathroom fixture maker Toto is deepening its commitment to the semiconductor industry, unveiling plans to invest JPY80 billion (approx. US$495.3 million) over the next five years to expand production of advanced ceramic materials used in chip manufacturing. According to a Nikkei Asia report, the company aims to support future-generation semiconductor processes in the 1nm range, extending a business that has become a major profit driver amid the AI boom.

Founded in 2014, Oppstar is one of the few Malaysian companies operating at the front end of the semiconductor value chain as an IC design house. The company was established by three founders with extensive experience in the IC design industry: Meng Thai Ng, Hun Wah Cheah, and Chun Chiat Tan. Headquartered in Bayan Lepas, Penang, Oppstar opened an office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2022. From its inception, the company positioned itself as a one-stop IC design service provider, initially focusing on 16nm design nodes.


