The South Korean government recently announced several industrial growth plans, including support programs for the localization of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors. The SiC power semiconductor market relies heavily on the electric vehicle (EV) sector. Although current growth has slowed, medium- to long-term expansion is expected to accelerate. Therefore, whether South Korea can leverage more advanced technologies to compete with Chinese manufacturers on price will be a critical factor.

Taiwan's AI server exports have doubled, with manufacturers' GPU and graphics card production capacity fully booked, driving remarkable export growth for the country. Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin stated on September 16 that the success of Taiwan's technology industry is not accidental.

Taiwanese passive component manufacturer Yageo Corporation has announced plans to acquire up to 28.5% of power management IC (PMIC) design firm Anpec Electronics through a public tender offer valued at approximately NT$4.89 billion (approx. US$161.9 million). This marks Yageo's continued shift toward expanding its presence in active components following its recent acquisition of Japan's Shibaura Electronics.

The United Kingdom demonstrated a prominent presence at SEMICON Taiwan 2025 last week, reinforcing its position as a key player in innovative technology. The UK Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK, the national innovation agency, led a delegation of over 30 emerging companies across semiconductor manufacturing, design, testing, and materials sectors to the event.

South Korea's information and communications technology (ICT) exports in August 2025 reached a record high for the period compared to previous years. Due to rising memory semiconductor prices and increased investment in artificial intelligence server infrastructure, semiconductor export values also reached an all-time high.

Power semiconductors, particularly silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), emerged as key themes at SEMICON Taiwan 2025. The toughest competition was in SiC equipment, with Chinese, US, and Japanese suppliers all aggressively fighting for market share.

A new phase in the global race for silicon carbide (SiC) dominance is unfolding—one shaped as much by geopolitics as by market forces. As Chinese manufacturers make rapid strides in low-cost SiC wafer production, the strategic consensus around this next-generation semiconductor material is beginning to fracture.

The booming semiconductor industry has led to a surge of emerging Chinese laser manufacturers, yet weaker players are being weeded out based on precision and accuracy as competition intensifies, prompting some to seek out new business opportunities.

Panasonic Group's subsidiary, Panasonic Industry, announced plans to construct a new factory in central Thailand with an investment of JPY17 billion (approx. US$115 million). The facility will produce multilayer circuit board materials specifically designed for artificial intelligence (AI) servers, addressing the surging global demand driven by generative AI technologies.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of September 8–September 14.

Navitas Semiconductor is expanding its portfolio beyond consumer chargers to include advanced power solutions for solar inverters, motor drives, and AI data centers, Senior Field Applications Engineering Manager Rome Luo said. Speaking at SEMI-e 2025, Luo noted that the company has shipped over 300 million gallium nitride (GaN) devices, achieving high yields and very low failure rates in the field.

At the packed China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE) held at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, Taiwan's OtO Photonics stood out for its specialized focus on spectrometers. With over 3,800 exhibitors in attendance, OtO has carved out a leading role in the industry.

China's drive for technology self-sufficiency is transforming the communications supply chain. Shenzhen-based Lightstar Technology expects localization of advanced optical passive components to reach record levels within the next five to ten years, with imports of specialty materials giving way to domestically produced alternatives as Beijing's push for homegrown innovation accelerates.

Taiwanese test interface manufacturer CHPT showcased its latest innovations at SEMICON Taiwan 2025. Besides unveiling a comprehensive upgrade solution centered on "AI-driven probe card technology," President Scott Huang highlighted the technical challenges that advanced process chips—such as mobile application processors (AP) and high-performance computing (HPC) chips used in AI applications—pose to the IC testing supply chain.

Taiwan-based passive components manufacturer Yageo Corporation announced on September 11 that it plans to acquire up to 28.5% of power IC designer Anpec Electronics via a public tender offer set to commence shortly. The bid values Anpec shares at NT$229.8 (approx. US$7.6) each, a 20% premium over the current price, with the total investment estimated at around NT$4.8 billion.

Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon, emphasized the concept "no AI without power" during his keynote speech at the SEMICON Taiwan 2025 Master Forum. Power semiconductors play a critical role across all AI application scenarios, whether in cloud AI data centers or edge physical AI applications such as electric vehicles (EVs) and robotics. Advanced power semiconductor technology is essential to improve energy efficiency and better meet real user demands.

The China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE) and SEMI-e 2025 Semiconductor Innovation Exhibition kicked off in Shenzhen on September 10, underscoring the laser industry's growing role in China's drive for AI sovereignty, defense technologies, optical communications, robotics, and immersive devices from AR to MR.

In 2024, the Taiwanese government announced the launch of a 10-year NT$300 billion (approx. US$9.89 billion) Taiwan Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program (Taiwan CbI), marking an unprecedented scale compared to earlier initiatives. National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) minister Cheng-Wen Wu stated that the Taiwan CbI program will comprehensively strengthen the global competitiveness and resilience of Taiwan's semiconductor industry supply chain.

LCY Chemical is actively expanding into the electronic materials market in its 110th year since the company's founding in 1915. According to CEO Vincent Liu, the company's electronic materials segment currently accounts for roughly 12% of total revenue, with a compound annual growth rate of 26%, significantly higher than the industry average of 7%. Going forward, the company plans to deepen its material portfolio to target demand related to the semiconductor, AI, high-speed communications, and next-generation display industries.

Japanese measurement leader Horiba Ltd., active in Taiwan for nearly 30 years, has opened a new Application and Solutions Platform (ASP) instrumentation lab at its Hsinchu headquarters. The facility is designed to boost Horiba Taiwan's technical services and reinforce its position in the global semiconductor and AI value chains.

Everlight Electronics is ramping up its push into third-generation semiconductors, highlighting new research and market strategies in SiC and GaN at SEMICON 2025. The company emphasized three pillars of its expansion: competitive pricing, rapid delivery, and high-quality service, positioning itself to capture a stronger share of the next-generation materials market.

Zhen Ding Technology Group (ZDT), the world's largest printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer, returned to SEMICON Taiwan 2025 to highlight how the AI boom is reshaping PCBs from passive circuit carriers into critical enablers of computing power. Chairman Charles Shen said AI-driven advanced packaging is emerging as a core growth engine for the industry, adding that with chip complexity rising and 3D packaging gaining ground, PCBs now play a decisive role in unlocking full processing performance.

Industrial PC (IPC) companies have begun releasing their revenue figures for August 2025. Despite challenges from the global high-interest-rate environment and geopolitical tensions, overall performance continues to demonstrate resilience through regional and application expansion. Beyond ongoing development of integrated hardware-software solutions, emerging demands in military, edge computing, and semiconductor automation are becoming key strategic focuses for these companies.

Driven by the growing demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and hyperscalers, advanced process technologies are accelerating innovation cycles. The supply chain indicates that in 2025, the advanced packaging industry landscape will officially enter an era dominated by three distinct powers: foundries, OSATs, and PCB manufacturers. This shift presents a rare triple growth opportunity for upstream equipment suppliers.