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Dec 2 SEMICONDUCTORS

US rallies allies to secure AI and mineral supply chains amid rare earth crunch

Dec 2 SEMICONDUCTORS

Samsung, SK Hynix set profit-first DRAM regime

Dec 2 ICT

Alibaba Cloud's global expansion tests geopolitical boundaries

Google's TPU and Gemini leap

Google's release of its Gemini 3 LLM in November, trained primarily on the company's in-house TPU chips, is performing at or above the level of OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Research Insight: Gemini threatens OpenAI's AI crown: Ecosystem advantage signals strategic shift in tech landscape
GPU and TPU dispute illustrates zero-sum fallacy
Yesterday AOL, today OpenAI: Google's vertical integration threatens to repeat history

...More

SEMICONDUCTORS

Dec 2

Apple's potential Intel partnership hinges on 18A-P process maturity by 2027

Apple may resume chip production cooperation with Intel for entry-level M-series chips as early as 2027, contingent on the maturity of Intel's 18A-P process within 18 to 24 months. If Intel fails to meet Apple's standards, it could lead Apple to rely more heavily on TSMC and Samsung, impacting US semiconductor policy.

Dec 2

Samsung Electronics to maintain quarterly DRAM supply negotiations amid rising memory costs

Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division will continue negotiating mobile DRAM supplies on a quarterly basis with its Mobile eXperience (MX) division, despite ongoing memory shortages and surging prices, according to reports from the Seoul Economic Daily and Nate. This approach aims to enhance DS's profitability but increases cost pressures on the MX division ahead of the Galaxy S26 series launch.

Dec 2

Merck launches Kaohsiung semiconductor flagship campus to target AI and silicon photonics

Merck Group's Kaohsiung semiconductor technology flagship campus officially completed phase one on December 1, marking Merck's first large-scale semiconductor materials technology campus worldwide. It has invested a total of EUR500 million (approx. US$580.5 million) over the past five years to build the campus, which covers key materials technologies required for AI applications, including thin-film technology, specialty gases, and formulated materials.

ICT

Dec 2

Google CTO reveals strategy behind Gemini's comeback

When Google DeepMind launched the Gemini project two and a half years ago, CTO and Chief AI Architect Koray Kavukcuoglu acknowledged that Google was "still far from the top level"—a frank admission that the company was playing catch-up in the generative AI race. Yet Google possessed formidable advantages: an AI infrastructure spanning TPUs, global data centers, product distribution capabilities, a mature safety system, and massive invocation gateways built on Search and Android. Once combined with a unified model, these capabilities would form a network effect difficult to replicate.

Dec 2

Apple AI chief to retire, replaced by ex-Microsoft executive

Apple announced that John Giannandrea, its senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, will officially retire in spring 2026. He will serve as an advisor during the transition period.

Dec 2

US reduces South Korea import tariffs to 15% after strategic investment deal

The US government has reduced the tariff rate on imports from South Korea to 15%, retroactive to November 1, 2025, following South Korea's approval of major investment commitments in the US, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The adjustment applies to multiple products, including automobiles.

TRENDING

COMMUNICATIONS

Dec 2

Android phone sales falter in China's Singles' Day promotion, pressuring SoC shipments

China's smartphone sales during the 2025 Singles' Day period posted only modest growth, and nearly all of the gains came from Apple, according to new market data. The uneven performance has raised concerns that weaker Android demand could force MediaTek and Qualcomm to scale back shipments of their flagship mobile processors earlier than usual.

Dec 2

Vivo launches iQOO in Taiwan, targets gaming and midrange consumers

Vivo has introduced its iQOO sub-brand to Taiwan with the launch of the iQOO 15, marking the brand's first official entry into the market. The company aims to use iQOO's gaming-centric identity to strengthen its overall smartphone momentum in Taiwan's competitive midrange segment.

Dec 3, 10:18

Apple reportedly to push back against India's order to preload cyber safety app, citing privacy concerns and past resistance

Apple does not plan to comply with an Indian government directive requiring smartphone makers to preload a state-developed cyber safety app, Reuters reported, citing industry sources familiar with the company's position.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Dec 2

Taiwan's scooter sales decline in November as electric segment faces challenges

Taiwan's scooter market recorded 54,311 units sold in November 2025, a 16% decrease from October and an 11% drop from November 2024, according to recent market data. SYM Motor led sales, followed by KYMCO, Yamaha, and the electric scooter brand Gogoro.

Dec 2

Taiwan sees new vehicle registrations rise amid market recovery efforts

Taiwan's automotive market showed signs of recovery in November as new vehicle registrations increased by 5.7% from October to 36,485 units, according to recent industry reports. The growth suggests the market's worst period may be over, despite cumulative registrations for the first 11 months of 2025 falling 11.9% compared to the previous year at 367,133 units.

Dec 2

CarUX completes Pioneer acquisition, Innolux eyes synergy across three key areas

Innolux subsidiary CarUX Holding and Japan-based Pioneer have officially completed their acquisition deal, with Pioneer now formally joining CarUX. According to Innolux, the move marks a significant milestone in CarUX's global smart cockpit strategy as a tier 1 supplier focused on integrated solutions.

SUSTAINABILITY

Dec 2

Taiwan Cement eyes Europe, Africa ahead of 2027 CBAM rollout

Taiwan Cement (TCC) has begun to see results from its expansion through acquisitions in Europe and Africa, with the company now holding a 50% market share in Portugal and accumulating more than 2 million tons of carbon credits. Although the EU has postponed the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to 2027, TCC chairman An-ping Chang has stressed that corporations need to prepare beforehand to comply with future regulations.

Dec 2

As South Korea pursues grid stability and decarbonization, hydrogen energy must prove its worth

Hydrogen power is expected to play a pivotal role in South Korea's smart grid as the country unveils its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) carbon reduction targets for 2035. Yet with resources and investments lagging behind other leading competitors, South Korea will need to reassess the role of hydrogen energy in sectors spanning power generation and transportation to heavy industry, if the country aims to see tangible results from advancing hydrogen power.

Dec 1

Export controls drive CSCC to advance domestic compound semiconductor materials

Power demands of AI servers are boosting growth in the power semiconductor market. However, Taiwan's advanced carbon materials have long relied on imports, and China's recent graphite export restrictions have once again emphasized the importance of localized supply chains.

AEROSPACE

Dec 2

Taiwan's space sector gains momentum with milestone missions

A series of recent mission successes has drawn global attention to the fast-growing space sector across Asia. South Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket completed another smooth launch, Taiwan's private aerospace startup TiSPACE carried out a successful test flight in Australia, and the first satellite of Taiwan's government-led Formosat-8 program has entered its planned orbit.

Dec 2

Taiwan PCB makers ride LEO satellite boom

The race to claim a stake in the space economy is accelerating. As nations around the world ramp up plans for low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, roughly 70,000 satellites are expected to launch within the next five years. LEO systems promise to solve persistent gaps in connectivity—from remote communities and ocean routes to aviation corridors and disaster zones—while competition for limited orbital slots has drawn intense interest from governments and commercial operators alike.

Dec 1

Taiwan weighs long-term space strategy as scientists push for greater role

The Taiwan Space Union (TSU) recently convened a Satellite Science Workshop, where participants noted that the high cost of space research and development has led to a shift in government space policy toward mission-driven goals, leaving limited room for science-led initiatives. Taiwan's updated Phase III 2.0 national space program, they said, is now anchored even more tightly to two priorities: national security and industrial development.

DISPLAYS