Apple has recently found itself in an antitrust predicament, as the US Department of Justice (DOJ), alongside 15 state courts and D.C., filed a joint lawsuit against Apple.
At a recent semiconductor forum hosted by a think tank under Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), former TSMC R&D Director Konrad Young and various scholars from Taiwan and Japan highlighted some of the cooperation opportunities and challenges between Taiwanese and Japanese semiconductor ecosystems. As TSMC goes on to expand its presence in Japan while the Japanese chip industry simultaneously seeks to carve its own path through the Rapidus initiative, the event, held by NSTC's Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) on March 22, left much for the audience to brainstorm.
Tim Cook's recent trip to China underscored Apple's emphasis on the Chinese market, where iPhone sales have been reported to be below estimates since 2024.
In a pivotal move, Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has convened to discuss the impending surge in electricity prices, slated to take effect in April. The decision, marking an approximate 11% hike in electricity rates, is poised to shake up the island nation's energy landscape, particularly impacting heavy electricity consumers.
In a speech in January 2024, Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda said battery EVs (BEV) can only take up at most 30% market share, no matter how much the vehicle progresses. Hybrid EVs (HEV), hydrogen fuel cell EVs (FCEVs), and hydrogen fuel-burning vehicles will account for the rest, he added.
Following media reports that the Netherlands-based lithography equipment leader ASML is harboring thoughts to move its operations abroad, the country's political climate, especially the recent electoral victory of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), has come under the industrial spotlight.
Electronic devices account for over 40% of Taiwan's exports, but semiconductor products are shipped through air freight. Meanwhile, notebook PC and smartphone production lines have migrated to other regions, but are still highly dependent on chips produced in Taiwan. Thus the destinations of semiconductor exports may gradually shift to different locations.
Apple's Vision Pro has been in the market for around a month after its launch in early February. Some believe this device will replace the iPhone, iPad, and Mac in a few years. While this likely won't happen any time soon, looking ahead, the release of Vision Pro has undoubtedly brought attention to spatial computing. The ability to allow users to interact with virtual objects naturally and intuitively has also brought a certain level of novelty to the industry.
The hot demand for AI chips and the trend for cloud AI tech differentiation attracted unexpected attention to Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) design services lately.
