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Tuesday 28 October 2025

AMD MI355X to power US Department of Energy's new supercomputers

AMD and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have announced two next-generation supercomputing systems to be built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) — the Lux AI supercomputer and the Discovery supercomputer. The systems will expand the DOE's high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities as part of a combined US$1 billion public-private investment.

Tuesday 28 October 2025

India's semiconductor ecosystem expands beyond fabs with software-IP firms

As India prepares to begin commercial chip production by late 2025, much of the discussion has focused on new fabs in Gujarat.

Tuesday 28 October 2025

Commentary: Intel's ASIC play fails to impress chipmakers

Following an internal R&D overhaul, Intel has rolled out its application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) business to establish a fresh revenue stream beyond CPUs and GPUs. The company is banking on decades of x86 IP accumulation and its integrated device manufacturer (IDM) model to challenge top IC design rivals such as Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, Marvell, MediaTek, and Alchip.

Tuesday 28 October 2025

MediaTek’s Q4 outlook clouded by sluggish demand and soaring memory prices

MediaTek is scheduled to hold its earnings call on October 31, where it is expected to provide clearer guidance for its fourth quarter of 2025 and full-year outlook amid persistent market difficulties. The company is contending with weak consumer demand and rising memory prices, factors that could weigh on its gross margins.

Tuesday 28 October 2025

Qualcomm launches AI200, AI250 to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in AI infrastructure

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. has unveiled its next-generation AI inference solutions for data centers — the AI200 and AI250 chip-based accelerator cards and racks — marking its boldest move yet into the fast-growing generative AI infrastructure market. Designed to deliver high performance per dollar per watt, the new lineup leverages Qualcomm's expertise in neural processing unit (NPU) technology to offer scalable and energy-efficient AI inference for large language and multimodal models.

Tuesday 28 October 2025

NXP revenue dips as chip cycle bottoms out; auto demand drives cautious rebound

NXP Semiconductors posted third-quarter revenue of US$3.17 billion, down 2.4% year-on-year but above the midpoint of its guidance, reflecting steady demand across key end markets. The company reported a gross margin of 57%, slightly below 58.2% in the same period last year, while operating income fell 7.1% to US$1.07 billion, with an operating margin of 33.8% versus 35.5% a year earlier. Research and development spending was nearly flat at US$575 million, while capex dropped sharply to US$77 million from US$186 million last year, underscoring NXP's focus on disciplined investment.

Tuesday 28 October 2025

Three years into leadership, Lee Jae-yong aims to redefine the ‘new Samsung’

Samsung Electronics Co. chairman Lee Jae-yong marked his third anniversary as chairman on October 27, a milestone widely interpreted as the first year of the company moving past judicial risks. This anniversary has generated considerable attention regarding whether Lee will adopt a more direct management role and guide comprehensive operational decisions at the tech giant.

Tuesday 28 October 2025

TSMC breaks ground on second Kumamoto chip plant, expanding Japan footprint

TSMC's Japanese subsidiary, Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), officially signed an agreement with the local government of Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture, on October 24 to construct its second semiconductor fabrication plant. The new facility, slated to begin operations in December 2027, will focus on producing higher-performance chips and marks another step in Japan's bid to rebuild its semiconductor manufacturing base.

Monday 27 October 2025

Weekly news roundup: TSMC tightens China orders; Micron sees DRAM market tightening; CXMT, Huawei advance HBM3 chips

Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from October 20 to 26, 2025.

Monday 27 October 2025

Tesla’s next AI chip taps both TSMC Arizona and Samsung Texas fabs

At its third-quarter 2025 earnings call, Elon Musk revealed a major "Made in America" development: Tesla's next-generation AI chip, AI5, will be jointly manufactured at TSMC's Arizona facility and Samsung's Texas plant.

Sunday 26 October 2025

Taiwan's secret: A century of elite talent driving chips, electronics, and healthcare

Taiwan currently shines on the global stage with three standout industries: its healthcare system, electronics manufacturing services (EMS), and semiconductors. Though each sector's competitive edge stems from unique factors, they all share one crucial—and arguably most important—common denominator: the sustained, multi-generational commitment of the nation's social elites. This commitment is measured not in years, but in cycles of sixty years, known as a jiazi in the traditional Chinese calendar.

Saturday 25 October 2025

Intel sees progress in foundry push, but supply strains linger

Intel Corporation's leadership struck a cautiously optimistic tone during its third-quarter 2025 earnings call, emphasizing progress in its foundry operations and process technologies while acknowledging ongoing supply constraints across several product lines.

Saturday 25 October 2025

Intel reaffirms 14A, deepens Nvidia alliance

Intel Corporation moved to dispel speculation over the possible discontinuation of its 14A process technology during its third-quarter 2025 earnings call, affirming that development of the node remains an essential part of its long-term manufacturing roadmap.

Saturday 25 October 2025

Intel returns to profit as foundry business loss narrows

On October 24, Intel reported a return to profitability in the third quarter of 2025, posting net income of US$4.06 billion compared with a loss of US$2.92 billion in the previous quarter. Revenue rose 6% sequentially to US$13.65 billion. Gross profit increased to US$5.22 billion from US$3.54 billion in the second quarter, while operating income rebounded to US$683 million after a US$3.18 billion loss in the prior period.

Friday 24 October 2025

Samsung CTO: Cross-disciplinary collaboration key to semiconductor innovation

Silicon transistors are approaching their physical limits, and AI is increasing demand for higher density, performance, and energy efficiency. Advanced packaging and bonding technologies for heterogeneous integration have become crucial to the semiconductor industry. At the 27th Semiconductor Exhibition (SEDEX 2025), Samsung Semiconductor and Device Solutions (DS) Division CTO Song Jae-hyuk emphasized the growing need for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Thursday 23 October 2025

Samsung, SK Hynix race to build US chip capacity

As the CHIPS and Science Act drives a shift in global semiconductor investments from Asia to the US, whether South Korean giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix can emerge successfully amid rising US–China tensions will depend on their ability to quickly establish stable production in the US, and on government efforts in navigating tariffs and other policies, according to South Korean media reports.

Thursday 23 October 2025

Taiwan dispels US investment relocation fears

Taiwan's top economic and technology officials have dismissed concerns that the island's semiconductor ecosystem investments in the US represent industrial relocation. The pushback follows Vice President Bi-khim Louise Hsiao's announcement that Taiwan's entire ecosystem will invest in America, which sparked domestic debate over potential industrial hollowing and talent drain.

Thursday 23 October 2025

MetaX's 404% revenue surge powers a US$547M GPU IPO drive in Shanghai

MetaX's financial momentum is accelerating. The company reported CNY914.93 million (US$128 million) in revenue for the first half of 2025, a 404.51% year-over-year surge. Losses have narrowed sharply—profit before tax came in at a negative CNY183 million, and net loss attributable to shareholders was CNY185.9 million, down 64.28% and 63.74% respectively. The strong rebound comes as MetaX gears up for its Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) STAR Market IPO, according to East Money and 163.com.

Thursday 23 October 2025

Broadcom and Marvell land major AI accelerator orders, TSMC remains key manufacturer

Nvidia currently holds over 90% of the GPU market. However, as Google and AWS continue to invest in self-developed AI accelerators and expand their applications, Nvidia's market share is expected to face downward pressure after 2026, potentially falling to 70%. Regardless of which company designs the chips or how American firms compete, the chip foundry business is expected to remain with TSMC.

Wednesday 22 October 2025

Dutch Minister held call with Beijing in rising tensions over Nexperia asset freeze

In a rare late-night statement issued on October 21, China's Ministry of Commerce disclosed that Minister Wang Wentao held a phone call with Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans, urging a resolution to the Netherlands' recent decision to freeze the assets of Nexperia, a major Chinese-owned semiconductor firm.

Wednesday 22 October 2025

South Korean AI startup Rebellions partners with Malaysia's Sarawak government in Borneo

South Korean AI chip startup Rebellions has announced a partnership with the Sarawak state government in Borneo, marking its official entry into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market. According to South Korea's News 1 and MTN, Rebellions signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Sarawak's IC design company, SMD Semiconductor, to collaborate on AI chip design and development. The cooperation includes joint semiconductor development, the Sarawak state government's data center initiatives, and joint marketing activities.

Wednesday 22 October 2025

Samsung's Exynos 2600 returns to flagship-level performance

Samsung Electronics will reportedly equip its next-generation Galaxy flagship series with its own flagship mobile SoC platform, the Exynos 2600, resuming a shared chip supply with Qualcomm. This shift is largely due to Samsung's latest 2nm GAA process, which has finally demonstrated acceptable manufacturing results.

Wednesday 22 October 2025

OpenAI diversifies chip suppliers to challenge Nvidia's infrastructure dominance

OpenAI's recent chip procurement deals with AMD and Broadcom signal a strategic effort to reduce reliance on Nvidia Corporation, the dominant supplier in the AI hardware space. Although Nvidia maintains about 95% market share in AI chips, market analysts emphasize OpenAI's need to secure multiple suppliers to meet its massive computing demands.

Wednesday 22 October 2025

Foreign investment drives Taiwan's semiconductor output to NT$6 trillion

In 2024, AI drove Taiwan's semiconductor output to surpass NT$5 trillion (approx. US$162.9 billion). It is expected to grow another 20% in 2025 to reach NT$6.3 trillion. Additionally, eighteen wafer fabs are scheduled to begin construction, with operations starting successively from 2026 to 2027. All eyes remain on TSMC's fabs. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) estimates that by 2028, Taiwan's semiconductor output could reach NT$8 trillion.

Wednesday 22 October 2025

Trump tariff faces legal test as Supreme Court hearing nears

US President Donald Trump is set to personally attend oral arguments on November 5, 2025, at the US Supreme Court regarding the legality of his administration's reciprocal tariffs—a rare move underscoring the critical importance of the case for his signature trade policies.

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