South Korea will keep electricity rates unchanged for the second quarter of 2026 amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which are pushing global energy prices higher, a decision intended to stabilize household costs in the short term. The move, however, exposes mounting contradictions between the country's electricity pricing mechanism and broader energy policy objectives

As countries tighten controls on advanced chips and AI computing demand surges, how China secures compute resources matters globally. DIGITIMES Research reports H3C, a top Chinese server maker, has expanded exports into ASEAN and Central Asia since 2023, reshaping supply chains and offering alternative routes around US trade pressures

SK Hynix is actively evaluating whether to adopt TSMC's 3nm process for the logic die of its seventh-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4E), aiming to close Samsung Electronics' performance advantage. However, industry analysts warn that production timing and cost challenges pose significant risks to SK Hynix's 3nm ambitions

Automotive parts giant Denso, closely linked with Toyota Motor, has officially submitted a proposal to acquire shares in Rohm Semiconductor, signaling its clear intent to pursue a takeover. This move appears to show Denso's intention to strengthen its position in the automotive semiconductor and power control sectors

STMicroelectronics said this week that its STM32 microcontrollers, produced in partnership with Hua Hong Semiconductor, have entered volume production in China and are now being shipped to local customers, marking a significant step in the company's "China for China" strategy

Through highly centralized supply chains, a software-first development philosophy, and extensive state subsidies, Chinese automakers have compressed traditional vehicle development cycles from five to seven years to less than two. In some cases, development timelines have shrunk to just a few months

The US Patent and Trademark Office has rejected an attempt by Tianma Microelectronics to challenge a patent held by LG Display, citing concerns that the Chinese company may be under the influence of a foreign government

Global supply concerns over tungsten, a critical material used in semiconductor manufacturing, are intensifying as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupt commodity markets and drive up prices

Tesla is preparing to enter India's industrial energy storage market, according to a job advertisement posted on the company's careers website and reported by Reuters. The listing sought a business development lead in India to "develop and execute a comprehensive market expansion strategy for industrial energy storage solutions." It said the candidate would help shape Tesla's entry into "utility-scale energy storage." The posting did not elaborate on specific plans

SAIMEMORY, a Japanese startup backed by SoftBank, is positioning its proprietary Z-Angle Memory (ZAM) as a potential successor to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) as physical limits begin to constrain current AI architectures, according to Nikkei and PC Watch

Samsung Electronics is reportedly set to begin mass production at its gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor foundry line as early as the second quarter, while also preparing silicon carbide (SiC) samples for production later this year, according to reports from The Elec and ZDNet

As the rest of the world scrambles to catch up with China in lithium-ion batteries, Chinese companies are already pushing into new frontiers — racing to scale up sodium-ion batteries while simultaneously betting big on next-generation solar technology

As the US-Iran military conflict enters its fourth week, global energy supply and electricity dispatch have drawn heightened attention. Taiwan's state-owned power provider, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), said it is closely monitoring international developments and has formulated a comprehensive response plan — one that includes strengthening generator maintenance, flexibly managing hydropower resources, and promoting demand-side management to ensure a stable domestic power supply

Sharp Corporation, a subsidiary of Foxconn, has named its Chief Business Development Officer, Tetsuji Kawamura, as its next president and CEO, placing an executive with deep overseas and new-business experience at the helm as the Japanese electronics maker pivots from restructuring toward growth