Shin-Etsu Chemical plans to build a new rare earth production facility in Fukui Prefecture, aiming to expand domestic smelting capacity and reduce Japan's reliance on China for materials critical to electric vehicle and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, according to Nikkei and Kyodo News
Samsung Electronics is regaining ground in high-bandwidth memory and foundry services, but advanced packaging remains a weak point in its bid to capture a larger share of the AI chip supply chain, according to industry sources and Korean media reports
South Korea has launched a two-year, KRW34 billion (US$22.22 million) project to develop domestic world model and robot foundation model technologies, aimed at reducing reliance on foreign simulation platforms for physical AI systems used in real-world environments
A strike by South Korea's ready-mix concrete transport union is disrupting major semiconductor construction sites and raising concerns about wider industrial spillovers. If the stoppage continues, delays could spread beyond building projects and affect production schedules that matter to global technology supply chains and investors
Silicon Labs is deepening its presence in India through expanded research operations and a greater commercial focus on smart infrastructure applications, even as the US-based wireless chipmaker prepares for an acquisition by Texas Instruments
Asus has announced plans to begin making gaming laptops in India this financial year — a move that could reshape supply chains, pricing, and availability in one of the world's fastest-growing PC markets. The shift underscores a broader trend of global technology brands localizing manufacturing to deepen market reach and reduce import dependence, according to the Hindu Business Line
One of China's largest visual AI consumer platforms has deliberately chosen not to build its own models; a startup competing against ByteDance and Alibaba is pursuing a strategy of making its models cheaper rather than better; and Alibaba launched one of its video generation models under a pseudonymous brand before revealing its identity — what its executive described as "a very big branding moment." Those were among the more pointed observations to emerge from a panel discussion on the visual AI stack at SuperAI Singapore 2026 on Thursday
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim concluded a three-day visit to Japan, during which he met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders pledged to strengthen cooperation in critical minerals
SK Hynix is preparing to begin mass production of its next-generation 375-layer 3D NAND flash memory by year-end, while pushing ahead with a broader capacity buildout and moving toward a US listing as early as August
