Chinese AI chipmaker Biren expects first-half 2026 revenue to reach CNY1.15-1.3 billion (US$171-193 million), up about 1,852% to 2,107% from a year earlier, as demand for GPGPU computing expands across AI coding, long-horizon AI agents and generative AI workloads, according to Cninfo data cited in a report by the Hong Kong Economic Times (HKET).
Samsung Electronics has begun operating a dedicated physical AI research lab focused on humanoid control and manipulation, according to South Korean news outlet Edaily. The move extends its robotics push from hardware investment into the AI and control technologies needed for robots to operate in real-world environments.
South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) has drawn fresh attention after joining a cornerstone investment in the Hong Kong IPO of Chinese optical communications maker Zhongji Innolight. The investment came at a time when the company had already been placed on the US Department of Defense's list of Chinese Military Companies (CMC). The case has reignited debate over how large public pension funds assess geopolitical and regulatory risk. Money Today reported that the move comes as US-China tech competition extends beyond chips, equipment, and supply-chain controls into global capital markets.
China's semiconductor self-reliance campaign is moving beyond lithography machines and advanced processors into less visible materials that can be just as difficult to replace. Ajinomoto Build-up Film, or ABF, has become the latest pressure point.
Horizon Robotics is preparing its next-generation Journey 7 (J7) automotive AI chip family for mass production in 2027, aiming to extend its lead in China's L2+ assisted-driving market into the higher end of autonomous-driving computing.
MicroLED remains a promising next-generation display technology, but industry analysts say its commercial breakthrough still hinges on thin-film transistor (TFT) technology and the participation of South Korean panel makers Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD). Yet SDC is reportedly taking a cautious stance on microLED TV applications.
Samsung Electronics' semiconductor chief has told executives not to treat the company's HBM4 comeback as proof that its recovery is complete, according to Seoul Economic Daily. The caution comes as the memory industry shifts to a generation that will be harder to manufacture at scale.
Humanoid robots are moving from demonstrations toward mass production, changing the priorities of chip design. Instead of simply chasing higher AI compute and TOPS, or trillions of operations per second, the industry is increasingly focused on how efficiently perception, computing, decision-making, and control can work together within tight power, cost, and latency constraints.
The expansion of Mitsubishi Electric's satellite manufacturing business is converging with the higher launch cadence targeted for Japan's H3 program, developed jointly by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).
The intensifying US-China technology rivalry is moving beyond export controls and semiconductor restrictions. What comes next could matter more: the formation of competing international AI ecosystems.
