To penetrate the Chinese mobility market, Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions Division is poised to attend the upcoming Beijing International Automotive Exhibition for the first time.
Japan-based photoresist leader JSR announced that the Take Over Bid (TOB) for its shares, led by the Japanese government and the state-backed Japan Investment Corp (JIC), had been completed. JSR will lead in consolidating the semiconductor material industry in Japan and ramping up investments in advanced semiconductor materials.
China's automotive offense has pressured legacy carmakers in Europe and other markets. Gianfranco Pizzuto, an Italian automotive veteran and the former co-founder of Fisker Automotive, predicted that Chinese carmakers will lead the mainstream market for the next 10 years. The luxury segment is where European companies can stay ahead of competitors.
According to SE Daily and Hankyung reports on April 17, starting as early as this week, subsidiaries of Samsung Group are reportedly implementing a one-day weekend policy for their senior executives to address challenges like declining performance, fluctuating exchange rates, and oil price changes.
Chinese semiconductor foundry firms are persistently adopting aggressive pricing strategies, putting relentless pressure on the market share of South Korean 8-inch wafer manufacturers. In this evolving landscape, South Korean industry insiders are eyeing potential benefits if the US expands its sanctions on China to encompass more mature semiconductor processes.
With NAND Flash demand picking up, leading players like Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Kioxia, and Western Digital have started ramping up wafer production in NAND lines. However, to prevent price impacts, memory manufacturers are cautiously adjusting capacity and setting limits on wafer production.
Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) released data showing that as of December 2023, 1,209 Taiwanese companies had invested NT$2,735.6 billion (US$84.2 billion) in China, an increase of NT$32.4 billion from the end of 2022. However, investment repatriation from China last year alone accounted for 17.5% of the accumulated amount over the past, probably due to capital needs for supply chain migration.
Facing challenges like being outsold by BYD in New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sales and significant layoffs, Tesla has now been overtaken by another Chinese competitor in the Chinese market in the first quarter, according to recent data.
Brite Semiconductor, in which SMIC is the second largest shareholder, officially debuted on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board, with its stock soaring, leading to the gradual recovery of SMIC's investments.
The three major players in advanced chip manufacturing have secured CHIPS Act subsidies by promising to increase investments in fabrication facilities within the United States. With more than half of the direct subsidies in their coffers, they are mandated to introduce cutting-edge 2-nm production lines on American soil.
China's National Semiconductor Industry Investment Fund (aka the Big Fund) has provided financial support to NineCube, a Chinese electronic design automation (EDA) company established in 2011, according to local media reports.
US states like Arizona and New Mexico are expected to become more tempting for investments, partly thanks to an EV cluster that will emerge in the southwestern US and northern Mexico. The border states will also play a crucial role in achieving the US goal of raising local production rate.
Apple Inc. is weighing the possibility of making some of its gadgets in Indonesia, as the iPhone maker explores production bases beyond its longtime stronghold of China.
