The semiconductor landscape has fundamentally shifted. As we move from 2025 to 2026, three forces dominate global technology discourse: semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and the Trump administration's trade policies. In Japan and South Korea, semiconductors are aptly called the "rice of industry"—and in our data-driven economy, this metaphor has never been more relevant.

The rising wave of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving the growing importance of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which has become a core component of AI system architectures. The three major memory manufacturers are treating advanced memory technologies as a primary battleground, with customized HBM emerging as a key strategic focus.

TSMC's Japanese subsidiary JASM has completed and started operations at its first wafer fab in Kumamoto. According to Japanese sources, a second wafer fab is already under construction. Analysis by Japanese research institutions shows that the large-scale semiconductor industry has revitalized local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with financial institutions increasing lending accordingly.

Industrial PC (IPC) companies have begun releasing their revenue figures for August 2025. Despite challenges from the global high-interest-rate environment and geopolitical tensions, overall performance continues to demonstrate resilience through regional and application expansion. Beyond ongoing development of integrated hardware-software solutions, emerging demands in military, edge computing, and semiconductor automation are becoming key strategic focuses for these companies.

Ian Hathaway, managing partner of the OpenAI Startup Fund, recently visited Taiwan for the first time to discuss the next steps in artificial intelligence development at a public forum hosted by AI language learning platform Speak. Hathaway emphasized the need for new data collection methods, increased power consumption, and more advanced chips to support future AI projects beyond single-task execution.

Former Alphabet Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt secretly visited Taiwan in 2025 with a primary focus on scouting AI talent for the US Democratic Party during the presidential election campaign, according to Lee-Feng Chien, former managing director of Google Taiwan. While Schmidt's public remarks emphasized Taiwan's strength in hardware and relative weakness in software, his activities suggest a broader set of interests related to regional technology and defense developments.

Apple has largely held steady on iPhone 17 pricing despite potential US tariffs on imported smartphones, introducing only a modest increase for the iPhone 17 Pro. The approach highlights Apple's effort to absorb tariff-related costs while remaining competitive in a tightening market.

Samsung Electronics has reported strong performance in Taiwan across smartphones, tablets, and wearables in 2025, overcoming challenges such as tariffs, exchange rate fluctuations, and geopolitical risks. The company is considering launching AI glasses in Taiwan and plans to introduce its first tri-fold phone in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently launched a large-scale raid at a Hyundai Motor battery plant under construction in Georgia, detaining hundreds of workers—most of them South Korean nationals. The project, jointly invested in by Hyundai and LG Energy Solution (LGES), has now come to a complete standstill, igniting industry-wide discussions over the structural challenges facing the US automotive sector.

Tesla has announced plans to establish a new R&D center in Kopenick, Berlin, Germany. Positioned between Tesla's existing Gigafactory in Grunheide, Brandenburg, and central Berlin, the facility is expected to bolster the company's vehicle development activities in Europe.

CATL, the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, unveiled a major technological breakthrough in Munich on September 7, 2025, introducing its NP3.0 (No Propagation 3.0) safety platform and the first lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery built on the system, the Shenxing Pro. The announcement signals both a leap in safety standards and CATL's ambition to deepen its presence in Europe with expanded regional production.

The EU plans to implement the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) in 2028. In response, South Korea is accelerating efforts to enact its own Corporate Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence Act. The legislation will require companies to identify and address human rights and environmental violations within their supply chains. However, provisions for requiring plans to address climate change have triggered fierce debate between industry players and environmental groups.

BoReTech Group, a specialist in environmental and resource recovery engineering, continues to see the bulk of its revenue come from Asia, which accounts for about 74% of total sales. The Americas rank second at 17%, while other regions collectively contribute around 9%.

A group of 12 Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi Corporation, NTT, and Kansai Electric Power, announced on September 2, 2025, an investment in Massachusetts-based nuclear fusion energy startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), the first time Japanese firms have invested in CFS, with the intent to acquire construction and operational technologies to expedite nuclear fusion power commercialization in Japan.

Universal Microwave Technology (UMT), a Taiwan-based low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite and high-frequency communications provider, announced that its consolidated revenue for August 2025 reached NT$166 million (US$5.46 million), marking a 31% increase month-over-month. The growth indicates that the company has moved past short-term adjustments and is back on a growth trajectory.

SpaceX has agreed to acquire EchoStar's AWS-4 and H-block spectrum licenses in a US$17 billion deal, combining cash and stock. The move is set to strengthen Starlink's Direct to Cell service, expand global mobile coverage, and position SpaceX as a key player in satellite-to-phone connectivity.

Taiwan is intensifying its bid to gain ground in the rapidly expanding satellite communications market. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Digital Affairs, Ministry of Education, National Communications Commission, and National Space Organization, has launched a "Next-Generation Communications Technology Development Program."

The global market for ultra-large-sized TVs continues to grow, with leading brands such as Samsung Electronics, TCL, and Hisense all launching massive 115 or 116-inch screens in 2025. Even with low visibility overall in the TV market, consumer attention has been drawn toward the rapid emergence of giant screens.

According to UBI Research, BOE will supply OLED panels for Apple's iPhone 17 Pro. This marks BOE's first time providing LTPO OLEDs to Apple and highlights the growing influence of Chinese panel manufacturers in the smartphone OLED market, posing a greater challenge to South Korean suppliers.