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Friday 22 May 2026
Analysis: Samsung deal prevents walkout but deepens internal rifts over compensation
Samsung Electronics and its union signed a provisional agreement late at night, about an hour before a scheduled May 21 strike, averting an industry estimate of more than KRW100 trillion (approx. US$66.8 billion) in supply chain disruption. The deal eases an immediate labor crisis but leaves unresolved structural conflicts and rising personnel costs
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Saturday 23 May 2026
SK Hynix weighs opening Seoul office at SK Group headquarters

SK Hynix is reportedly considering opening a Seoul office and sales operation inside SK Group's Seorin Building in Jongno, Seoul, a symbolic headquarters site for the conglomerate, according to Maeil Business Newspaper and Chosun Biz

Saturday 23 May 2026
Seoul as next frontier for global startups
At the Plug and Play Silicon Valley May Summit 2026, industry leaders gathered for the "Seoul Forward: Where Global Startups Scale Next" session to discuss the city's rapid evolution into a premier global innovation hub. Lee Ji-hyung, President and CEO of Invest Seoul, noted that Seoul and Silicon Valley share a core DNA of talent and collaboration, positioning the city as an ideal testing ground for global companies expanding across Asia. Sobhan Khani, President and Partner at Plug and Play, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the immense talent pool in South Korea and the ongoing mission to connect innovation dots worldwide
Saturday 23 May 2026
Research insight: China’s auto industry turns to robotaxis and AI at Beijing Auto Show
The 2026 Beijing Auto Show, which concluded on May 3, offered a glimpse into what may become the next defining chapter of China's automotive industry: not simply electric vehicles, but intelligent mobility powered by artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and deeply localized innovation
Saturday 23 May 2026
CXMT IPO puts China's DRAM supply-chain push in focus

CXMT's planned Shanghai listing is becoming more than a test of investor appetite for China's top DRAM maker. It is also putting a spotlight on whether the company's next phase of expansion can accelerate China's push to localize semiconductor equipment and materials

Saturday 23 May 2026
Huawei continues to erode Nvidia's market share as China remains closed despite hopes of reopening
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said he expects Chinese authorities to eventually allow imports of US artificial intelligence (AI) chips, according to Bloomberg Television. Still, the remarks also underscored the growing implications of export controls that have weakened Nvidia's position in China while creating opportunities for domestic rival Huawei Technologies and other local suppliers
Saturday 23 May 2026
Japan's five major companies form PSC battery alliance to lead next-gen solar market
The perovskite solar cell (PSC) market is still in its early stages, and in an effort to secure leadership, five major Japanese companies have announced the establishment of the Japan Association for the Promotion of Perovskite Solar Cells (JPSC). The initiative aims to take the lead in establishing standardized product specifications, safety guidelines, and recycling protocols while promoting industry-wide adoption and preventing low-quality products from entering the market
Friday 22 May 2026
AMD's Lisa Su says memory is becoming another pressure point for AI chips

AMD CEO Lisa Su said the company is satisfied with its current CoWoS supply from TSMC, while noting that memory has become another pressure point in the AI chip supply chain

Friday 22 May 2026
AMD deepens China packaging alliance with TF-AMD expansion in Suzhou
AMD CEO Lisa Su appeared in Suzhou on May 20 to attend the launch ceremony for the second-phase expansion of Suzhou TF-AMD Semiconductor Co. (also known as Suzhou Tongfu Advanced Microelectronics), underscoring AMD's growing focus on advanced packaging capacity as AI and high-performance computing demand accelerate globally
Friday 22 May 2026
Tesla ramps up hiring for self-driving team in China
Tesla has begun recruiting for driver-assistance roles in China as it pushes ahead to bring its full self-driving (FSD) system to market. The move comes after repeated delays and amid growing pressure from local competitors — including Xpeng Motors, Xiaomi Auto, and Huawei Technologies — on the US electric vehicle (EV) maker's market share
Friday 22 May 2026
China's Wuhan optics hub bets big on AI with 12.8T module debut
The rapid adoption of generative AI, large language models, and AI agents is accelerating global data center construction and driving a new growth cycle in optical communications. Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, also known as Optics Valley of China, has re-emerged as a focal point in China's optoelectronics industry
Friday 22 May 2026
Samsung's GaN setback puts foundry shift in focus

Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing to shift more of its gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor strategy toward foundry services after struggling to secure customers for its own GaN devices and modules, according to The Elec

Friday 22 May 2026
Memory shortage reaches smartphone OLED market as shipments fall 12%

A global memory shortage is spreading into the smartphone OLED market, cutting handset production and adding pressure on display makers and their component suppliers, according to ETNews and UBI Research

Friday 22 May 2026
China telcos launch token billing, AI inference goes mass-market
China's three major telecom operators introduced token-based billing plans in May as they packaged large-model inference resources into standardized products for consumers, developers, and enterprises, signaling a shift toward mass-market AI compute services. China Telecom rolled out a nationwide group-level token package on May 17 with tiered plans for individual and household users, developers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and ecosystem partners; its lowest-priced individual plan costs CNY9.9 (US$1.46) per month for access to 10 million tokens
Friday 22 May 2026
South Korea aims for 50% domestic defense semiconductor supply by 2029
South Korea announced a national plan to raise domestic production of defense semiconductors to 50% by 2029, targeting heavy reliance on US and Taiwan supply chains to bolster national security. The initiative, unveiled at the 2026 Advanced Strategic Semiconductor Innovation Conference, covers research and development, manufacturing, ecosystem building and workforce training and follows the recent passage of the Defense Semiconductor Act by the National Assembly on May 7, 2026
Friday 22 May 2026
AI agents reshape enterprise computing, Lisa Su and Kai-Fu Lee say
At AMD AI DevDay 2026 in Shanghai, AMD CEO Lisa Su and 01.AI founder Kai-Fu Lee outlined what could become the next major shift in artificial intelligence: the transition from generative AI chatbots to autonomous AI agent systems. Their discussion focused on AI agents, multi-agent collaboration, open-source ecosystems and next-generation AI computing infrastructure, signalling a broader industry shift from "question-and-answer" AI towards systems capable of independently executing enterprise goals