Japan is earmarking ¥129.4 billion ($902 million) to Rohm Co. and Toshiba Corp.'s joint push to boost production of power semiconductors, seen as key to lifting energy efficiency in electric vehicles and factories.

Tesla has been working actively on deploying full self-driving (FSD) capability in China. Chinese media recently reported that the company is very close to launching the technology.

Following Nvidia and AMD's footsteps, cloud service provider AWS has started to design its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) chips. This move is deemed beneficial for the growth of the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market dominated by South Korean companies such as Samsung and SK Hynix.

With Amkor's official announcement of the construction of an advanced packaging facility in Arizona, an "alliance" consisting of TSMC, Apple, and Amkor is taking shape, posing a potential threat to Samsung Electronics, which plans to build a semiconductor fab in Taylor, Texas.

Battery-grade lithium carbonate prices have dropped from CNY600,000 (US$84,363) per tonne in November 2022 to the current value of CNY150,000, a decline of over 70%. Since batteries take up 30% to 40% of an EV's costs, the market has kept a close eye on whether the price slump would drive down EV costs.

South Korean wafer inspection equipment manufacturer Nextin is benefiting indirectly from the US restrictions on semiconductor equipment exports to China and is accelerating its entry into the Chinese market. While on track to build a production base in China, the company has recently supplied its next-generation AEGIS-3 equipment to a Chinese customer.

The number of ASML machines installed in China is estimated to reach nearly 1,400 units. Most installed and uninstalled machines in China may not be used in fabricating chips with advanced processes.

Advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology under 14nm was included in the list of 22 key core technologies to be banned from illegal outflows to foreign adversaries on December 6, announced by Taiwan's National Technology and Science Council (NTSC). Wang Mei-hua, Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs, said semiconductor foundry manufacturers are already aware of the ban on advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, and their existing investments in China will not be affected.

With smartphone sales slumping under global inflation in recent years, the demand for CMOS image sensor (CIS) parts and lenses has also fallen. Yet sources in the supply chain point toward signs of recovery in Southeast Asia, South America, Africa, and other emerging markets, while the market in China, the focus of many observers worldwide, also shows hints of warming up early in the fourth quarter of 2023. According to Counterpoint Research, October 2023 saw a year-on-year increase of 5% in smartphone sales worldwide, finally reversing a 27-month-long trend. Demand is expected to drive sales growth into the fourth quarter and beyond, offering a glimmer of hope for the smartphone supply chain.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has listed locally-based EV company Nio in a vehicle manufacturer's information management system. The company is rumored to take 100% ownership of its two joint plants accordingly, but it has not confirmed the news.

Samsung Electronics is actively expanding its 4nm foundry customers. It's reported that VisioNexT, a subsidiary of the Hanwha Group, will place orders with Samsung to manufacture 4nm AI chips. The hope is that this move can bring breakthroughs in the vision AI sector.

Taiwan's National Technology and Science Council (NTSC) announced on December 5 that semiconductor processing technology for advanced chips 14nm and below, as well as the specialized gas, chemical, equipment, heterogeneous packaging, wafer level chip scale packaging (WLCSP), and silicon photonic integrated packaging technologies, which are necessary technologies applied for the manufacturing processes of advanced chips, are among the 22 core key technologies that will be kept from foreign adversaries. Those who fail to comply shall be deemed to have violated the National Security Act.

Samsung Electronics recently unveiled the current status and prospects of its extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure process, generating significant interest globally. Particularly noteworthy is Samsung's dependence on Japanese suppliers for pellicles, with a transmittance rate of around 90%, as the company has yet to transition to domestically produced alternatives in South Korea.

Medication has been the most common but not always the best way to treat debilitating conditions like motion sickness and migraine. Vancouver-based WAT Medical Enterprise uses neuromodulation to develop medical technologies, offering the public an alternative. Its non-invasive therapy options have become available in Asia this year.

Due to high demand, Xiaomi is reportedly seeing increasing orders for its latest high-end offering, which might indicate the dawn of a recovery for the smartphone market in China.