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Wednesday 12 August 2026
Japan's US$430B 2040 chip plan hinges on Rapidus 2nm
Japan has drawn up a plan for more than JPY370 trillion (approx. US$2.33 trillion) in combined public and private investment across 17 strategic sectors, including AI and space, through fiscal 2040, which runs from April 2040 to March 2041.
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Thursday 13 August 2026
South Korea plans new sovereign wealth fund to back AI, robots, supply chains
South Korea plans to establish a strategic investment account with at least 20 trillion won in assets within the Korea Investment Corporation in 2027 as it moves to strengthen its position in global advanced technology competition. According to Bloomberg, the fund will focus on artificial intelligence, robotics, and critical supply chains, while also extending to energy, batteries, power grid infrastructure, nuclear power, and quantum technology.
Thursday 13 August 2026
LGES, Lopal sign three-year LFP supply deal worth up to CNY27 billion
LG Energy Solution (LGES) and China's Jiangsu Lopal Tech have signed a three-year framework agreement covering up to CNY27 billion (approx. US$3.8 billion) in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode material sales as the South Korean battery maker rapidly expands its energy storage system (ESS) business.
Thursday 13 August 2026
Samsung SDI-GM battery reset shows how ESS is reshaping the US EV supply chain

Samsung SDI is ending its battery manufacturing partnership with General Motors (GM) in Indiana, terminating a major EV joint venture — and sending ripples across the supply chain.

Thursday 13 August 2026
Tencent starts paying for AI in cash, core business is covering the bill
Tencent Holdings used its second quarter to show what an AI build-out costs a company that can afford one. Capex reached CNY52.8 billion (US$7.81 billion), up 176% from a year earlier, and free cash flow turned negative for the quarter after large prepayments for computing capacity.
Thursday 13 August 2026
Hanmi pulls ahead of Hanwha as HBM4 orders rebound

South Korea's Hanmi Semiconductor is pulling ahead of rival Hanwha Semitech in thermal compression (TC) bonders for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), as HBM4 equipment orders rebound and Hanmi's growing business with Micron helps reduce its reliance on SK Hynix, according to Chosun Biz.

Thursday 13 August 2026
Samsung to expand 2026 TV LCD buys from BOE as TCL orders drop

Samsung Electronics is set to increase its TV LCD panel purchases in 2026, even as global shipments of TV LCDs are forecast to decline. The buying shift will favor BOE Technology Group and reduce Samsung's reliance on TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology (TCL CSOT), according to ZDNet Korea, citing market research firm Omdia.

Thursday 13 August 2026
Lenovo Capital backs Niobium Optoelectronics in Series B funding for TFLN chips
Jiangsu Niobium Optoelectronics Technology, a Chinese maker of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chips, has closed a Series B funding round worth several hundred million yuan as demand for AI data center interconnects rises. Lenovo Capital joined the investor lineup through its Shanghai Lenovo Future Venture Capital Partnership, adding a technology-sector backer to the round.
Thursday 13 August 2026
TSMC-Sony image sensor venture pushes Japan chip investment to JPY6 trillion

TSMC said on August 11 that it will invest in CMOS image sensor development and mass production with Sony Group in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, adding to a wave of foreign chip spending backed by Japanese subsidies. According to Nikkei Asia, Japan's total foreign investment in semiconductor plants has now reached JPY6 trillion (US$380 billion).

Thursday 13 August 2026
Yangtze Memory-backed capital expands into FD-SOI specialty process investment

Changcun Capital, the investment arm backed by Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., has completed a strategic investment in RuiLiPingxin Microelectronics (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., according to the source material.

Thursday 13 August 2026
South Korea widens chip strategy beyond Samsung and SK Hynix with KRW5 trillion ecosystem fund
As market momentum spirals into an intensifying race over AI infrastructure buildouts, the global landscape has entered a more aggressive round of AI-centered investment, with national-scale projects taking shape across many of the world's major technology economies.
Thursday 13 August 2026
Longsys profit soars 715-fold on AI memory boom, enterprise storage, 5nm chips
Chinese memory supplier Longsys reported a dramatic earnings rebound for the first half of 2026, benefiting from rising memory prices, stronger AI data center demand, and a shift toward higher-value storage products.
Thursday 13 August 2026
AgiBot overtakes Unitree as China expands its lead in humanoid robots
Global humanoid robot shipments nearly quadrupled in the first half of 2026, with Chinese suppliers accounting for more than 97% of the market and AgiBot moving ahead of Unitree Robotics, according to Bloomberg, citing data from market researcher Smart Analytics Global. China also remained the largest demand market, responsible for more than 85% of global demand.
Wednesday 12 August 2026
DB HiTek profit jumps 43% as TSMC, Samsung scale back 8-inch capacity
DB HiTek posted a 43% jump in second-quarter operating profit as tighter 8-inch foundry supply and stronger power semiconductor demand kept its fabs running near full capacity, with industry reports saying the company plans another round of price increases in the second half of 2026.
Wednesday 12 August 2026
China's polysilicon makers draw cost floor after solar losses top US$1.9 billion
China's solar industry may be nearing a turning point after more than two years of price warfare, with major polysilicon producers drawing a line under below-cost sales.
Wednesday 12 August 2026
Fudan's single-electron memory breakthrough opens new path for 2D chip scaling
China's effort to advance memory technology has gained a new research avenue, with a Fudan University team developing a room-temperature single-electron non-volatile memory device based on two-dimensional materials.