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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
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.
Tuesday 11 August 2026
China's Long March 7A rocket explodes 85 seconds after liftoff in rare launch failure
China's Long March 7A Y18 rocket exploded in mid-air shortly after launching from Wenchang, Hainan, on the evening of August 10, with its ChinaSat-4B satellite payload believed to have been completely lost. Chinese authorities later confirmed that the mission had failed because of an in-flight anomaly but have yet to disclose the cause, leaving uncertainty over whether the incident stemmed from a system malfunction or the activation of the flight termination system.
Tuesday 11 August 2026
Amkor reportedly weighs China stake sale as multinationals reassess footprint
Amkor Technology is exploring options, including the sale of a stake in its China business, according to people familiar with the matter, adding the US chip packaging and testing giant to a growing list of multinationals reassessing their presence in the country, Bloomberg reported.
Tuesday 11 August 2026
Samsung races to qualify Taylor fab as 2nm demand turns US capacity into a strategic asset

Following growing momentum behind large-scale infrastructure buildouts in South Korea, the industry is witnessing an aggressive wave of AI-related initiatives aimed at expanding the nation's semiconductor production capacity. But the broader objective extends beyond capacity ramps alone toward building a more self-reinforcing semiconductor ecosystem across some of the most critical stages of advanced chip manufacturing.

Tuesday 11 August 2026
China silicon wafer expansion accelerates: Eswin scales 12-inch capacity, Lion Micro consolidates 6- and 8-inch assets

China's silicon wafer industry is entering a new phase of simultaneous capacity expansion and consolidation, with Xi'an Eswin Material Technology investing further in a 12-inch wafer base in Wuhan while Hangzhou Lion Microelectronics moves to take full control of Zhejiang Jinruihong Technologies.

Tuesday 11 August 2026
Weak China auto demand sends parts maker Hiroca deeper into North America, Japan
Hiroca Holdings reported consolidated revenue of NT$370 million (approx. US$11.5 million) for July, down 17.2% from the previous month and 16.7% from a year earlier. Consolidated revenue for the first seven months of 2026 reached NT$2.89 billion, down 2.07% year-over-year.