A recent survey from South Korea reveals a significant boost in the country's top 500 companies' performance in 2024. Operating profits soared by 66% compared to 2023, reaching KRW73 trillion (approx. US$51.1 billion), with the semiconductor industry leading the charge. Major players such as SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics are driving the country's IT and electronics sector, contributing to an astounding 854% increase in operating profits for the industry as a whole
Nearly 20 Chinese AI chip companies have announced compatibility with the DeepSeek distilled model, but only a handful—including Huawei, Cambricon Technologies, Moore Threads, and Baidu Kunlun—are capable of running the 671-billion parameters version. The disparity highlights the current state of China's AI chip sector, with many firms still focusing on smaller, less computationally intensive models
Renesas Electronics CEO Hidetoshi Shibata said on March 26 that layoffs and a pay freeze are necessary responses to the prolonged slump in the global semiconductor market. Speaking at an online shareholders meeting, Shibata framed the moves as survival-driven rather than strategic
With the White House soliciting industry input for its "Artificial Intelligence Action Plan" until March 15, OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic have unveiled detailed proposals to shape US AI policy. These firms, identified by 01.AI CEO Kai-Fu Lee as future AI market leaders, emphasize the need to balance innovation, national security, and global competitiveness
China's EV industry is now building on the past glories of its automotive sector. The much-criticized issue of "overcapacity" seems to be a perpetual non-concern. Outdated, low-quality EVs are sent to the scrapyard during market transitions. China's system naturally eliminates laggards that fail to keep pace. The Chinese assure the world there is no need to worry unnecessarily, emphasizing that they possess greater resilience and flexibility than other nations to tolerate failures. Even if only three EV manufacturers remain profitable, the Chinese will not falter
At Nvidia GTC 2025, the discussion surrounding advanced autonomous driving heated up, with US automotive alliances and tech industry groups joining forces to urge President Donald Trump to take action. Their goal: to expedite the deployment of self-driving cars by overcoming current regulatory hurdles before China takes the lead in this emerging sector
As US export controls tighten on advanced semiconductor technologies, Shenzhen-based SiCarrier unveiled new 5nm-capable fabrication tools at SEMICON China 2025. The company claims its proprietary deep ultraviolet (DUV) and non-optical process equipment can manufacture 5nm chips without relying on ASML's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems
The South Korean government recently announced a collaboration with Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and DB Hitek to enhance the operational quality of the national public foundry platform, MoaFab, through advanced manpower, equipment support, and other resources
SMIC released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 financial results on March 27, reporting record revenue and wafer shipments. However, profitability declined amid persistent US export controls and reduced investment income. Net profit attributable to shareholders dropped more than 20% year-over-year
Semiconductor equipment vendors have historically operated in stealth mode, relying on proprietary technologies and patents as their main defense. Product launches were subdued, often reaching foundries only after extensive validation—far from the world of bold marketing campaigns
Chinese manufacturers continue expanding production capacity for UV curing materials, creating market oversupply and triggering intense price competition across global markets. Despite these short-term challenges, industry leaders Eternal Materials and Qualipoly Chemical (QPC) remain optimistic about long-term prospects, citing the technology's energy efficiency and environmental advantages
Lens Technology reported CNY69.9 billion (approx. US$9.62 billion) in revenue for 2024, a 28.3% year-over-year increase, according to its annual results released on March 27. Net profit attributable to shareholders rose 19.9% to CNY3.62 billion, while adjusted net profit—excluding non-recurring items—jumped 46.3% to CNY3.29 billion
Zhiyuan Robotics (AgiBot), a Chinese AI startup specializing in embodied intelligence, has become a central player in the humanoid robotics supply chain as a major customer of Lens Technology
SK Hynix has completed the full acquisition of Intel's NAND Flash division, concluding a four-year process. The assets will be integrated under Solidigm, SK Hynix's US subsidiary, to enhance R&D collaboration for enterprise-grade SSDs
