South Korea's newly elected President Lee Jae-myung has unveiled a flagship policy offering up to 10% production tax credits for semiconductors manufactured and sold domestically, marking a shift from the country's traditional investment-based incentives to output-focused support similar to US measures under the Inflation Reduction Act

The US has issued new export restrictions targeting leading electronic design automation (EDA) firms—Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens—prohibiting them from supplying software critical to advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chip development in China. The move intensifies Washington's broader tech containment push and directly impacts China's ambitions for semiconductor independence

Jim Elliott, a veteran executive who spent over 20 years leading Samsung Electronics' memory operations in the US, has reportedly exited the company to join rival NAND flash provider SanDisk as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), according to sources cited by South Korea's Financial News (Fnnews) and Asian Economic News Agency

German laser technology provider LPKF has begun actively asserting its patents related to semiconductor glass substrate technology, signaling a potentially more aggressive posture as competition in the emerging field intensifies. Industry observers see this move as a strategic effort to raise barriers to entry as global interest in glass-based substrates grows

IT panels have been more affected by tariffs than TV panels. Beyond China's "trade-in" policy, stimulating some inventory buildup, certain brands in North America continue to increase stockpiling, which has driven recent price increases for LCD monitor panels. In May 2025, demand and prices for LCD monitor panels still showed support

China's electric vehicle market has been thrown into fresh turmoil following a new round of steep price cuts from BYD, reigniting a heated price war and triggering public disputes among automaker executives. As EV makers scramble to clear excess inventory, Beijing has issued warnings over the mounting risks

China's CXMT is accelerating its development of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and DDR5 chips, mounting a direct challenge to the global DRAM dominance of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The company plans to deliver HBM3 samples by late 2025 and begin mass production in 2026, with HBM3E (fifth-generation) development set for 2027. As reported by The Financial News (Fnnews), CXMT has advanced its HBM2 production timeline from 2026 to mid-2025, signaling a faster-than-expected ramp-up

Japan, once a trailblazer in silicon carbide (SiC) research and pilot production, is facing a critical turning point. While renowned for its precision and long-standing technological craftsmanship, Japan's traditional development pace has been disrupted by the rapid expansion of SiC supply chains globally, particularly in China

China's semiconductor sector is bracing for a potential escalation in US export restrictions that could sever access to critical electronic design automation (EDA) software. Responding swiftly, Shanghai-based UniVista Industrial Software Group has become the first domestic EDA firm to launch a counteroffensive, offering free trials of its flagship platform to reduce reliance on foreign tools

When US President Donald Trump took aim at China with record tariffs, the country's firms shrugged it off. Corporate China has since gone out of its way to assuage investors and tout its ability to weather tariff risks, citing experiences from Trump's first administration and that their businesses ultimately aren't that exposed to the US

Samsung Electronics, once known for showcasing its "super gap" or "ultra gap" in chipmaking prowess, has taken an uncharacteristically quiet approach to its 2025 foundry events. The annual Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem (SAFE) Forum—usually a platform to unveil advanced process roadmaps—was held without press releases, promotional campaigns, or public disclosures, drawing industry-wide attention

The Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI) recently traveled to Tokyo and Nagoya to discuss machinery cooperation between Taiwan and Japan, which is expected to result in collaborative efforts on orders and technology. TAMI stated that it hopes to expand the scope of cooperation and jointly address current global supply chain restructuring and industry upgrading challenges

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has received regulatory clearance to launch in South Korea. The rollout will mark the introduction of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks in South Korea, poised to deliver high-speed internet connectivity to underserved and remote regions

Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi is projecting a turnaround in its electric vehicle (EV) division, with profitability expected as early as the second half of 2025, CEO Lei Jun told investors this week

As the global robotics boom accelerates, Taiwanese firms are not only capitalizing on AI-driven opportunities but also reinforcing their presence across key supply chains. Among them is Syntec Technology, one of the few Taiwanese companies with deep expertise in robotic controllers, often described as the brains of automation systems. Once dominated by European and Japanese players, the controller market now sees Syntec emerging as a formidable regional competitor