These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of May 12 – May 18. From China's push in DUV lithography and Samsung's resurgence in foundry orders to TSMC's aggressive fab expansion and Europe's looming ban on Chinese inverters, the week highlighted shifting power dynamics across the global tech and semiconductor landscape

InPsytech, a leading provider of high-performance semiconductor intellectual property (IP) solutions under Egis, has been selected to join the Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem (SAFE) as an IP partner. This recognition stems from InPsytech's outstanding performance in open NAND flash interface (ONFI) high-performance IP solutions. InPsytech plans to continue expanding its IP portfolio within Samsung's ecosystem, particularly by strengthening applications for UCIe IP

Japanese NAND flash memory maker Kioxia reported a sharp earnings rebound for fiscal 2024 (April 2024 to March 2025), recording a net profit of JPY272.3 billion (approx. USD 1.9 billion) after a net loss of JPY243.73 billion the year prior

A new wave of capital expenditure is sweeping through Taiwan's electronics manufacturing sector, as major firms like Quanta Computer and Foxconn significantly raise their 2025 investment budgets to build new facilities and expand production capacity

While China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) recently announced updates on deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography, Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE) also disclosed its 2023 patent applications related to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology, along with the publication of patents filed in September 2024

At the 2025 Semiconductor IP Industry Seminar in Shanghai, Akrostar Technology, Biren Technology, and Enflame Technology unveiled fresh funding rounds, highlighting China's accelerating efforts to localize critical chip technologies amid the global AI boom, as reported by ICsmart and Sina

According to New Daily, citing semiconductor industry sources, the DRAM giants Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron plan to exit the DDR4 market by the first half of 2026 at the latest. Taiwanese firms such as Nanya and Winbond are expected to step in and cover the market shortfall. However, they will likely face intense low-price competition from Chinese rivals

Leading Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker BYD grabbed market headlines in the first quarter of 2025 with the unveiling of its megawatt-level flash charging technology. Silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors played an instrumental role in this technological advancement, as key advantages of the wide bandgap material, including high voltage and temperature resistance and low energy loss, help enhance the efficiency and reliability of electric drive systems to support high-voltage charging

According to a press release, Tata Elxsi announced on May 14, 2025, that it has been chosen by Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) to support vehicle software engineering and the development of software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The collaboration is expected to accelerate innovation and improve software scalability across vehicle models

With 2025 being hailed as the inaugural year of the humanoid robot, China's internet giants—Tencent, Baidu, and Alibaba—are accelerating their efforts to secure early dominance in the embodied intelligence industry. What began as isolated initiatives has evolved into a clear trend of strategic alignment, with major players forming increasingly collaborative ecosystems to drive development and commercialization

Topoint Technology, a Taiwanese supplier of PCB drill bits and drilling services, anticipates revenue growth in the second quarter of 2025, fueled by stable order volumes during the tariff equivalence grace period. However, uncertainty surrounding potential US tariffs continues to cloud demand projections for the second half of the year, posing challenges for the company's planning

Pegatron Corp, formerly a key iPhone assembler in India, is redirecting its strategic focus in the country with a fresh investment into its wholly owned subsidiary. Following the transfer of its iPhone production operations to Tata Electronics earlier this year, Pegatron is now preparing to expand its capacity for communications devices and, eventually, automotive electronics

As interest in humanoid robots surges, Huawei is expanding beyond technology development by deploying capital through its tech investment arm, Shanezen Hubble Technology Investment Partnership (Hubble), to deepen its footprint across semiconductors, AI, and system integration

Following recent trade talks, the US and China have reached a temporary pause on escalating tariffs, with both sides retreating from previously announced increases. While the deal offers some relief, industry experts caution that disruption to global supply chains is already evident, with three major aftershocks now surfacing across the electronics manufacturing sector