Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said its A+ Industrial Innovation R&D Program has helped attract Nvidia to invest in Taiwan and set up an overseas headquarters in Taipei, while AMD has also received major ministry support to establish a research and development center in the southern city of Tainan.
As soaring memory prices fuel "chipflation," Samsung Electronics and Apple are taking sharply different approaches. Samsung's Mobile eXperience (MX) division is trying to protect profitability by optimizing its product mix and expanding across more price points, while Apple is leaning on an ecosystem of 2.5 billion devices and high-margin services to offset rising component costs.
Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) said on May 5 that it has secured support from TSMC for a new interposer foundry line at its 12-inch Singapore fab, alongside a broader push into the CoWoS supply chain. The company said the move will accelerate capacity expansion and lower capital expenditure requirements as demand stabilizes after year-endinventory corrections.
At SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026, SEMI President and CEO Ajit Manocha delivered a clear message: the semiconductor industry is entering a "multi-trillion-dollar journey," but capturing that growth will depend less on ambition and more on coordination, ecosystems, and long-term strategy.
QuantWare's US$178 million Series B round aims to accelerate the global rollout of larger, industrial-scale quantum processors, promising hyperscale quantum compute through its VIO-40K architecture and KiloFab foundry — a development that could reshape supply chains, national technology capabilities, and industrial adoption for countries seeking scalable quantum computing.
Export controls on indium phosphide (InP) risk prolonging supply strains in the compound semiconductor market, GCS Holdings warned, affecting optical and RF component makers worldwide. The company said it has secured capacity and diversified sourcing ahead of the second half of 2026, signaling potential relief from first-half 2026 constraints for global customers and partners.
GlobalWafers said on May 4 that its first-quarter performance reflected a transitional period, as short-term cost pressures and capacity expansion weighed on margins even as demand tied to artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing began to strengthen.
Buoyed by robust demand for artificial intelligence and the early success of price increases, Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation (VIS) is projecting a stronger performance for the second quarter of 2026, with wafer shipments expected to rise by more than 10% from the previous quarter. Average selling prices are forecast to increase by 2% to 4%, while gross margins are likely to recover to above 30%.
GlobalWafers expects the current semiconductor cycle to bottom in the first quarter of 2026, with both the speed and breadth of recovery exceeding prior expectations, as artificial intelligence (AI) demand continues to drive growth across the industry.
India's latest approvals could expand global display and chip sourcing as the country adds Mini/Micro LED GaN fabrication and large-scale packaging capacity. Global manufacturers and buyers may see new sourcing options as India deepens its production capabilities for displays, power devices, and automotive components.
In a recent assessment of the semiconductor landscape, GlobalFoundries emphasized the critical need for supply chain resilience amid a "fragmented geopolitical environment." The company is positioning its three-continent manufacturing presence—spanning the US, Germany, and Singapore—as a strategic solution for global customers seeking to mitigate the risks associated with concentrated production.
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