Market interest in whether Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing (PSMC) would deepen cooperation with Intel or potentially bring the company in as an investor has grown, as the US government and companies like Intel have actively sought partnerships with Taiwanese chipmakers in recent years. Intel and Taiwan's United Microelectronics (UMC) are currently collaborating on a 12-nanometer process platform.
Manz has applied to establish a branch in the Tainan Science Park and plans to set up an R&D center there for advanced packaging equipment and systems integration solutions, according to the Southern Taiwan Science Park Bureau. The move is aimed at developing next-generation tools for markets including artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and panel-level packaging.
South Korean semiconductor equipment maker Hanwha Semitech is expected to begin recognizing revenue from fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP) equipment starting in the third quarter of 2026. The move follows a return to profitability in the second quarter, driven by thermocompression bonding (TCB) tools. FOPLP is set to become the next growth engine as the company broadens its advanced packaging portfolio.
South Korea's planned KRW500 billion(US$349,398) research and development initiative for silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors is struggling to move beyond the planning stage because the government has not secured a major anchor company to drive demand and support commercialization, according to ETNews.
Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) will maintain its existing strategy following the sudden death of Chairman Frank Huang and expects business to improve quarter by quarter in the second half of 2026, Acting Chairman Brian Shieh said on August 4th.
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said humanoid robots have become a key symbol of the country's emerging manufacturing sector, claiming that 8 of every 10 humanoid and quadruped robots sold globally are produced by Chinese companies. The remarks came at a July 31 press briefing and also highlighted progress in IC design, semiconductor equipment, wafer fabrication, and packaging and testing.
China has revised its regulations on the protection of integrated circuit (IC) layout designs, introducing stricter registration requirements, stronger enforcement measures and clearer commercialization rules as Beijing steps up efforts to strengthen its domestic semiconductor industry amid ongoing US technology restrictions.
TSMC has announced that Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), its subsidiary in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture, has resumed normal operations following production disruptions caused by the recent Kumamoto earthquake.
Asia Optical reported record operating profit for the second quarter of 2026, as consolidated revenue, gross profit and operating profit all increased from a year earlier. The company said the result was supported by three growth drivers that it expects to sustain momentum into the third quarter.
