China is accelerating its push into fourth-generation semiconductors, with the country's first fully integrated industrial project for ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductor materials set to be built in Zhengzhou. The project aims to strengthen domestic capabilities in diamond-based semiconductor materials for AI chips, advanced communications and electric vehicles, while expanding China's presence beyond silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN).
Apple has abruptly raised prices for Mac computers, iPads, and Vision Pro in the US, underscoring how the AI infrastructure boom is spilling from data centers into consumer electronics.
South Korea is pushing to establish a second national semiconductor production base in its southwestern Honam region, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix planning to each build two new large-scale chip fabrication sites as part of a KRW800 trillion (approx. US$517.87 billion) national chip ecosystem project, according to Chosun.
DRAM and NAND Flash supplies are tightening as global AI data centers continue to expand. Apple is actively lobbying the Trump administration to allow it to buy DRAM from Chinese memory maker CXMT, underscoring the cost, supply, and geopolitical pressures bearing down on the global technology supply chain.
AI is turning memory from an inventory risk into a strategic resource. As memory becomes integral to platform and system design, customers are securing supply earlier, making availability increasingly critical to product launches, says Winbond Electronics president James Chen.
With growing demand for AI server cooling and power management solutions, power semiconductor design company Potens reported that revenue from its server-related business has risen from 4.5% of total revenue in 2025 to 13.5%, a significant jump that reflects strong momentum in the segment. The company also remains optimistic about continued expansion in the AI, automotive, and motor control markets. Order transfers from Western manufacturers seeking to reduce reliance on China are also materializing.
AI is turning memory from an inventory risk into a strategic resource. As memory becomes integral to platform and system design, customers are securing supply earlier, making availability increasingly critical to product launches, says Winbond Electronics president James Chen.
