CONNECT WITH US
Feb 13
TSMC and memory makers boost capex to offset China export restrictions impact
TSMC raised its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to US$52-56 billion, driving strong demand in the global semiconductor supply chain amid AI growth. Memory giants SK Hynix, Micron, Nanya Technology, and Winbond also expanded capacity plans.
A global shortage of memory chips is beginning to reshape product launch timelines across the tech industry, impacting everything from smartphones and laptops to gaming consoles and data center hardware, according to Bloomberg and other reports.
GlobalFoundries and Renesas Electronics Corporation announced an expanded strategic collaboration through a multi-billion-dollar manufacturing agreement aimed at strengthening semiconductor supply chains and expanding production capacity across multiple regions.
Pentagon's brief blacklist reversal could ease US OEM access to Chinese memory suppliers, complicating Trump-Xi summit dynamicsWith President Donald Trump set to visit China in just over a month, the US Department of War's recent listing and rapid retraction of several Chinese firms has intensified tensions and exposed internal contradictions within the administration.
Samsung Electronics is reportedly accelerating preparations for next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM), moving to establish a hybrid bonding production line at its Cheonan campus in South Korea to support the higher stacking transition to high-bandwidth memory 4 (HBM4) and next-generation high-bandwidth memory 5 (HBM5).
Intel's India engineering center made significant contributions to the recently launched Panther Lake client platform in the areas like x86 core, platform design, post-silicon validation, reference design and platform and systems validation, the company said.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have expanded their strategic collaboration to develop rack-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure in India, including a planned 200-megawatt deployment based on AMD's "Helios" AI architecture.

The global memory industry is facing its most severe supply crunch in more than a decade. DRAM and NAND prices are rising at record speed, while high-bandwidth memory capacity is increasingly absorbed by artificial intelligence data centers.

The Pentagon briefly published an updated list of Chinese companies alleged to have ties to the People’s Liberation Army, then withdrew it within an hour. The episode highlights Washington’s attempt to ease trade tensions with Beijing while maintaining pressure on technology and national security ahead of an expected April meeting between President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

Apple has reportedly agreed to double the unit price it pays for NAND flash from Japan's Kioxia starting in the January–March quarter, with supply contracts moving to quarterly price adjustments linked to market conditions.

RISC-V gains traction in automotive and industrial markets despite ecosystem risks, while India's tech landscape sees heightened AI, semiconductor and smartphone activity—from Phison Electronics CEO Khein-seng Pua meeting Narendra Modi and Anthropic's trademark dispute, to Xiaomi's premium push, the launch of PRITVI-ACE by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, expanded deep tech support, and an arbitration case between Wingtech Technology and Luxshare Precision

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories in the week of February 9 to February 16, 2026. This week's coverage spans HBM3 and HBM4 capacity shifts, AI PC market share changes, alternative memory architecture development, foundry strategy resets, and executive leadership moves at TSMC. Together, these stories track how AI-driven demand is reshaping memory supply, chip architecture strategy, and global semiconductor expansion.