With the advent of the AI era and the concurrent influence of geopolitical developments, Taiwan's semiconductor industry continues to play a pivotal role in the global supply chain. In addressing a range of challenges, Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association (TSIA) chairman and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) senior vice president and co-COO Cliff Hou responded to questions about key issues, including the complexities of establishing fabs in the US, strategies for green energy and power, raw material controls, talent, and policy support.

Silicon transistors are approaching their physical limits, and AI is increasing demand for higher density, performance, and energy efficiency. Advanced packaging and bonding technologies for heterogeneous integration have become crucial to the semiconductor industry. At the 27th Semiconductor Exhibition (SEDEX 2025), Samsung Semiconductor and Device Solutions (DS) Division CTO Song Jae-hyuk emphasized the growing need for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division CTO Song Jae-hyuk expressed strong confidence in the revival of Samsung's foundry business and reported smooth progress on the company's 2nm process during a semiconductor industry briefing hosted by South Korea's chief presidential secretary for policy, Kim Yong-beom.

As the CHIPS and Science Act drives a shift in global semiconductor investments from Asia to the US, whether South Korean giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix can emerge successfully amid rising US–China tensions will depend on their ability to quickly establish stable production in the US, and on government efforts in navigating tariffs and other policies, according to South Korean media reports.

SK Hynix is positioned to thoroughly capitalize on the ongoing memory supercycle, driven by its superior DRAM technology and mass production capabilities, according to analysts.

Taiwan's top economic and technology officials have dismissed concerns that the island's semiconductor ecosystem investments in the US represent industrial relocation. The pushback follows Vice President Bi-khim Louise Hsiao's announcement that Taiwan's entire ecosystem will invest in America, which sparked domestic debate over potential industrial hollowing and talent drain.

As artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) lead a new industrial revolution in the PCB sector, Taiwanese giants Zhen Ding Tech (ZDT) and Unimicron are optimistic about market prospects in 2026. They expect demand from AI data center infrastructure and edge AI devices to drive significant growth across IC substrates, HDI, HLC, and flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs).

Market watchers are eagerly anticipating a major year-end executive reshuffle at Samsung Electronics, as operational performance at the South Korean giant stabilizes. Acting Device eXperience (DX) head Roh Tae-moon is expected to be officially appointed to the position, and rumors suggest that personnel changes may also affect Device Solutions (DS) leader Jun Young-hyun. Since these divisions form the two main pillars of Samsung's core businesses, the potential reshuffling of these two leadership positions has drawn keen attention.

Cybersecurity firm Check Point Software has released its September Cyber Security Report, showing that organizations worldwide faced an average of 1,900 cyberattacks per week, up 1% year-over-year. Taiwan once again ranked first in the Asia-Pacific region. The hardware and semiconductor industries were identified as primary targets.