Tokyo Electron (TEL)—a long-time close partner of TSMC and a frequent awardee—did not appear on the chipmaker's 2025 Excellent Performance Awards list. The absence is likely related to an incident involving the alleged leak of TSMC's 2nm technology that surfaced in early July 2025.

A new McKinsey report says the global semiconductor landscape is undergoing a dramatic divergence, with the US emerging as the center of leading-edge computation while Europe pivots toward securing industrial supply chains. As 2025 nears its end, the firm notes that a clear pattern has formed in the wave of greenfield Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): the US is consolidating the future of advanced logic production, and Europe is focusing on technological security and manufacturing continuity.

National Development Council (NDC) minister Chun-Hsien Yeh has pointed out that shifting global geopolitical risks are disrupting supply chains. To adapt, Taiwan aims to seize the AI trend by advancing its "five trusted industries" that are closely linked with AI development. The government's strategy includes promoting 10 major AI infrastructure projects to generate over NT$15 trillion (US$462 billion) in output value, driving nationwide industrial upgrades through AI commercialization and integration toward becoming a smart nation.

Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura visited TSMC's headquarters in Hsinchu on November 24, 2025, as part of a semiconductor investment promotion event in Taipei, saying the chipmaker remains strongly interested in expanding in Japan. The visit included talks with senior TSMC executives overseeing investments and industry-academia cooperation and marked Kimura's second trip to TSMC this year.

Dutch lithography leader ASML is facing an unprecedented wave of scrutiny after the publication of a new book, De belangrijkste machine ter wereld ("The Most Important Machine in the World"). The release has thrust the company into a debate unlike any it has previously encountered, sharply contrasting with the cooperative, ASML-endorsed narrative presented a year earlier in Focus – The ASML Way.

Samsung Electronics and India-based Reliance Industries have deepened their long-standing partnership, exploring cooperation across artificial intelligence, next-generation telecommunications, semiconductors, batteries, data centers, and engineering, following a high-level meeting in Seoul, according to the Korea Times, the Korea Joongan Daily, and the Chosun Daily.

Samsung Electronics has announced its 2026 senior executive promotions, marking a sharp departure from its five-year pattern of steadily reducing the number of high-level advancements. The company increased its total senior promotions to 161, up from 137 in the previous year, drawing widespread industry attention and signaling a strategic shift toward bolstering leadership in future growth sectors, according to ET News and Chosun Biz.

Nvidia will implement 800V infrastructure in its Vera Rubin platform by 2027, with Taiwanese firms leveraging EV expertise for AI servers, potentially boosting revenue in AI power management by 2026.

Japanese semiconductor firm Rapidus, which aims to mass-produce 2nm chips by 2027, has initiated plans for advanced technological developments, including the construction of a second factory in Hokkaido. The company has yet to commence mass production of advanced process chips.

Micron Technology announced plans to expand its DRAM memory development at its Hiroshima facility, with significant backing from the Japanese government. This move aims to boost output for high-performance and AI chip applications, according to Nikkei.

TSMC has sued former SVP, Wei-Jen Lo, for allegedly violating non-compete agreements after joining Intel, but industry insiders believe the case may be quietly dropped given the geopolitical sensitivity. Lo is likely a US citizen beyond Taiwan's reach; no formal extradition treaty exists, and escalating tensions could damage carefully maintained US-Taiwan semiconductor relations.

The European Commission has approved a EUR450 million Czech measure to support US semiconductor company Onsemi in establishing a new integrated manufacturing plant for Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. The measure, approved under EU State aid rules, aims to strengthen Europe's technological autonomy in semiconductor production and advance the bloc's digital and green transitions.

Google has been on a streak of breakthroughs in AI. Gemini 3 has been outperforming major AI models, while it has also received strong engineering feedback on Antigravity. Its already fast-rising TPU business is now seeing another major development: Google is reportedly in discussions with Meta about potentially deploying TPUs in Meta's data centers. This is fundamentally different from Google providing TPU computing services to Apple or Anthropic in the past.

Japan is preparing to designate artificial intelligence, nuclear fusion, space, and other advanced sectors as "national strategic technologies," while moving to require stricter cybersecurity protections at semiconductor plants that receive government subsidies, according to reports from Nikkei and financial news outlet Minkabu. The dual initiatives highlight Tokyo's push to strengthen technological competitiveness and reduce supply chain risks amid intensifying global competition.

Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger previously pointed to Taiwan's "precarious" position in the global geopolitical balance. This assessment has now reversed, however, as Gelsinger—now a partner at the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Playground Global—offered high praise for Taiwan's supply chain and manufacturing prowess. As Taiwan rises in global influence with its tech hub status, experts are urging foreign players to expand collaboration with local companies, rather than worry about geopolitical risks.

Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has opened a new shared pilot line capable of producing gate-all-around transistors, a move aimed at helping domestic companies develop 2nm and next-generation chip technologies. The facility, located at AIST's Advanced Semiconductor Research Center in Tsukuba, gives Japanese firms access to production-grade tools needed to prototype and validate GAA structures.

Samsung Electronics has reportedly launched mass production of its latest mobile application processor, the Exynos 2600, sparking increased activity across South Korea's semiconductor ecosystem. Local test and assembly firms, including Doosan Tesna and Hana Micron, have begun increasing utilization rates in response to the new production phase.

Image processing SoC maker Jeilin held a pre-listing performance briefing on November 24, announcing plans to launch a new product platform in response to rapidly growing AI-driven image recognition demands in 2025. The company aims to enter the high-end market with upgraded versions of its traditional digital camera, ecological tracking camera, and action camera products, while also targeting security, drone, and other innovative AI application fields.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently indicated that the design finalization of Tesla's AI5 chip is imminent, sparking speculation about Samsung Electronics' semiconductor foundry in South Korea as the likely production site.

The Taiwanese government has expanded its list of core national technologies from 32 to 42 items to enhance the protection of trade secrets and prevent unlawful infringements. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) coordinated efforts among various ministries, industry associations, and academic experts to update the list in accordance with the National Security Act.

The 29th International Conference on Technology Law, hosted by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) from November 20–21, 2025, spotlighted Taiwan's role in global technology security. The Science and Technology Law Institute (STLI) under the Institute for Information Industry (III) presented research comparing international foreign investment review frameworks and explored implications for Taiwan's semiconductor, AI, and quantum sectors.