Japan is broadening its semiconductor support strategy by expanding subsidies for domestic production of legacy chips, aiming to strengthen economic security and reduce reliance on overseas suppliers.
AI server demand is pushing semiconductor packaging into a new growth cycle, but the market remains heavily concentrated among a small group of global outsourced semiconductor assembly and test leaders and Taiwanese and Chinese companies, sharpening the challenge for South Korea's back-end chip industry.
Intel's reported preliminary agreement to manufacture some chips for Apple is putting new pressure on Samsung Electronics, as the US chipmaker gains momentum with major technology customers and leans on Washington's support to revive its foundry business.
The global semiconductor materials market reached a record high of US$73.2 billion in 2025, up 6.8% year-over-year, according to the latest Materials Market Data Subscription (MMDS) report released by SEMI on May 13, 2026.
