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Monday 9 February 2026

Taiwan posts fastest growth in 15 years as AI boom drowns out hollowing-out fears

Taiwan's economy expanded 8.63% in 2025, its strongest growth in 15 years, as the island's semiconductor-driven supply chain continued to underpin global demand for AI computing. Minister of Economic Affairs Ming-hsin Kung said on February 5 that despite a high base effect from the previous year, Taiwan is expected to maintain resilience and flexibility into 2026.

Monday 9 February 2026

India roundup: India's annual budget to boost AI and chip ecosystem

India unveils the latest Union Budget, which includes India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, to boost chip incentives. The Trump Administration announced a reduced 18% tariff on India as India diversifies trade partners.

Monday 9 February 2026

CSP orders and space economy fuel strong start to 2026 for Taiwan's supply chain

Rising investments in AI data centers and an intensifying global push to build large-scale satellite networks are rapidly transforming Taiwan's technology supply chain, delivering a powerful start to 2026. From advanced cooling solutions and ASIC thermal modules to satellite communications components and semiconductor testing services, companies such as Microloops, Universal Microwave Technology (UMT), and MSScorps are seeing demand surge, translating into record revenues and strengthening growth visibility for the year ahead.

Monday 9 February 2026

Musk flags manufacturing bottlenecks, floats 'TeraFab' as chip supply strains

Elon Musk said the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is running up against hard limits in global manufacturing capacity, as chip production, power equipment and industrial supply chains struggle to scale fast enough to meet surging demand.

Monday 9 February 2026

India advances semiconductor ambitions as TSMC fabricates DLI-backed startup chips

India marked a milestone in its semiconductor push as seven chip designs from startups under the design-linked incentive (DLI) scheme were successfully fabricated, including advanced nodes at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). The progress underscores India's aim to develop indigenous chip design and manufacturing capabilities amid global supply constraints.

Sunday 8 February 2026

Silicon Motion posts strong Q4 results, forecasts continued growth in 2026

Silicon Motion Technology, a leading global supplier of NAND flash controllers, reported robust financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025, driven by broad-based product growth and expanding market share across key segments.

Sunday 8 February 2026

Record Japan blizzard threatens AI chip supply chains

A record-breaking blizzard driven by extreme weather has battered Japan's northern Aomori Prefecture, dumping snow at more than two and a half times the historical average. The storm has claimed lives, paralyzed local commerce, and raised fresh concerns about the resilience of global technology supply chains.

Sunday 8 February 2026

GlobalFoundries reinvent wafer services by integrating IP to meet evolving market demands

The traditional wafer foundry model is transforming as leading foundries increasingly incorporate intellectual property (IP) into mature technology nodes to address economic pressures and shifting customer needs. Nearly four decades after TSMC founder Morris Chang separated chip design from wafer manufacturing, foundries are evolving from mere silicon suppliers into broader infrastructure providers offering extended platform support.

Saturday 7 February 2026

A close reading of the book behind TSMC's Japan bet

TSMC's decision to bring 3nm manufacturing to Japan is often explained in terms of subsidies and diversification. A better explanation sits in a book written five years ago by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi—one that C.C. Wei chose to endorse in public when the deal was finally unveiled. That book offers a useful guide to why TSMC's 3nm future is being built in Kumamoto.

Saturday 7 February 2026

RISC-V CEO highlights open architecture's edge-to-cloud potential

The RISC-V ecosystem is making steady progress across various application fields, from cloud high-performance computing to automotive electronics. Industry players are launching solutions targeting these areas while actively expanding into future-oriented sectors like robotics and space exploration.

Friday 6 February 2026

South Korean president meets conglomerate chiefs as Samsung, others pledge US$186b in regional investments

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung recently convened a meeting at the Blue House titled the "Corporate Roundtable on Youth Employment and Expanded Regional Investment," bringing together leaders from the country's 10 largest conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and LG Group, along with representatives from the financial sector. Lee urged companies to work with the government to promote youth employment, entrepreneurship and more balanced regional development.

Friday 6 February 2026

India's 2026–27 budget signals systemic overhaul for manufacturing, semiconductors, and digital investment

India's Union Budget for fiscal year 2026–27, unveiled on February 1, 2026, emphasizes manufacturing, semiconductors, and AI-linked infrastructure as central pillars of economic growth. The measures aim to strengthen supply chains, reduce import dependence, and institutionalize compliance frameworks for both domestic and foreign investors.

Friday 6 February 2026

Transcend sees 4x revenue surge in January 2026 as memory prices rise

Memory module maker Transcend Information reported a record high monthly consolidated revenue of NT$4.76 billion (US$150.4 million) in January 2026, driven by soaring demand for AI servers, large-scale industrial control shipments, and steadily rising memory prices.

Friday 6 February 2026

Samsung foundry said to plan 10% price hike for 4nm, 8nm nodes

Samsung Electronics' foundry business is reportedly preparing price increases for certain process technologies, including 4nm and 8nm nodes, with hikes reportedly around 10%. Despite the adjustment, Samsung is expected to maintain a pricing advantage over TSMC as TSMC continues to raise its own wafer prices.

Friday 6 February 2026

TSMC’s 3nm bet in Japan signals a deeper Taiwan-Japan tech pact

To meet the surging demand driven by AI, TSMC is upgrading its second wafer fab under construction in Kumamoto, Japan, to use more advanced 3nm process technology. This development was personally conveyed by TSMC chairman C.C. Wei to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Friday 6 February 2026

Samsung vows 130% growth in 2nm orders, eyes major customers besides Tesla

The global competition for advanced wafer foundry processes is intensifying, with Samsung Electronics recently announcing that its 2nm process will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) chips. The company projects a more than 130% increase in 2nm order volume in 2026 compared to 2025, signaling an aggressive push to catch up with TSMC.

Friday 6 February 2026

The Kumamoto master plan: behind TSMC's strategic leap to 3nm supremacy

TSMC is doubling down on Japan. By upgrading its second Kumamoto facility to 3-nanometer production, the chipmaking giant has turned what was once a secondary supply-chain hedge into a cornerstone of its global strategy to dominate advanced AI silicon.

Friday 6 February 2026

Commentary: Why TSMC is upgrading Japan's Kumamoto fab from 6nm to 3nm

TSMC has made a significant change in its process plan for the Kumamoto second fab, confirming an upgrade from the initially planned 6/7nm node to 3nm. This facility will become Japan's first 3nm wafer fab, while Japan-backed Rapidus advances toward 2nm development.

Friday 6 February 2026

ASE expects advanced packaging and testing revenue to double in 2026

OSAT leader ASE Technology Holding is optimistic that its growth momentum will extend through 2026 and beyond, benefiting from the short supply of advanced packaging and testing capacity. COO Tien Wu said order visibility has improved over the past three months, prompting the company to further raise its 2026 advanced packaging and testing revenue target to US$3.2 billion. This would represent a doubling from US$1.6 billion in 2025, and is more than 20% higher than the previous forecast of US$2.6 billion. Of the total, 75% is expected to come from advanced packaging, with the remaining 25% contributed by advanced testing.

Friday 6 February 2026

Rapidus draws US$1b in private capital to revive Japan's leading-edge chip ambitions

Japanese semiconductor startup Rapidus has secured more than JPY160 billion (US$1.02 billion) in private funding for fiscal 2025, surpassing its initial JPY130 billion target, according to a report by Nikkei on February 4. SoftBank Group and Sony Group each invested JPY21 billion to become the company's largest shareholders, while IBM is also reportedly preparing to join the round, adding international backing. The funding surge signals strong investor confidence and aligns with Japan's push to reinforce domestic semiconductor self-sufficiency.

Friday 6 February 2026

Infineon announces price hikes up to 25%; Taiwanese power semiconductor makers plan to follow in 2Q26

Given frequent price increases across precious metals, wafer foundry services, and packaging and testing, Infineon's announcement of price increases is very telling for the market. The company will implement price adjustments for power switches and IC products starting April 1, 2026, and it is rumored that the maximum price adjustment reaches as high as 25%. Some Taiwanese companies plan to renegotiate prices for new orders after the Lunar New Year and in the second quarter of 2026.

Friday 6 February 2026

CSPs turn to custom silicon to break Nvidia dependence

The global boom in generative artificial intelligence is driving an insatiable demand for computing power. This is pushing the world's largest cloud service providers to rethink a long-standing dependence on Nvidia's AI GPUs.

Friday 6 February 2026

PSMC narrows losses as DRAM prices and AI demand boost revenue

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, one of Taiwan's smaller but strategically positioned chipmakers, reported a sharp narrowing of losses in the fourth quarter of 2025, buoyed by rising memory prices, a stronger US dollar, and income from an overseas partnership with India's Tata Group.

Friday 6 February 2026

ASE Technology posts 3-year profit high on strong advanced packaging orders in 4Q25

Global outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) leader ASE Technology Holding held its earnings call, revealing that robust demand for advanced semiconductor packaging services drove growth throughout 2025. ASE's chief operating officer, Tien Wu, highlighted that the company's full-year consolidated revenue posted growth in 2025, with advanced test materials revenue increasing 23%.

Friday 6 February 2026

CHPT sees AI, AP drive load board shipments with January revenue up

Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT) reported year-over-year and month-over-month revenue growth in January. The surge was mainly driven by strong demand for AI, application processor (AP), and related chip testing services, which significantly boosted the usage of test load boards.

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