Infineon Technologies announced on September 25, 2025, that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Rohm Semiconductor to collaborate on packages for silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors.

Taiwanese passive components maker Yageo, on September 11, 2025, unilaterally announced plans to invest over NT$4.8 billion (US$158 million) to acquire a major stake in power management IC (PMIC) design house Anpec Electronics. In a statement released on September 24, 2025, in response to the acquisition bid, Anpec expressed regret that Yageo did not engage in any prior discussions before the announcement and noted that the current per-share offer still has room for upward adjustments.

Ennostar, a Taiwan-based developer of optoelectronic semiconductors, is actively expanding its presence in the AI optical communication market. It has announced a collaboration with European micro-transfer printing (MTP) specialist X-Celeprint, aiming to accelerate the implementation and commercialization of mass transfer technology in silicon photonics (SiPh) applications.

The memory market shortage has reignited a new wave of price increases. As supply tightens for NAND flash storage memory, traditional hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD) have also raised prices. Taiwanese IC packaging and testing companies as well as BT substrate manufacturers report an unusual surge in urgent customer orders.

The National Science and Technology Council's three major science parks achieved a combined revenue of NT$2.74 trillion (approximately US$90.6 billion) in the first half of 2025, marking a 26.74% increase year-over-year. This surge reflects the semiconductor sector's robust performance alongside expanding AI applications and investments in cloud services.

Escalating tariffs, high inflation, and a shift in supply chains to the US are driving up manufacturing costs, leaving little room for prices on consumer electronics and business technology to come down.

Nvidia and Intel have announced a rare partnership to jointly develop next-generation AI data center and PC platform chips. Despite predominantly negative market interpretations, the industry remains optimistic that this "powerful collaboration" will promote closer integration of GPU and CPU designs, thereby driving increased demand for high-end ABF substrates. Leading suppliers closely working with both companies are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries.

The semiconductor industry is experiencing its most dramatic transformation in decades, driven by artificial intelligence's relentless demand for computing power. Traditional boundaries between design, manufacturing, and supply chains are crumbling as AI accelerates innovation from advanced process nodes to next-generation packaging. Yet this revolution comes with consequences—bottlenecks in upstream equipment and materials are forcing a complete reconfiguration of the ecosystem.

Murata Manufacturing, the world's largest MLCC producer, is reinforcing its strategy around quality in the face of intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers. The company remains committed to defending the "volume zone" of its core markets, betting that further improvements in quality and production efficiency will sustain its competitive edge, even as rivals make inroads into lower-priced segments.

Huawei has disclosed two new patents in China targeting advanced cooling solutions for AI chips, highlighting the rising urgency around thermal management as chip power consumption continues to climb. The filings, revealed by China's National Intellectual Property Administration and reported by Sina and Securities Times, describe silicon carbide (SiC) materials designed to improve heat dissipation in chip packaging, substrates, heat spreaders, and printed circuit boards.

The surge of 12-inch silicon carbide (SiC) materials entering advanced packaging processes has drawn significant market attention to Episil Technology, which spans first- and third-category power semiconductor devices, and its epitaxy subsidiary EPI during their investor conference on September 17, 2025.

Topco Scientific (TSC) is actively expanding its global footprint. Chairman Jeffery Pan stated that following the layout of global semiconductor clusters, besides establishing locations in the US, the company plans to set up an office in Dresden, Germany, and a warehouse in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic by mid-2026.

After months of back-and-forth in the takeover battle for Japanese negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor manufacturer Shibaura Electronics, Taiwanese passive component giant Yageo has emerged on top. Yageo has secured Shibaura Electronics' full support for the acquisition by offering a higher bid than competitor MinebeaMitsumi.

Samsung Electronics is accelerating its research into silicon carbide (SiC), a next-generation power semiconductor material, as competition heats up across the industry.

STMicroelectronics (STM) has announced a US$60 million investment to establish a panel-level packaging (PLP) technology pilot production line at its Tours facility in France, with plans to commence operations in the third quarter of 2026.

Hanwha E-ssential, a subsidiary of Hanwha Solutions, has successfully localized the production of semiconductor packaging insulation materials in South Korea. The company plans to begin supplying in 2026, aiming to challenge the market dominance of Japanese firm Ajinomoto.

Murata Manufacturing has announced its Medium-Term Direction 2027, outlining ambitious growth targets and a bold investment strategy as the electronics market undergoes structural change. The Japanese electronic components maker aims to achieve revenue of JPY2 trillion (approx. US$13.3 billion) and an operating profit margin of at least 18% by fiscal 2027, with artificial intelligence (AI) applications serving as a key growth driver.

The South Korean government recently announced several industrial growth plans, including support programs for the localization of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors. The SiC power semiconductor market relies heavily on the electric vehicle (EV) sector. Although current growth has slowed, medium- to long-term expansion is expected to accelerate. Therefore, whether South Korea can leverage more advanced technologies to compete with Chinese manufacturers on price will be a critical factor.

Taiwan's AI server exports have doubled, with manufacturers' GPU and graphics card production capacity fully booked, driving remarkable export growth for the country. Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin stated on September 16 that the success of Taiwan's technology industry is not accidental.

Taiwanese passive component manufacturer Yageo Corporation has announced plans to acquire up to 28.5% of power management IC (PMIC) design firm Anpec Electronics through a public tender offer valued at approximately NT$4.89 billion (approx. US$161.9 million). This marks Yageo's continued shift toward expanding its presence in active components following its recent acquisition of Japan's Shibaura Electronics.

The United Kingdom demonstrated a prominent presence at SEMICON Taiwan 2025 last week, reinforcing its position as a key player in innovative technology. The UK Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK, the national innovation agency, led a delegation of over 30 emerging companies across semiconductor manufacturing, design, testing, and materials sectors to the event.

South Korea's information and communications technology (ICT) exports in August 2025 reached a record high for the period compared to previous years. Due to rising memory semiconductor prices and increased investment in artificial intelligence server infrastructure, semiconductor export values also reached an all-time high.

Power semiconductors, particularly silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), emerged as key themes at SEMICON Taiwan 2025. The toughest competition was in SiC equipment, with Chinese, US, and Japanese suppliers all aggressively fighting for market share.

A new phase in the global race for silicon carbide (SiC) dominance is unfolding—one shaped as much by geopolitics as by market forces. As Chinese manufacturers make rapid strides in low-cost SiC wafer production, the strategic consensus around this next-generation semiconductor material is beginning to fracture.