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Global semiconductor IDMs continue to invest in back-end processes in ASEAN; Western firms are more aggressive than Japanese peers in establishing and expanding plants in Singapore and Malaysia....

Ofuna Technology, a provider of PCB laser drilling equipment and processing services, reported a surge in demand driven by the AI industry wave during an investor briefing on November 17, 2025. President Sun Yi-Min disclosed that the utilization rate of its subcontracted laser drilling business reached full capacity as of the fourth quarter of 2025, which the company anticipates will set a peak for 2025 operations and begin reducing losses recorded in the first three quarters....

GlobalFoundries (GF) announced it will acquire Singapore-based silicon-photonics foundry Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF), a move that represents a critical step in its push to advance photonics innovation and solidify its leadership in the field. The acquisition underscores GF's growing confidence in photonics as a cornerstone of future semiconductor and AI infrastructure....

The US is intensifying its use of four key non-tariff measures—anti-dumping duties, balancing taxes, antitrust actions, and forced labor bans—creating mounting compliance and operational challenges for Taiwanese manufacturers. These tools have become central to Washington's trade strategy under President Donald Trump and now pose greater business risks than traditional tariff actions, according to insights shared at workshops hosted by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA)....

SK Hynix Inc. is set to capture about 80% of Nvidia Corporation's sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) demand in 2026, according to market forecasts. This strong positioning is expected to deliver a significant boost to the company's earnings and operating profit, potentially surpassing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)....

Samsung Electronics is undertaking one of its most significant DRAM expansions in years, aggressively scaling production of its next-generation 1c DRAM as intense global AI demand redefines the memory market. This major capacity increase is poised to reshape the competitive landscape and challenge SK Hynix, which has dominated the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) segment over the past two years....

Automotive parts supplier Iron Force Industrial disclosed a marginal revenue decline in its first three quarters of 2025 during an earnings call on November 17, citing ongoing tariff impacts and adjustments in its automotive parts division. The company's automotive segment continues to represent about 85% of its total revenue....

Meta Platforms is intensifying its robotics initiatives by appointing Li-Chen Miller, formerly head of its smart glasses division, as the first product manager for its Reality Labs robotics team while actively recruiting AI and robotics experts....

With military conflicts in areas around the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea easing, Egypt aims to restore the Suez Canal's former traffic levels to boost its fiscal revenue. However, two major factors continue to deter shipping companies from resuming passage through this strategic waterway, opting instead to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope....

Netronix-invested Taiwan Biomaterial Company (TWBM) has announced that its stroke negative pressure pump system catheter guidewire—one of only two such products available globally—is scheduled to begin shipments in the first quarter of 2026....

India's Ziroh Labs is positioning its Kompact AI runtime as a homegrown alternative to GPU-based AI compute, arguing that enterprise AI adoption in emerging markets will hinge as much on energy availability and hardware sovereignty as on model quality....

Chris Miller, the economic historian and author of Chip War, warned that China's growing dominance in older-generation semiconductors poses an increasingly severe threat to global supply chains, intensifying the urgency of US efforts to rebuild domestic chip production....

Oppo is ramping up efforts to enhance the global competitiveness of its mobile devices by concentrating not only on hardware research and development but also on optimizing its operating system. The company aims to improve user experience through smoother software control and seamless connectivity, seeking to strengthen the software quality that underpins its smartphones. By prioritizing high-quality software, Oppo hopes to further distinguish itself from rivals in the crowded smartphone market....

Rising demand for enterprise IT equipment upgrades and cybersecurity has boosted the order intake of system integrators, including HPI Corp, which announced a pre-listing performance briefing for June 18, 2025. The company reported third-quarter 2025 revenue of NT$530 million (US$17.31 million), with a gross margin of 15.34%, up 2.23% year-on-year. Net profit after tax reached NT$27.93 million, a 1.13% increase compared to a year ago....

Memory module manufacturer ADATA Technology Co. predicts the tight memory supply situation will continue through 2026, raising concerns about possible shipment reductions in consumer applications next year. Despite the supply constraints, ADATA reports no signs of declining market activity, stating that customers are purchasing only what they can obtain as demand outpaces available inventory....

Samsung Electronics confirmed the first performance results from its upcoming 2nm chip process, signaling a more aggressive push into next-generation foundry manufacturing as it tries to narrow the gap with market leader TSMC....

Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE), a major manufacturer of networking and server printed circuit boards (PCBs), announced the approval of two capex projects totaling NT$8.5 billion (approx. US$270 million). The investments include rebuilding an old factory in Taoyuan acquired from CMC Magnetics and expanding its plant in Thailand....

Taiwanese authorities have launched an investigation into Wei-Jen Lo, a former SVP for corporate development at TSMC, following allegations that he copied advanced process technology data before leaving the company and subsequently joined Intel Corporation. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and the High Prosecutors' Office are involved in examining whether Lo's actions violate national security laws....

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, has reentered corporate leadership as co-CEO of a new artificial intelligence (AI) startup named Project Prometheus, alongside former Google X scientist Vik Bajaj. The company is reportedly focusing on applying AI to aerospace, automotive engineering, and manufacturing sectors....

Taiwan's air cargo market is bracing for further increases in shipping prices as sustained demand for AI servers and semiconductor components drives record export volumes. Freight carriers expect rates to keep climbing through late 2025, reinforced by robust North America-bound shipments despite rising geopolitical and tariff-related uncertainties....