The tech industry's resurgence and restructuring driven by the AI wave have led to a reshuffling of market value rankings among major players like Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, and Google, sparking interest in how business models evolve.
Geopolitical pressures and changes in industrial structure are driving strategic collaborations among semiconductor companies, with various countries or regions incentivized for partnerships, particularly Taiwan and Japan. However, support from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea is essential to establish ICT supply chains in emerging countries such as South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Canada is following in the footsteps of various countries to participate in the ongoing reshoring recalibrations for the semiconductor supply chains and develop its competitiveness in semiconductors.
Asia Pacific (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, and Singapore) accounts for 84% of global chip exports and is home to 10 of the 16 semiconductor exporters and the top six suppliers, which includes Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The leading pure-play foundry will celebrate the inauguration of its first fab in Kumamoto, Japan, on February 24, 2024.
We are seeing the most standardized specifications of AI hardware with the launch of AI PCs, and the operating system and the apps will be key to defining the "AI" on the PCs as a genie or a white elephant, said DIGITIMES Research analyst Joyce Chen, who just recently released a report regarding AI PC.
With the government's support, Chinese companies have scaled the silicon carbide (SiC) segment and secured partnerships with some international IDMs. In the second part of an interview with DIGITIMES, Doris Hsu, chairperson of the Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) Group, talked about the opportunities SiC devices would bring to Taiwan's semiconductor industry.
China-based companies are expected to march into the compound semiconductor segment in 2024 as they solve the bottleneck of SiC crystal growth and are recognized by global companies like Bosch, Infineon, and STM.
Having to overcome ramps and bumps on its internationalization journey, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's leading pure-play foundry, is learning to act globally and think locally while expanding overseas. Owing to the assistance and support of the Japanese government, the construction of TSMC's first fab of its joint venture in Kumamoto, Japan, has been progressing smoothly and on schedule for mass production in the fourth quarter of 2024.
DIGITIMES recently interviewed Julian Hetherington, the director of the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), to understand the future of EV development in the UK and its potential benefits for Taiwan's supply chain.
Food Cycle Sciences, a Canadian company that produces FoodCycler, the kitchen waste processor, is planning to expand its market in Taiwan via a local partner.
Young Sohn, Harman International's chairman, joined Samsung Electronics in 2012 as the corporate president. He led the Samsung Strategy Innovation Center (SSIC) and has been critical to helping the company discover future driving forces.
Harman International will be critical as Samsung Electronics scales its automotive business. In the second part of an exclusive interview with DIGITIMES, Young Sohn, who chairs the Harman board of directors and is a member of Samsung's semiconductor advisory office, provided his perspectives on automotive suppliers, competition in China, and Harman's future.
With its long-time experience in the automotive sector, Harman International has formed its views on the supply chain and the industry outlook. The company is expected to report the best-ever financial results for 2023, becoming essential for Samsung Electronics' growth in smart vehicle applications.
Amid the 2023 global economic downturn, many capital investments retracted, but experts stress that this period offers a strategic opportunity for corporate investment and the infusion of innovative energy.
