semiconductor industry

ASML, the Dutch maker of advanced chipmaking equipment, says it is not selling its machines in Europe and has warned the region risks falling behind the United States, China and India in semiconductors. The remarks are drawing attention in tech and business circles, with debate over what they mean for Europe's industrial strategy and ambitions to build a domestic chip industry.

Taiwan's dominance in semiconductor manufacturing, led by TSMC, is being described as a 'silicon shield' that deters Chinese aggression while making the island indispensable to the United States in the AI era. As artificial intelligence drives global demand for advanced chips, control over Taiwan's chip industry has become central to both its security and US strategic interests, intensifying debate over cross-strait tensions.

Reporting from Taipei frames Taiwan as the potential deciding factor in the escalating technology rivalry between the United States and China. Taiwan's tech industry produces more than 90 percent of the world's most advanced semiconductors, the chips that power AI servers, giving the island outsized strategic importance as both superpowers compete for dominance in artificial intelligence.

China may allow Alibaba and ByteDance to purchase new Nvidia chips, according to a report by The Information. The potential decision would mark a shift in Beijing's stance on access to advanced US semiconductor technology for its largest technology companies, which rely heavily on Nvidia chips for artificial intelligence development.

An ASML executive has said the Dutch chipmaking equipment giant currently sells none of its machines in Europe, underscoring how little leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing takes place on the continent. The comment highlights Europe's reliance on Asia and the United States for chip production, despite EU ambitions to expand domestic semiconductor capacity.

China is considering allowing ByteDance and Alibaba to buy Nvidia's newest chips, according to a report by The Information. The deliberation comes amid ongoing US-China tensions over semiconductor exports, with Washington restricting sales of advanced Nvidia technology to Chinese companies. Any approval would signal a shift in Beijing's stance and could ease pressure on major Chinese AI firms seeking cutting-edge hardware.

Reports suggest China may allow Alibaba and ByteDance to purchase Nvidia's newest AI chips, a shift from earlier restrictions on advanced US semiconductor exports. If confirmed, the move would ease access to critical hardware for two of China's largest technology companies and could signal a thaw in US-China tensions over chip trade. Observers are watching for official confirmation from both governments.

ASML, the Dutch chip equipment maker, says it sold 'absolutely nothing' in Europe in 2026 and is calling on the EU to help create demand for its lithography machines. The comments highlight Europe's weak semiconductor manufacturing base, as ASML's sales remain concentrated in Asia, particularly Taiwan, South Korea and China.

New data from South Korea shows that nearly four out of ten reported leaks of industrial technology involve semiconductor-related know-how. The figures underline growing concern in Seoul over the theft of critical chip technology, a sector central to the country's economy and to intensifying global competition over semiconductor supply chains.

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged increased investment in artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing. She positioned the sectors as key to India's economic and technological ambitions, aligning with the government's push to attract chip fabrication projects and build AI capacity. The remarks come as countries compete for investment in these strategic industries.

Workers at the Taiwanese factory producing a popular snack treated as a good luck charm in the chip industry have voted 94% in favour of a strike, threatening a production halt. The dispute centres on demands that employees receive a share of a $176 million factory sale to semiconductor firm ASE. The standoff has drawn attention because the snack is a familiar talisman in computing circles.

Apple and Qualcomm have renewed their chip licensing agreement, extending a business relationship that has swung between partnership and litigation over the years. Qualcomm supplies modem chips for iPhones under licensing terms, and the renewal keeps that arrangement in place. The deal matters for the semiconductor and smartphone industries since both companies depend on the continued supply relationship.

New data reported by The Korea Times shows that nearly 40% of South Korea's industrial technology leak cases involve semiconductor technologies. The figure highlights how heavily the country's flagship chip industry is targeted for industrial espionage, reinforcing concerns in Seoul about protecting critical technologies amid intense global competition over semiconductors.

Google is preparing to test its AI chips in space, according to a report carried by The Brussels Times. The move suggests the company is exploring how its custom AI hardware performs outside Earth, though details on the mission, timeline and partners have not been disclosed. Observers of the semiconductor and space industries are watching for what this could mean for satellite computing and data processing in orbit.

NVIDIA's GTC conference is drawing attention, with discussion centring on the company's announcements around its latest chip and AI technology plans. The event is one of the semiconductor industry's biggest gatherings, and NVIDIA typically uses it to unveil new products and partnerships. Details of what was announced remain limited.

Automotive localisation in India is advancing beyond chip manufacturing into complete smart factory capability, according to ET Auto. The shift means domestic players are moving up the technology stack, building higher-value manufacturing systems rather than only producing components, reflecting broader efforts to deepen self-reliance in the auto and semiconductor supply chain.

Bruker is targeting a revenue rebound in the fourth quarter, citing growing demand from the semiconductor industry driven by artificial intelligence. The scientific instruments maker says AI-related chipmaking is boosting orders, and a strong Q4 is seen as critical to recovering its financial performance for the year.

Apple is reportedly considering a return to the commercial server market as competition over accelerator interconnect technology intensifies among chipmakers. The move would mark a notable shift for a company that exited the server business years ago, and it comes as rivals race to define standards for linking AI accelerators in data centers. Details about timing, products or partners remain scarce, and Apple has not publicly commented on the reports.

Chiayi Science Park in southern Taiwan is showing signs of moving into a third phase of development, according to a Taipei Times report. Expansion of the park would extend the science park model that has driven Taiwan's semiconductor and technology industry, bringing potential new investment, firms and jobs to the Chiayi area.