Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on Oct. 16 approved a revised plan from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to build 3-nanometer logic chips at its second fab in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu. 3nm is one of the most advanced chip processes in commercial production. The plan replaces the 6nm and 12nm production approved in February 2024.

E-paper giant E Ink Holdings has officially launched its next-generation color e-paper technology, E Ink Kaleido 4. Chinese e-reader brand Hanvon Technology is the first to adopt the display, integrating it into its second-generation M10C smart e-paper notebook, making it the world’s first commercial device powered by Kaleido 4.

Chinese battery giant CATL is deploying sodium-ion technology to expand into Europe’s energy storage system (ESS) market. The company recently signed a strategic agreement with German system integrator Intilion to deploy up to 3GWh of energy storage projects over the next five years, drawing renewed market focus to the commercialization potential of sodium-ion batteries.

Taiwan Mask Corporation (TMC) is expanding its presence in Japan through the acquisition of semiconductor equipment services provider TCK, extending its business beyond precision photomask manufacturing to equipment assembly and engineering support in Japan’s growing Kyushu semiconductor market.

Chinese EV giant and AI mobility manufacturer XPeng has made a major appearance at the Paris Automotive Summit by bringing not just its automotive expertise into the European collaborative space, but a broader technology stack built on the automaker’s existing strengths in EV manufacturing and humanoid robotics.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) faces potential equipment procurement bottlenecks in its KRW6.78 trillion (approx. US$5.1 billion) expansion of semiconductor substrate production for AI servers, as machinery manufacturers struggle with component shortages and longer delivery times. The South Korean company maintains that its investment is proceeding as planned. No production delay has been confirmed.