Taiwan’s military is rapidly expanding its unmanned vehicle fleet, with drone numbers surpassing 200,000 and procurement of over a thousand unmanned surface vessels (USVs) reportedly on the rise. The Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed a domestic-first approach for USV purchases, though foreign companies may participate through technology transfer partnerships with local manufacturers.

The rapid development of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) chips is providing long-term demand support for the semiconductor advanced testing interface supply chain, driving growth in the global probe card market. Technologically, as signal contact density and probe pin counts continue to rise, the requirements for guide plate hole counts and structural precision in a single probe card are also increasing accordingly.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have in recent years received repeated invitations from Japan’s central and local governments to build semiconductor fabs, but neither has advanced the proposals, citing South Korea’s domestic political environment and public sentiment.