“Metaverse” is one of the most popular topics in the tech community and in the VC world right now. In 2021, the term drew a lot of attention from investors and the market due to the IPO of Roblox and the name change of Meta (former Facebook). However, this word is not new – in Neal Stephenson’s novel “Snow Crash” which was published in 1992, the “metaverse” has been used to indicate a 3D virtual world that is the successor to the Internet.

Samsung Electronics’ subsidiary in Vietnam is setting up in Hanoi the biggest of the giant’s R&D facility outside of South Korea, according to a media report.

This Asia tech industry summary will mainly focus on South Korea becoming self-reliant in semiconductor equipment development; six major Japanese electronic component suppliers yielding impressive 2021 revenue numbers thanks to robust demand from the semiconductor and automotive markets; and Foxconn deepening its global electric vehicle (EV) deployments with its US plant expected to begin volume production in the second half of 2022.