South Korea’s OLED giants forecast a strong 2025 on rising TV and monitor demand

The outlook for South Korea’s two major display makers—LG Display (LGD) and Samsung Display (SDC)—is strengthening as both companies move toward improved performance in the large-size OLED market. LG Display’s white-OLED (WOLED) business is expected to turn an annual profit for the first time, while SDC is narrowing losses in its QD-OLED operations by focusing on the high-margin monitor segment.

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Why TSMC’s procurement star took a downscaled role at Nvidia

Vanessa Lee, former TSMC vice president of materials management and a veteran procurement lead for Apple and Google, abruptly took an extended leave in June 2025. TSMC confirmed her resignation for personal reasons on July 11, 2025. Industry sources now say she has joined Nvidia as a vice president in its World Wide Field Operation (WWFO) Group, where she will also oversee Taiwan sales, a role previously held by retired Nvidia executive Eunice Chiu.

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Taiwan MCU makers expand into power and cooling to mitigate AI data center power consumption surge

As rack-level power consumption and cooling requirements rise in data centers, Taiwanese microcontroller (MCU) suppliers are innovating in power-supply and cooling-fan controls. Nuvoton Technology recently introduced an integrated baseboard management controller (BMC). Additionally, Holtek is upgrading server-fan solutions and expects major growth in brushless DC motor (BLDC) applications.

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Reducer demand rises as humanoid robot competition intensifies across Taiwan and China

As the integration of production technology advances, the demand for humanoid robots and robotic dogs is growing, with the reducer—a key component known for its high gross margin and technical challenges—emerging as a competitive focus among Taiwanese and Chinese manufacturers. This competition underscores quality control and mass production capabilities.

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From oil to chip: China’s Heshun Petro makes an unexpected US$220M leap into semiconductor IP

Hunan Heshun Petroleum Co. announced a controlling acquisition of MSquare Technology, a Shanghai-based semiconductor IP and chiplet-interconnect developer. The November 16, 2025, disclosure marks the fuel distributor’s move beyond its energy roots and into China’s high-performance computing and advanced chip-design landscape.

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Korean startup Stratio tackles recycling crisis with new infrared sensor

Stratio, a Korean deep-tech startup founded by three Stanford Ph.D. graduates, is introducing what it claims is the first germanium-based short-wave infrared sensor designed for large-scale commercial use. During a live pitch session in Pangyo, the company said its “infrared AI” can solve problems that traditional vision AI and standard cameras cannot, including identifying mixed plastics inside recycling facilities, detecting narcotics, and enabling new capabilities inside future smartphones.

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