The global memory industry entered a clear upturn in the second half of 2025 as both spot and contract prices rose sharply, lifting earnings across Taiwan’s memory supply chain and pushing operating performance to cyclical highs in the fourth quarter.

As global governments accelerate investments in the semiconductor sector, Japan’s Rapidus is moving forward with its goal of mass-producing 2nm AI chips. The company maintains that its primary concern is not a potential surplus of capacity, but rather structural constraints, specifically a significant shortage of skilled professionals.

The US Department of Commerce recently said it would withdraw a previously proposed policy to impose a blanket ban on imports of Chinese-made drones, easing immediate regulatory pressure but reviving questions in some quarters about the trajectory of non-China drone supply chains. Taiwanese chipmakers that have invested heavily in drone-related technologies have taken a more measured stance, saying that policy adjustments in Washington have not altered the underlying demand for non-China supply chains, particularly in defense applications.