Commentary: Samsung, SK Hynix in Washington’s crosshairs over memory fabs

On a recent podcast, DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin reviewed two major updates in the chip industry: Intel’s Ireland fab expansion and rising US scrutiny of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as both South Korean chipmakers expand memory capacity at home. He also assessed whether Intel’s revival is real, saying that its production scale-up and yield will ultimately be the deciding factors.

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Column: South Korea’s semiconductor strategy faces foresight and structural gaps

South Korea’s technology policies—including the two semiconductor strategies discussed previously and the broader K-Moonshot initiative introduced more recently—have been drafted by different government bodies, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), the Presidential Office, and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). Yet they share several common characteristics.

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As AI expands nanotech, Samsung fortifies ecosystem and LG pivots to chip equipment

Nanotechnology is increasingly seen as a key enabler in the AI era, with competition broadening from semiconductors, manufacturing to home appliances. At Nano Korea 2026 held in Goyang, South Korea, Samsung Electronics again highlighted its integrated semiconductor solutions, while the LG Group moved beyond home appliances to showcase its deployment in semiconductor equipment and materials.

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Dutch report frames Chinese interference in chips, ports and aerospace as a systemic threat

Chinese foreign interference in the Netherlands’ strategic industries should be treated as a systemic, long-term threat rather than a series of isolated incidents, according to “Beyond Borders,” a report published under the China Knowledge Network (CKN) and written by analysts at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS). The study warns that while individual acts of espionage, coercion, or influence may look manageable on their own, their aggregate effect risks eroding the Netherlands’ technological edge, economic independence, and strategic autonomy.

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JNTC-TOPPAN glass substrate push signals AI packaging supply-chain shift

As AI accelerators and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) packages grow larger and more complex, substrate technology is becoming a new constraint in advanced packaging. Organic substrates remain widely used, but rising demand for high-density interconnects, lower signal loss, and better dimensional stability is pushing glass substrates closer to commercial adoption.

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Trumpf recalibrates strategy as Chinese competition heats up in semiconductors, machine tools

Global suppliers are facing tougher competition as China’s semiconductor and machine tool industries expand quickly, with implications for customers, pricing, and technology choices worldwide. Germany’s Trumpf says it is responding with innovation in chips and efficiency in machine tools, while trying to stay flexible amid shifting trade and policy risks.

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