From cold benches to courtroom benches: A tale of two chip visions
The year 2025 marks a significant moment for the Chinese-speaking semiconductor industry, presenting a striking contrast.
20
May
20
May
Huawei widens lead in global telecom race, Western RAN giants retreat under pressure
As global telecom players across Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea face mass layoffs and resource constraints, market contraction is accelerating. Meanwhile, Huawei is bucking the trend, expanding its R&D headcount and consolidating its lead in 5G and communications infrastructure, emerging as the sector’s biggest wildcard. The growing split in the global telecom race is stark: Huawei gains strategic ground, while Western peers stall amid policy inertia and financial tightening.
19
May
Ennoconn sees high order visibility, continued growth in 1H25
Industrial PC (IPC) maker Ennoconn stated during a recent earnings call that it will implement risk controls even though tariffs and the sudden appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar have had a relatively minor impact on the company. However, Chairman Steve Chu warned that there may be price increases if the New Taiwan dollar falls below 30 against the US dollar.
19
May
Qualcomm signs AI pact with Saudi Arabia’s Humain, eyes return to data center CPU race
Qualcomm has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Riyadh-based AI firm Humain to co-develop next-generation technologies for AI data centers. The deal was unveiled during the Saudi-US Investment Forum, held alongside US President Donald Trump’s official visit to Saudi Arabia.
19
May
Foxconn and Nvidia unveil AI supercomputing hub in Taiwan
Foxconn announced a transformative partnership with US chip giant Nvidia to build a next-generation “AI Factory” supercomputing center in Taiwan. The facility will feature Nvidia’s latest Blackwell architecture, aiming to accelerate AI development across industry, government, and academia. As part of the deal, Foxconn’s newly formed subsidiary, Big Innovation Company, will become Taiwan’s first official Nvidia Cloud Partner (NCP), further deepening the two firms’ collaboration in the AI space.
19
May
Taiwan Mobile to launch crypto platform, telco rivalry in Web3 fintech heats up
Telecom operators in Taiwan are expanding their presence in the Web3 financial tech sector, with one of them set to launch a virtual asset exchange platform next week.
19
May
Taiwan’s US$332 million robotics initiative to transform smart manufacturing
With global demand for industrial and humanoid robots accelerating, Taiwan’s machinery industry is moving to carve out a role in the evolving supply chain. Hiwin has teamed up with a US logistics startup to co-develop AI-driven robots for material handling. Meanwhile, international giants such as Tesla, Figure AI, Apptronik, BYD, and XPeng are rapidly advancing humanoid robotics. However, Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) concedes the nation still lags in robotics, especially in systems integration.
19
May
Phison builds NAND stockpile, accelerates three-pronged AI storage push in SEA and India
Phison Electronics Corp. expects robust growth in the second half of 2025, driven by tighter NAND flash supply and surging demand for its controller chips. The easing of US-China trade tensions and recent tariff reductions between the world’s two largest economies have spurred system vendors to accelerate orders and shipments, particularly in May and June.
19
May
Sino-American Silicon enters Indian solar market with Premier Energies venture
Sino-American Silicon Products Group has formed a joint venture with India’s Premier Energies to produce silicon wafers for solar cells in India, acquiring a 26% stake in the new entity, according to a company statement Monday.
19
May
Taiwan startup CRIS delivers real-time carbon tracking for chip sector
Facing a critical turning point in 2026, Taiwanese manufacturers are under growing pressure to improve carbon transparency. That year, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment will begin collecting carbon fees, while the European Union will fully implement its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) following the end of its transitional phase. The changes will significantly impact companies that fail to account for their emissions accurately.