South Korea bets on southwest semiconductor cluster, but key hurdles remain

South Korea on June 29 unveiled a large-scale investment plan for the country’s Honam region in the southwest, which mainly covers the city of Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces, including semiconductor clusters for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, AI data centers, and regional infrastructure. The plan is seen as a key move by the South Korean government to respond to surging AI chip demand, excessive industrial concentration in the Seoul capital area, and pressure for balanced regional development.

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How TSMC quietly turned its supply chain into a ‘second fleet’

TSMC has accelerated efforts to localize its supply chain in recent years, using joint development, joint validation, and long-term partnerships to help Taiwanese equipment, materials, and chemical suppliers enter the advanced semiconductor supply chain. The move is steadily building a more resilient and complete local supply system, with both CoWoS and panel-level advanced packaging (CoPoS) now spawning a “second fleet.”

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BOE targets AI packaging with Micro LED optical interconnect and glass substrate CPO

BOE, China’s leading display panel maker, is accelerating its move into next-generation packaging technologies for the AI era. The company recently disclosed that it has formed a dedicated project team for Micro LED optical interconnect systems and glass substrate-based co-packaged optics (CPO), working with ecosystem partners on early-stage technology research to advance optical interconnect and glass substrate CPO development.

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‘Switchblade’ drone maker AeroVironment deepens Taiwan supply chain ties

US drone maker AeroVironment has worked closely with Taiwan-based supply chain partners over the past three years, with the company noting that many of its product components are now co-developed and manufactured by both sides. Moreover, the defense tech company has also established a direct communication channel in Taiwan in recent years to support Taiwan’s national defense resilience program.

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Global server demand is set to stay strong through 2027 as supply chain pressure widens

Global server demand is expected to stay strong through 2027, with implications for cloud operators, hardware makers, and data center customers worldwide. Large-scale buildouts, rising AI deployments, and high-performance computing demand are keeping supply chains tight, lifting prices, extending lead times, and raising the risk of fresh bottlenecks.

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