Tokyo Electron (TEL)—a long-time close partner of TSMC and a frequent awardee—did not appear on the chipmaker’s 2025 Excellent Performance Awards list. The absence is likely related to an incident involving the alleged leak of TSMC’s 2nm technology that surfaced in early July 2025.

National Development Council (NDC) minister Chun-Hsien Yeh has pointed out that shifting global geopolitical risks are disrupting supply chains. To adapt, Taiwan aims to seize the AI trend by advancing its “five trusted industries” that are closely linked with AI development. The government’s strategy includes promoting 10 major AI infrastructure projects to generate over NT$15 trillion (US$462 billion) in output value, driving nationwide industrial upgrades through AI commercialization and integration toward becoming a smart nation.

Taiwan’s first domestically built satellite constellation, FORMOSAT-8, is set to take a major step forward this week. The inaugural satellite in the series, FORMOSAT-8A (FS-8A), is scheduled to lift off at 2:18 a.m. Taiwan time on November 27, 2025.

Dutch lithography leader ASML is facing an unprecedented wave of scrutiny after the publication of a new book, De belangrijkste machine ter wereld (“The Most Important Machine in the World”). The release has thrust the company into a debate unlike any it has previously encountered, sharply contrasting with the cooperative, ASML-endorsed narrative presented a year earlier in Focus – The ASML Way.