At SEMICON Taiwan, Dr. Chris A. Mack, chief technology officer of Fractilia, said that stochastic variation—randomness in how features are printed on silicon—has become the main barrier to progress in semiconductor manufacturing at the most advanced nodes.

Since taking over as CEO in March 2025, Lip-Bu Tan has rolled out sweeping organizational reforms at Intel, from business restructuring to large-scale layoffs. The overhaul has fueled an exodus of talent, spanning both junior employees and senior leadership, casting doubt on the company’s future growth prospects.

Potential uses for drones are ever-increasing, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once stating that 34% of Russia’s bombers were destroyed using just 117 drones. This offers valuable experience for Taiwan, according to Teng-hu Cheng, chief robotics scientist at Tron Future: the 117 drones caused approximately US$7 billion in losses to Russia, while their cost was four orders of magnitude lower, demonstrating a massive leverage effect.