According to Nikkei, Japanese semiconductor materials maker Fujifilm reportedly plans to set up a factory in Gujarat, India, aiming to start production by 2028. The company expects to acquire land by 2025 and begin construction in 2026, with several billion Japanese yen investment. The plant will produce chemicals for semiconductor processing and developer solutions, initially supplying Tata Electronics, part of the Tata Group, which is building a semiconductor fab in Gujarat with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC).

Thanks to product and business portfolio optimization and increased value-added services, Qisda’s operating gross margin in the first quarter of 2025 surpassed 17% for the first time, reaching 17.3%. The net profit attributable to the parent company amounted to NT$483 million (approx. US$15.96 million).

As AI evolves beyond algorithms and computational benchmarks, focus has shifted to real-world implementation. Robotics—especially humanoid robots—has emerged as one of the most promising vectors for applying AI at scale. Advantech, a global leader in industrial PCs, has been quietly preparing for this shift. In 2024, the company launched a new business unit aimed at becoming the “brain and heart” of next-generation intelligent robots.

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the ASEAN+3 countries convened in Milan on May 4, 2025, for the 28th ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting (AFMGM+3), co-chaired by Malaysia and China. The high-level dialogue underscored regional economic resilience, despite mounting global challenges, and produced a strong joint statement committing to bolstered financial cooperation, macroeconomic stability, and sustainable growth.