Semiconductor News 20251203

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1. NVIDIA Invests 310 Billion Yen in Synopsys to Strengthen CUDA Ecosystem NVIDIA has acquired a $2 billion (approx. 310 billion yen) stake in Synopsys, a leading semiconductor design automation (EDA) software company, and entered into a strategic partnership. This move is aimed at strengthening the CUDA ecosystem and deepening collaboration in engineering and design to address the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) development challenges associated with the rapid growth of AI workloads. This investment has also sparked debate in some quarters that it is a circular transaction.
2. Semiconductor Market to Grow 22.5% to $770 Billion in 2025, Approaching $1 Trillion in 2026 According to the World Semiconductor Market Statistics (WSTS) Fall 2025 Forecast, the semiconductor market size is expected to grow 22.5% year over year to reach $770 billion in 2025. Furthermore, the global semiconductor market size is projected to approach the $1 trillion mark in 2026, clearly indicating a sustained growth cycle driven by AI demand.
3. Samsung and SK Hynix Establish Profit-First DRAM Structure, Prolonging Price Spike Samsung and SK Hynix have established a profit-first DRAM production and supply structure against the backdrop of rising demand for HBM (high bandwidth memory) and the AI boom. Both companies are cautious about expanding DRAM capacity, and it is reported that the upward trend in memory prices may continue beyond 2028 due to this supply curbing measure.
4. Samsung to achieve 100 trillion won in operating profit in 2026 due to AI boom The surge in demand for AI is expected to significantly boost Samsung Electronics’ performance, with Samsung’s operating profit expected to grow significantly toward 100 trillion won (about $11 trillion) in 2026 and the company’s operating profit to rise to $11 trillion in 2026, according to a new report from the Samsung Electronics Group. Samsung is also expected to surpass Intel on the future-proofing report card as a core company in the AI boom.
5. OpenAI Declares “Code Red” and Intensifies Competition with Google OpenAI has reportedly declared a **”Code Red (state of emergency)** within the company in the face of innovations such as Google’s Gemini 3. This indicates that the situation in the AI field is reversing its shape from three years ago, and competition is intensifying as Google’s TPU strategy gains momentum in the AI chip market.
6. Intel to Invest $208 Million in Additional Packaging in Malaysia Intel has announced an additional $208 million investment in Malaysia to meet surging demand for chip packaging. The investment, which follows a meeting with Malaysia’s Prime Minister, is an important part of Intel’s drive to strengthen its high-performance chip assembly and packaging capabilities in the AI era and to advance its IDM 2.0 strategy.
7. Apple’s potential partnership with Intel hinges on 18A-P maturing in 2027 Apple’s potential partnership with Intel and outsourcing chip manufacturing depends on Intel’s 18A-P node, Intel’s most advanced process, maturing by 2027 and establishing stable production capacity. This is dependent on Intel’s ability to establish a stable production capacity by 2027. This suggests that Intel could acquire a huge customer in the foundry business, Apple, and change the competitive structure of the market.
8. Micron to Build New $9.6 Billion Memory Chip Plant in Japan to Reduce Dep endence on Taiwan Micron Technology plans to invest $9.6 billion to build a new memory chip plant in Japan to reduce its dependence on Taiwan and diversify its supply chain. This large-scale investment is an essential part of the company’s AI strategy. This major investment is believed to be aimed at strengthening the company’s ability to supply advanced memories such as HBM, which is essential for AI, and to address geopolitical risks.
9. China’s Use of Shell Companies Increases South Korea’s Technology Leakage by 50%As a result of China’s increased use of shell companies (paper companies) in its maneuvering activities, the leakage of South Korean industrial technology has reportedly increased by 50%. This is indicative of the growing geopolitical tensions and intensifying technological competition between nations, especially in terms of economic security challenges to prevent the leakage of cutting-edge technology.
10. Samsung Electro-Mechanics to Expand MLCC Production for AI Servers in the Philippines in 2026 Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO) plans to expand production of MLCCs** for AI servers at its Philippine plant in 2026 to meet the growing demand for AI servers. MLCCs are critical to the stable operation of semiconductors, and this production expansion indicates increased investment throughout the supply chain to support the growth of the AI infrastructure market.

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