Semiconductor News 20260102

Main News

1. U.S. to adopt “two-track” strategy in semiconductor regulations, postponing tariffs and tightening technology controls
   The U.S. government is reportedly adopting a “two-track” strategy in semiconductor regulations, temporarily postponing the application of tariffs on general-purpose products while tightening controls on HBMs (high-bandwidth memory) and manufacturing equipment. Although the risk of tariffs has temporarily receded, South Korean companies and others continue to tighten their belts in the field of advanced technology, forcing them to respond based on the assumption that the struggle for technological supremacy will be protracted.
2. SMIC Announces Two Huge Capital Investments to Expand Manufacturing Capacity
   SMIC, China’s largest foundry, has announced two major capital investment plans. Even under the U.S. sanctions, SMIC has made clear its strong stance to expand its manufacturing capacity in order to meet domestic demand. In conjunction with the Chinese government’s move to mandate a 50% domestic equipment production rate for new factories, SMIC is accelerating the construction of its own supply chain to counter Western regulations by consolidating its supply capacity, especially for mature processes.
3. Price Competition Intensifies for 28nm Processes in China, Fueled by Oversupply and Declining Demand
   The rapid expansion of semiconductor production capacity in China combined with sluggish demand in end markets is reportedly causing manufacturing cost reductions and price competition for 28nm processes. Chinese oversupply in mature nodes is beginning to affect the pricing structure of the global foundry market. While cost competitiveness is increasing, maintaining profitability is becoming a challenge, which may lead to a shakeout and restructuring within the industry.
4. Rapidus, 2026 will be a critical year for “semiconductor x optical” technology
   The year 2026 is expected to be a critical year for Rapidus in Japan, as the company faces a technological hurdle. The key to the success of Rapidus and Japan’s semiconductor revival will be whether or not the company can establish integrated “semiconductor x optical” technology before the start of mass production in 2027.
5. Samsung Considering New Packaging Technology for Next-generation Exynos
   Samsung Electronics is reportedly considering the adoption of “side-by-side” chip packaging technology for its next-generation Exynos mobile processor, in which chips are placed side-by-side. This is aimed at optimizing heat dissipation performance and packaging area, and is part of the company’s strategy to differentiate itself not only in front-end process miniaturization but also in back-end process packaging technology in order to compete with TSMC and other competitors.
6. South Korean Government to Inject 8.1 Trillion Won to Accelerate AI Transformation “ AX”
   The Ministry of Science, Technology and Information Technology of South Korea announced that it will inject 8.1 trillion won (about 900 billion yen scale) for research and development of basic and strategic technologies to accelerate the AI transformation (AX) in the industry. From startups to manufacturing, the government will promote state-led implementation of AI that will change the way we work, aiming to make the leap to the “AI G3” (three major countries). The budget will be allocated with emphasis on strengthening the software ecosystem, which is the core of AI competitiveness.
7. Rapid Rise in AI Data Center Construction May Cause Supply Shortage of Optical Communication Lasers
   The rush to build AI data centers may cause a serious shortage of optical communication laser components that support high-speed communications between servers. The demand for optical transceivers and other components is exploding as demand for communication bandwidth increases rapidly in line with the improved performance of AI processors. This has raised the risk of bottlenecks and delays in data center operating plans.
8. Chinese GPU Maker, Hanbo Semiconductor , Completes IPO Preparations at RMB 10.5 Billion Valuation
   Hanbo Semiconductor, a Chinese domestic GPU maker, has completed the guidance process for an initial public offering (IPO). The valuation is expected to reach 10.5 billion yuan (approximately 210 billion yen). The move is aimed at accelerating the development and mass production of domestically produced AI chips that can compete with Nvidia and others through capital market funding, as self-sufficiency in AI computing power is an urgent need in China.
9. RISC-V Ecosystem Accelerates Development with Dual Drivers of Automotive and AI
   RISC-V, an open source instruction set architecture, was analyzed as rapidly developing with two powerful drivers: the automotive industry and the AI field. As a third force competing with existing architectures such as Arm, the maturity of the ecosystem is further increasing toward 2026.
10. British Company Successfully Starts Semiconductor Manufacturing Process in Space
    A British company has reportedly succeeded in starting up a melting furnace for semiconductor manufacturing in low Earth orbit in space. By utilizing the microgravity environment, this initiative aims to generate high-quality crystals and new materials that are difficult to manufacture on the ground. This time, the test operation was conducted at 1,000 degrees Celsius, and is a pioneering example of how space could become a new “factory” in the semiconductor supply chain in the future.

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