Semiconductor News 20260202

Main News

1. South Korea’ s January Semiconductor Exports Hit Record High, Bouncing Back from U.S. Tariff Pressure
   South Korea’s January exports hit a record $65.86 billion, the largest ever for a January month. Despite the headwind of U.S. tariff pressure, the strong traction of the semiconductor industry helped the monthly export value exceed the $60 billion mark, setting a new record, against the backdrop of continued growth in AI demand, demonstrating the dominant presence of the semiconductor sector in the Korean economy and its resilience to changes in the external environment. The new record was set in the month of January 2012, when exports exceeded $60 billion.
2. NVIDIA CEO Hosts Important Summit in Taiwan with Tech Giants Driving AI Boom
   NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang hosted an important summit with key technology companies behind the global AI boom. The meeting, held in Taipei, Taiwan, brought together top executives from the companies at the heart of the AI ecosystem to discuss supply chain enhancements and future technology collaborations amid exploding demand for AI infrastructure, in a move that is expected to solidify industry leadership. The meeting is expected to be a move to strengthen the industry’s leadership position.
3. Rising Memory Prices Cut Smartphone Giant Transsion’s 2025 Profit in Half
   Smartphone maker Transsion (伝音控股) has seen its 2025 profit cut in half as rising memory prices hit hard, mainly due to a tight memory supply caused by priority demand for AI servers, The main reason for the sharp rise in procurement costs was the tight supply of memory due to prioritized demand for AI servers. This case highlights how “chipflation” in the semiconductor market is beginning to take a serious toll on the profit structures of end-product manufacturers.
4. South Korean National Assembly Passes “ Semiconductor Special Act” to Strengthen Support for National Industry
   The South Korean National Assembly has passed a “Semiconductor Special Act” aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry. The bill will provide a strong boost to the nation’s semiconductor ecosystem through tax incentives and infrastructure support. As countries around the world vie for semiconductor supremacy through industrial policy, South Korea has also made clear its intention to maintain and expand its dominance in the global market by legally establishing a support system at the national level.
5. Shanghai Research Team Develops Fibrous Computer Chip Thinner Than a Hair
   A team of Shanghai scientists has successfully manufactured a computer chip on a fiber thinner than a human hair. This innovative chip is strong enough to withstand 15.6 tons of pressure and is also flexible. This technological breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize the shape and use of semiconductors, with applications in wearable technologies such as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), VR devices, and smart textiles.
6. Glass Substrates Emerge as Key Technology for Semiconductor Industry; Major Companies Rush to Mass Production
   Glass substrates are gaining attention as a key next-generation technology in the semiconductor and display industries. Because of their superior flatness and thermal stability compared to conventional organic substrates, glass substrates are considered essential for packaging high-performance AI chips. Seizing this technological turning point, major companies are rushing to establish mass production systems, and the practical application and market expansion of glass substrates is expected to be in full swing by 2026.
7. Micron is strengthening the bridge between the U.S. and Japan semiconductor ecosystems with the “ Hiroshima Model”
   Micron is promoting the “Hiroshima Model”, in which the Hiroshima Plant will serve as an important bridge between the U.S. and Japan semiconductor ecosystems. This is a strategy to deepen technological collaboration between Japan and the U.S. to support the explosive spread of AI. With its growing geopolitical importance, the expansion of production in Japan is a symbolic move toward stabilizing the global supply chain and securing advanced technologies.
8. AI Startups Raised Over 31 Trillion Yen in 2025, Driven by OpenAI and Others
   The total amount of funding for AI-related startups in 2025 has exceeded 31 trillion yen. This massive inflow of funds is led by major companies such as OpenAI, indicating that the competition for AI development remains active. While the concentration of investment money is accelerating the pace of technological innovation, it is also sharpening the odds of winners and losers in the industry, and the sustainability of the AI bubble and expectations for practical applications are mixed.
9. KB Financial Establishes 160 Billion Won Fund to Foster “K-NVIDIA”
   South Korea’s KB Financial Group has established a 160 billion won (approx. 17 billion yen) fund to foster companies that could become “K-NVIDIA” (Korean version of NVIDIA). The fund will focus on investing in promising AI semiconductor startups and technology companies in Korea. By directly involving the financial sector in fostering the industry, the fund aims to raise the level of Korea’s AI semiconductor ecosystem and create the next generation of tech giants.
10. Intel CPU Reliability Improves to Equal AMD, NVIDIA GPUs Have Lowest Failure Rates
    The System Builder Report for 2025 shows that Intel CPU reliability has improved and reached a level comparable to AMD products. In addition, NVIDIA’s Founders Edition continues to dominate the GPU field with the lowest failure rate. Hardware stability is an important factor in the AI and gaming PC market, and Intel’s progress in restoring confidence in quality was confirmed.

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