Semiconductor News 20260105

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1. Rapidus to Operate “Back-end” Prototype Line in Hokkaido in Spring
   Japan’s Rapidus will operate a semiconductor back-end prototype line in spring 2026 at its site under construction in Chitose, Hokkaido. This will be used to demonstrate advanced packaging technologies that connect multiple chips to enhance performance, accelerating development not only in the miniaturization process (front-end process) but also in packaging technology (back-end process) in preparation for the start of mass production of 2nm chips in 2027, showing concrete progress toward the revival of the semiconductor industry in Japan. The company is also accelerating development not only in the front-end processes but also in the back-end processes.
2. Samsung Electronics to Surpass 20 Trillion Won in Operating Profit, South Koreans Divided
   It has been reported that Samsung Electronics’ operating profit for the fourth quarter of 2025 is expected to surpass 20 trillion won (over 2 trillion yen), with demand for memory for AI servers strongly driving the company’s performance. On the other hand, LG Electronics is struggling due to sluggish demand for consumer electronics, and there is a clear polarization in performance between companies with semiconductor divisions that can benefit from special AI demand and those without such divisions.
3. AI Terminals ” and “Robots” will be the Main Battleground at CES 2026
   The 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has begun, and “AI terminals” are the tech trend of the year, with keynote speeches from NVIDIA and others, as well as the application of AI expanding from automobiles to robots. In addition to keynote speeches by NVIDIA and others, the application of AI is expanding from automobiles to robots, creating the appearance of a “physical battle. Yaskawa Electric Corporation has also announced a collaboration in AI robotics, and it appears that this will be the year in which AI makes a full-scale entry from the digital space into areas involving physical work.
4. South Korean Government Considers Designating Power Semiconductors and SMRs as National Strategic Technologies
   The South Korean government is considering designating power semiconductors and small module reactors (SMRs) as additional “national strategic technologies” eligible for tax incentives. The aim is to promote the securing of energy-efficient semiconductors and next-generation power sources as a national policy in order to meet the power demand associated with the rapid increase in the number of AI data centers. If realized, the tax credit for investment in related companies will be expanded and technology development is expected to accelerate.
5. MSI’s RTX 5090 breaks records, memory shortage causes DDR4 regression
   While MSI’s next-generation GPU, the RTX 5090 Lightning, has been hitting record performance even before its release, the PC market has been experiencing a severe memory shortage.DDR5 prices have soared, and Gigabyte is now selling its previous generation In parallel with the evolution of high-end products, such as the introduction of new DDR4-compatible motherboards, there are market distortions caused by component shortages and the phenomenon of reverting to older standards in order to keep costs down.
6. Anthropic , “The Era of AI Expansion is Over” and Shifts to a Highly Efficient Strategy
   AI developer Anthropic has reportedly shifted its strategy from the traditional race to increase model size to one that emphasizes low cost and high efficiency. Recognizing that “the era of AI expansion is over,” the company has shifted its focus to optimizing practicality and cost performance, rather than focusing exclusively on large-scale models that require enormous computing resources. This suggests that the competition in the development of generative AI has entered a new phase, moving from the pursuit of scale to the pursuit of efficiency.
7. LG Electronics Unveils LG Cloyd, a Home Robot Aiming for Zero Housework
   LG Electronics has unveiled its new home robot, LG Cloyd, with a vision of a “Zero Labor Home” that aims to reduce housework to zero, powered by AI, and autonomously perform household tasks, in line with its announcement at CES, This move positions the robot as a core device for the smart home and accelerates the implementation of AI in living spaces.
8. China Semiconductor, Huahong’s Performance Recovery and Ziguang Guofei’s Acquisition Plan
   In China’s semiconductor industry, it was reported that Huahong Semiconductor’s performance has improved and that both wafer volume and prices are on the rise. The resilience of Chinese companies, such as Huanhong Semiconductor, which aims to develop AI inference chips, is being demonstrated as they continue to grow and invest on the back of domestic demand even under U.S. regulations.
9. The year 2026 marks the dawn of the “10,000 qubit” era of quantum computers.
   The year 2026 is expected to usher in the 10,000-qubit era of quantum computers, as competition among five different methods of development, including superconductivity and ion trapping, intensifies. Breakthroughs in basic technology, such as the development of a new crystal growth method by RIKEN and others that suppresses strain in low-temperature environments, are steadily clearing the hurdles to practical applications.
10. Korea Aerospace Agency to invest about 950 billion won in K-space R&D
    Korea’s Aerospace Agency has announced that it will invest 949.5 billion won (about 100 billion yen) in research and development (R&D) in the space industry. Aiming to secure its own space technology, the agency will support satellite and rocket development. As semiconductor manufacturing in space is attracting global attention, South Korea is also allocating its national budget to boost its competitiveness in the space business.

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