Semiconductor News 20260803

Today’s semiconductor news highlights how expanding investment in AI infrastructure is accelerating on a global scale and driving a transformation in industrial structures.In Japan, capital expenditures for fiscal year 2026 are projected to reach a record high of 35.6734 trillion yen, a 14.2% increase from the previous fiscal year, with the development of data centers and semiconductor-related supply chains driving growth across all industries.In particular, Fujitsu has announced plans to begin mass production of its next-generation CPU, “MONAKA,” in March 2027, and is considering outsourcing production to Rapidus, marking concrete steps toward the revival of the domestic semiconductor industry.Meanwhile, the global AI investment boom has transformed the memory market into a “gold mine,” with the five major companies securing 135 trillion won in a single quarter amid this boom.However, concerns are emerging in the market regarding OpenAI’s business risks and the sustainability of the AI bubble, and investors are beginning to make more discerning choices, such as shifting funds toward “non-AI” stocks.Upstream material and equipment industries, such as semiconductor equipment and silicon wafers, are also entering a new growth cycle, reaffirming the importance of the foundational technologies that underpin AI semiconductors.

Main News

1. Fujitsu’s CPU “MONAKA” to begin mass production in March 2027, full-scale adoption through partnership with NVIDIA
   The mass production plan for Fujitsu’s next-generation CPU, “MONAKA,” to be developed, has been decided in March 2027. Through our partnership with NVIDIA, we aim for full-scale adoption with the premise of integrating them into AI servers. Additionally, outsourcing next-generation chip manufacturing to Rapidus, a domestic foundry, is considered a strong prospect, marking an important milestone in restructuring Japan’s semiconductor supply chain. This move aims to increase the presence of domestic technology in the high-performance computing field.
2. Capital Investment Up to 35 Trillion Yen, Expanding AI Supply Network Development – FY2024 Nikkei Survey
   According to a survey by the Nikkei, domestic companies’ capital investment plans for fiscal year 2026 will reach 35.6734 trillion yen, a 14.2% increase from the previous year, marking a record high. AI-related infrastructure investment is spreading across all industries, with active investment in data centers, semiconductors, and transmission and distribution facilities. The high growth rate exceeding 10% for the first time in four years reflects companies’ sense of crisis and growth expectations that strengthening the semiconductor supply network, which forms the foundation of the digital society, is essential.
3. Memory Becomes a “Gold Mine” Thanks to AI Investment… World’s Top 5 Companies Secure 135 Trillion Won in Q2
   Driven by an explosive surge in AI demand, the semiconductor memory market is booming like never before.The combined second-quarter revenue of the world’s top five companies reached 135 trillion won, with HBM (High-Bandwidth Memory)—essential for AI training and inference—significantly boosting earnings.For memory manufacturers, AI has truly become a “gold mine,” and it is becoming increasingly clear that demand for high-value-added products—primarily for servers—will continue to drive the performance of the industry as a whole.
4. Semiconductor Equipment | AI Drives Capital Spending in the Semiconductor Industry, Equipment Begins a New Growth Cycle
   With the expanding demand for AI semiconductors, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment market is entering a new growth cycle. The increasing complexity and performance of AI chips are demanding miniaturization in the manufacturing process and advancements in packaging technology, which is strongly driving capital expenditures by equipment manufacturers. As the construction of AI infrastructure becomes a long-term trend, the manufacturing equipment sector is expected to continue to see sustained investment as one of the most important sectors supporting the growth of the semiconductor industry.
5. Japanese stocks see a bottoming out trend following strong earnings reports; capital inflows into non-AI sectors are key.
   The Nikkei 225 stock index, which fell sharply in July, is showing signs of bottoming out. While AI and semiconductor-related stocks, which have driven the market so far, are showing signs of stabilizing, there is increased interest in “non-AI” stocks that have lagged behind, such as automobiles. With strong earnings reports for the April-June 2026 quarter as a backdrop, expectations are rising in the market that the Nikkei 225 will aim for the 70,000 yen level again, and it is analyzed that diversification of investment money, which had been solely focused on AI, will be key to the market’s recovery going forward.
6. Amazon completes 72 trillion won investment in OpenAI… Secured 5% of the shares
   It has been revealed that Amazon has completed a massive investment of 72 trillion won in OpenAI, acquiring 5% of the company’s shares. Through this partnership, Amazon will significantly strengthen its competitiveness in the AI field and accelerate its strategy to integrate the cloud service AWS with OpenAI’s technology. Investments by major tech companies in AI startups are drawing attention as a move that reshapes the industry’s power dynamics, and it is inevitable that the AI development competition will intensify further.
7. Silicon Wafers: The Substrates Powering AI Semiconductors—Hopes for a Return to a Seller’s Market
   Silicon wafers, an essential material in semiconductor manufacturing, are once again drawing attention amid rising demand for AI.In this sector, where Japanese companies such as Shin-Etsu Chemical and SUMCO hold a dominant global market share, demand is surging in tandem with increased production of GPUs and HBM for AI servers. Demand is growing for high-value-added wafers—which differ from those used in traditional applications—and material manufacturers are anticipating improved profitability as a seller’s market returns.
8. Risks Posed by OpenAI Entering the Japanese Market via SoftBank
   Experts are sounding the alarm regarding the sustainability of the AI bubble. In particular, the actions of the SoftBank Group—which has made substantial investments in OpenAI—are being cited as a specific risk factor for the Japanese market.It has been suggested that if the AI bubble bursts, OpenAI’s financial instability could spill over into the Japanese economy via SoftBank, and that investors should avoid excessive reliance on AI-related stocks and practice prudent risk management.
9. Despite fleeing into U.S. stocks following the semiconductor shock… The valuation of Korean individual investors decreased by 50 trillion won.
   Due to increased volatility in the semiconductor market, individual investors in South Korea who had been moving assets into U.S. stocks have suffered significant losses. Due to adjustments in semiconductor-related stocks, investors’ valuations decreased by a total of 50 trillion won. Against the backdrop of the AI boom, those who had been heavily investing in U.S. tech stocks were hit hard by the sharp market crash. This situation highlights the risks of investments biased toward specific sectors and has once again called cautious asset management by individual investors.
10. [AI Highway] South Korea teams up with NVIDIA and AMD… Diversification of the AI infrastructure ecosystem
    South Korea’s semiconductor industry is strengthening collaboration with global AI chip manufacturers such as NVIDIA and AMD, diversifying its AI infrastructure ecosystem. This strategy aims to stabilize the AI semiconductor supply network and enhance technological capabilities by collaborating with multiple major players without relying on any specific company. This move serves as a crucial stepping stone for South Korea to establish itself as an indispensable partner in the global supply chain of the AI era.

News List (103 items)

This article is delivered every morning via an automated collection and AI-generated system. Number of items collected: 103 | Last updated: August 3, 2026

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