AEIS’ Post

Strategy: What happened to Japan’s Semiconductor Industry? Great summary in this video by Behind Asia. We typically hear of how companies missed opportunities presented by technology shifts. Rarely do we hear about how a nation missed such opportunities. Japan was not alone. Singapore was the other. In 1969 when Fairchild, National Semi and Texas Instruments set up their semiconductor assembly and testing facilities in Singapore, they launched the electronics industry that provided jobs for thousands of Singaporeans (and Malaysians)and powered the economy. When I graduated in 1985, Japan’s semiconductor industry was at its peak and almost all the major semicon players from US, Japan and Europe were in Singapore. Fairchild and National Semi offered me a job as a process engineer. I took the Fairchild offer as it was the pioneer in semiconductors. Today, only remmants remain of the semiconductor industry that Singapore once dominated. Perhaps it is time to bring back the “Minister for Science & Technology” role to properly advise the PM and cabinet on the strategic direction that Singapore should take when it comes to technology and the development of engineers that underpin it. Dr Toh Chin Chye was the Minister for Science and Technology overseeing the rise of the electronics industry from 1968 to 1975.

South Korea Accelerates Yongin Semiconductor National Industrial Complex Development The South Korean government has fast-tracked the approval for the Yongin Semiconductor National Industrial Complex (YSNIC), shaving three months off the planning timeline. Touted as the world’s largest semiconductor hub, this 7.28 km² complex (equivalent to 1,020 soccer fields) will house six major fabs, three power plants, and 60 SMEs specializing in semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment. Key milestones include: ▪️ Private Investments: Targeting ₩300 trillion (~$203.75 billion). Economic Impact: Expected to generate 1.6 million jobs and ₩700 trillion (~$475.41 billion) in production value. ▪️ Construction Timeline: Advanced by 3.5 years, with groundbreaking now set for December 2026. ▪️ Operational Goal: The first fab is slated to begin production by 2030. The approval ceremony, held on December 26 at Samsung Electronics’ Giheung Campus, showcased collaboration among government entities and industry leaders like Samsung and SK hynix. By clustering chipmakers and suppliers, YSNIC is poised to enhance innovation and efficiency in South Korea’s semiconductor sector, reinforcing its global leadership in advanced microelectronics. Thanks again to Tom's Hardware for the full article with more background and insights click the source link in the comments below. #Semiconductors #YSNIC #Innovation #TechnologyLeadership

Taiwan to Subsidize NT$480 million New Infineon Technologies AG R&D Center Driven by Taiwan's "highly skilled R&D talent and strong industry clusters," Infineon Technologies AG will establish a NT$1.2 billion R&D center in Taiwan. This initiative, supported by NT$480 million in government funding, underscores Taiwan's growing dominance in the global semiconductor landscape. #Infineon #Taiwan

South Korea has established itself as a powerhouse in the global semiconductor industry, particularly in the production of DRAM and NAND memory chips, holding over 60% of the global market share in these segments. The country is home to major manufacturers like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which are crucial players in the semiconductor landscape. To bolster its position, South Korea is investing heavily in expanding its semiconductor capacity. The government has initiated a comprehensive support package of approximately $19 billion (26 trillion won), aimed at enhancing research and development, providing tax incentives, and developing infrastructure to support smaller companies within the industry. A significant component of this strategy is the creation of the world's largest semiconductor cluster in Gyeonggi Province, projected to generate millions of jobs and house multiple new fabrication plants. Additionally, South Korea aims to increase its self-sufficiency in semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment to 50% by 2030. This ambition is partly a response to the competitive pressures from Taiwan's TSMC and the geopolitical shifts affecting the semiconductor supply chain. As part of this effort, South Korean companies are also collaborating with U.S. firms to secure technology and market position amid rising global competition. For more detailed information, you can refer to articles from sources like DW and Korea Pro.

【HKPC collaborates with JinTech Semiconductor to promote smart microelectronics manufacturing in Hong Kong 】 HKPC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JinTech Semiconductor Limited (JinTech Semiconductor) today, pledging to a collaborated effort in promoting the development and application of technologies related to Hong Kong’s semiconductor industry, as well as the training of technical professionals. HKPC and JinTech Semiconductor will leverage their respective advantages to achieve new industrialisation, further strengthen Hong Kong’s advanced manufacturing industry chain, and comprehensively enhance the brand strength of smart microelectronics manufacturing to achieve high-quality development in Hong Kong.    This collaboration has brought about two significant "firsts". It is the first collaborative case of HKPC's cross-disciplinary technical team in promoting smart microelectronics manufacturing in Hong Kong. At the same time, JinTech Semiconductor is the first semiconductor testing company to establish its presence in Hong Kong.   Going forward, HKPC will leverage its world-leading advanced technologies and accumulated experience to support enterprises in upgrading and transforming their operations. Under the collaboration, HKPC will enable JinTech Semiconductor to optimise its production processes, empowering smart manufacturing in semiconductor grading and packaging as well as fostering a customised, hyper-local and sustainable “Microfactory” with Hong Kong characteristics. With JinTech Semiconductor's extensive experience and market influence in semiconductor storage grading, we will jointly promote the development of Hong Kong’s microelectronics ecosystem. This will expedite the formation of new productive forces in accordance with local conditions and accelerate Hong Kong’s development as an international I&T centre and a smart city.   #hkpc #JinTechSemiconductor #NewProductiveForces

"South Korea have accelerated approvals for the world’s largest semiconductor industrial complex (...) This is a response to the US and EU Chips Acts and Japanese semiconductor boost (...) The complex will cover 7.28 million square metres with six fabs, three power plants, and over 60 material, parts, and equipment partner companies, primarily small and medium-sized enterprises" #semiconductorindustry #korea https://lnkd.in/eFmFQwXS

MexicoView: On July 17, the US announced the Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative to boost nearshoring for semiconductors production. The initiative includes 12 member countries from the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP) and aims to reduce the supply chains’ reliance on Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Key partner countries include Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica. This effort, led by the US Department of State with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), aims to enhance semiconductor assembly, testing, and packaging (ATP). The initiative also complements the partnership established with Mexico in March 2024, when the US Department of State announced it could allocate part of the $500 million CHIPS Act’s International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) fund for workforce development, regulatory improvements, and infrastructure enhancements. While US-Mexico cooperation on semiconductor production is still in the early stages, these initiatives can set the foundation for future joint supply chains. - Pablo Reynoso Brito

Tech News of the Week!📰 The UK government is inviting semiconductor researchers and companies to join an R&D mission to South Korea in February 2025. Organised by the Department for Science, innovation and Technology (DSIT), the three day programme will initiate collaboration with South Korean businesses and researchers to advance semiconductor technology. This initiative builds on UK's strengthened semiconductor partnership with South Korea. To read the full article visit➡️ https://lnkd.in/d9uS7tpY #HexwiredRecruitment #TechNewsofTheWeek #SemiconductorResearch #RDResearch #TechDevelopment #UKTechNews #TechRecruitmentAgency

From our keynote at #SEMICON on trade dynamics of the EU in the semiconductor industry: Over the past three years, the top six countries driving the exchange of semiconductor-related products across the value chain with the EU have been China, Taiwan, the United States, South Korea, Malaysia, and Japan. Together, these six countries account for 70% of the EU’s semiconductor value chain trade. 📦 Malaysia's notable position in the EU's semiconductor trade is due to the back-end manufacturing facilities of EU IDMs, including Infineon (3 facilities), NXP (1 facility), and STMicroelectronics (1 facility). These facilities handle assembly and testing, producing semiconductor final products, most of which are then shipped back to the EU. Similarly, many of the chips imported from China are assembled or packaged in facilities owned by the same EU IDMs before being shipped back to the EU. ⚙️ Overall, the EU maintains a surplus in semiconductor equipment exports. Interestingly, four of the top five destinations for EU equipment —South Korea, the United States, Taiwan, and China— are also among the top six countries driving overall semiconductor trade with the EU. Check out our full keynote at SEMICON Europa here: https://lnkd.in/ebRFa59X 📥 Analysis on trades in the semiconductor will be in the coming update of the ICOS-International Cooperation On Semiconductors report (to be published in 2025). You can check the latest version at: https://lnkd.in/e3WnCTQj #SemiconEuropa #Semiconductors #Trades #ExportControl #EUIndustrialPolicy #EUChipsAct

𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗺 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 The new plan, consisting of three phases, outlines the development of the Vietnamese #semiconductor supply chain from 2024 to 2050.  A recently published article by the Vietnamese government highlights the country’s strategy and vision for developing domestic semiconductor production. The Vietnamese government has split the strategy into three phases: 🔹Phase 1 (2024–2030) will focus on foreign direct investment (FDI) 🔹Phase 2 (2030–2040) aims to establish Vietnam as a main centre for the semiconductor and electronics industries 🔹Phase 3 (2040–2050) focuses on the development of one additional manufacturing facility and five more packaging and testing facilities Project Blue's Kyle Pronk and Melissa Oosthuizen have examined the announcement and each phase in more detail: https://lnkd.in/e9ArMHDW Project Blue provides detailed market intelligence services for semiconductor materials - talk to our experts to learn more: https://lnkd.in/dTZJm6_a #criticalmaterials #energytransition