1. TSMC Announces Site Selection and Investment Plan for 1nm-Class Fabs
      TSMC officially announced plans to build its most advanced 1nm-generation (A10) wafer fabs in Taiwan’s Taoyuan and Kaohsiung science parks. The total investment is expected to exceed $30 billion, with construction slated to begin in mid-2026.

    2. U.S. and Japan Sign Bilateral Advanced Packaging Cooperation Agreement
      The U.S. and Japanese governments signed a memorandum to jointly fund R&D in next-generation chip packaging technologies, focusing on hybrid bonding, silicon photonics integration, and chiplet standards.

    3. Micron Commences Mass Production of 1-beta DRAM with Backside Power Delivery
      Micron started volume production of its next-generation DRAM chips using industry-first backside power delivery network technology, improving energy efficiency by 25% for data center and AI applications.

    4. China Grants Major VAT Rebates to Domestic Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturers
      To accelerate import substitution, Chinese authorities announced a three-year, full value-added tax refund policy for domestic purchases of key semiconductor manufacturing equipment, covering etching, deposition, and inspection tools.

    5. Apple Unveils In-House AI Server Chip “Athena M3”
      Apple announced its proprietary data center AI accelerator chip, Athena M3, designed to power its expanding Apple Intelligence cloud services. It features a unified memory architecture and is produced using TSMC’s 2nm process.

    6. Qualcomm Acquires Major Automotive Chip Designer for $4.2 Billion
      Qualcomm completed the acquisition of a leading European automotive System-on-Chip (SoC) design company, aiming to strengthen its Snapdragon Digital Chassis platform for software-defined vehicles.

    7. IBM and Rapidus Demonstrate Functional 2nm Prototype Chip
      IBM and Japan’s Rapidus consortium successfully demonstrated a fully functional 2nm test chip, validating Rapidus’s high-volume manufacturing capabilities and marking a key milestone for Japan’s semiconductor revival plan.

    8. Global Semiconductor Sales Report Shows First Quarterly Decline in Two Years**
      The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported a 3.5% quarter-over-quarter decline in global sales for Q4 2025, attributed to inventory adjustments in the consumer electronics and traditional PC segments.

    9. South Korea Announces $15 Billion “K-Chips” R&D Fund for Post-HBM4 Era
      The South Korean government launched a new strategic fund focused on memory technologies beyond HBM, such as processing-in-memory (PIM), neuromorphic chips, and carbon nanotube-based DRAM.

    10. SEMI Issues Warning on Potential Noble Gas Supply Shortage
      Industry association SEMI alerted its members about potential supply chain risks for neon and krypton gases in 2026, urging diversification beyond traditional sources in light of ongoing geopolitical tensions.

    These developments highlight the industry’s focus on next-generation process nodes, geopolitical collaboration, supply chain resilience, and diversification into AI and automotive sectors, even as market cyclicality begins to re-emerge.