➀ The expansion of TSMC's fabs in Arizona raises concerns in Taiwan about the potential loss of its 'Silicon Shield';
➁ TSMC has assured Taiwan that it will maintain the most advanced technology in Taiwan and that the foreign fabs are not the most advanced;
➂ The Taiwan government's approval is required for TSMC's foreign investments above $45.5 million.
➀ President Trump and CC Wei announced a $100 billion investment by TSMC in Arizona, bringing the total investment to $165 billion;
➁ The investment is expected to create thousands of high-paying jobs and support the progress of AI and smartphones;
➂ TSMC plans to build three more fabs and two more packaging plants in Arizona.
➀ SMIC announced a new investment of 7.5 billion US dollars (about 54.4 billion RMB) to expand production, aiming to challenge the global chip industry's status quo.
➁ The funds will be used for capacity expansion in mature processes like 28nm, technology breakthroughs in advanced processes below 7nm, and enhancing the domestic semiconductor industry's self-sufficiency.
➂ SMIC's goal is to not only become a second TSMC but to create an independent semiconductor supply chain free from US dependence.
➀ Ams Osram has received EU Commission approval for funding to develop a new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Austria.
➁ The investment grant, under the European Chips Act, is up to €227 million.
➂ The facility will produce next-generation optoelectronic sensors and is expected to begin full production by 2030.
➀ A Japanese group, allegedly including former Tesla director Hiro Mizuno and former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, has proposed a plan for Tesla to invest in Nissan.
➁ Both Mizuno and Suga have denied any involvement in the plan, and CEO Musk seems uninterested.
➂ The plan is based on the belief that Tesla wants to use Nissan's US factories to increase domestic production and avoid tariffs.
➀ A group of former Intel engineers and executives have raised $21.5 million in seed funding for their RISC-V startup, AheadComputing.
➁ The company, based in Portland, Oregon, is using RISC-V to tackle the processing demands of AI.
➂ Investors include notable figures such as Jim Keller, CEO of RISC-V developer Tenstorrent, and Eclipse Ventures.
➀ Applications for the third cohort of ChipStart UK, a government-funded early-stage semiconductor incubator, are now open.
➁ Eligible startups include those developing semiconductor technologies and are incorporated in the UK with less than $1.5 million in private VC or Angel funding.
➂ The incubation programme, focused on investor readiness, is funded by the DSIT UK Government department and is free for participants.
