East Asian Technology Intelligence
Japan & China technology, translated and contextualized for Western readers
Samsung Electronics has reportedly allocated 70% of its memory production capacity through 2031 to long-term agreements (LTAs) with major tech companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Google.
NVIDIA reported Q2 FY2027 revenue of $96.22 billion, up 106% year-over-year, with data center revenue reaching $89 billion.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has requested a record ¥8.89 trillion (approximately $60 billion USD) for the 2027 fiscal year, aiming to integrate AI into Self-Defense Forces command systems and expedite the acquisition of attack drones.
NVIDIA is reportedly investing 4.7 trillion Korean won (approximately $3.4 billion USD) into MediaTek, a Taiwanese chip designer.
Kioxia ranked 8th in global semiconductor sales for Q2 2026, marking the highest growth among the top 20 companies.
Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music, along with other music publishers, have filed a lawsuit against Anthropic, its CEO Dario Amodei, and co-founder Benjamin Mann for copyright infringement.
TSMC’s Dr. Ming-Fa Chen presented updates on the COUPE silicon photonics platform at SEMICON Taiwan 2026, detailing plans to integrate modulators, light sources, and Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOA) onto the COUPE platform’s backside.
Imec, a leading semiconductor R&D center, announced its updated technology roadmap extending to the A2 node by 2041, emphasizing High-NA EUV as critical for future 2D scaling.
Kioxia and SanDisk (Western Digital) announced a joint 5 trillion yen (over $31 billion) investment in flash memory production in Japan by 2032, contingent on government support.
Lam Research has begun construction on a new R&D center in Oregon, focused on enhancing semiconductor manufacturing capabilities for AI chips.
