Growth surge masks structural strain in semiconductor market April 30, 2026 During Evertiq Expo Zurich on April 23, 2026, Claus Aasholm, founder of Semiconductor Business Intelligence, offered a pointed assessment of a semiconductor industry growing rapidly — but not evenly. In his keynote and a follow-up conversation, Aasholm argued that while headline figures suggest unprecedented expansion, underlying dynamics point to structural imbalances across the supply chain.
NEC to supply defense equipment for three Australian frigates April 30, 2026 Under this contract, Japan’s NEC Corporation will provide equipment including underwater-related equipment such as surface ship sonars as well as communications and navigation-related equipment.
Nojima to buy Hitachi home appliance unit for $630 million April 27, 2026 Hitachi Global Life Solutions will spin off its home appliance business into a new company that Nojima will acquire a 80.1 percent stake in for about 100 billion yen (USD 630 million) through a special purpose company.
Only one European company in global EMS Top 30 April 23, 2026 The global EMS/ODM industry continues to expand, but scale and growth remain unevenly distributed, with Asian players flexing their dominance while Europe lags behind, according to new research from in4ma and EMSNOW.
Onto expands partnership with Rigaku through 27% equity investment April 22, 2026 By combining Rigaku’s X-ray technologies with Onto Innovation’s complementary optical metrology and advanced analytics software, the companies aim to deliver next-generation hybrid metrology solutions for increasingly complex semiconductor devices.
Japan quake triggers alert; semiconductor operations unaffected April 21, 2026 A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan on April 20, prompting a brief tsunami alert and a government advisory warning of an elevated risk of a potential megaquake, the Associated Press reports.
Greene Tweed, Seal Dynamics boost aerospace OEM market April 20, 2026 Seal Dynamics’ presence in Asia and Brazil will connect aerospace OEMs with Greene Tweed’s high-performance solutions, including advanced sealing systems and Xycomp DLF thermoplastic composites, that address their specific challenges.
Air Liquide invests €200M in Japan to support chip manufacturer April 20, 2026 Set to begin operations by the end of 2028, Air Liquide’s production units will deliver large volumes of ultra-pure nitrogen, oxygen and argon to support the production of advanced chips.
Renesas expands auto MCU portfolio with 28nm RH850/U2C April 20, 2026 The MCU targets a range of automotive applications, including chassis and safety systems for passenger cars and motorcycles, battery management systems (BMS) and body control functions such as lighting and motor control, and other general-purpose ASIL D applications.
Fujitsu, Chugoku Electric Power T&D sign IP licensing agreement April 17, 2026 Under this agreement, Fujitsu will leverage Chugoku’s intellectual property to launch an advanced power grid operation and maintenance support service for power transmission and distribution companies.
SCREEN’s semiconductor R&D hub opens in New York April 17, 2026 Through this initiative, NY Creates and SCREEN Advanced Technology Center of America (ATCA) intend to connect high-tech organizations in the US and Japan to leverage their networks and drive innovation in SCREEN’s semiconductor R&D focus areas.
Japan approves extra $4 billion for chipmaker Rapidus April 13, 2026 Established in 2022, Rapidus has secured funding from both the public and private sectors. It is aiming to mass-produce cutting-edge chips using 2-nanometer technology by 2027.
TDK, Nippon Chemical Industrial establish joint venture April 13, 2026 The joint venture will focus on the development of ceramic materials primarily for MLCCs, other electronic component materials, and their manufacturing processes.
Semiconductor equipment billings reached $135B in 2025 April 09, 2026 Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment increased 15% to USD 135.1 billion in 2025 from USD 117.1 billion in 2024, driven by continued investment in advanced logic, memory, and AI-related capacity expansion, according to SEMI.
Global semiconductor sales increase substantially in February April 09, 2026 Global semiconductor sales were $88.8 billion during the month of February 2026, an increase of 7.6% compared to the January 2026 total of $82.5 billion and 61.8% more than the February 2025 total of $54.9 billion, reports the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).
Murata completes new MLCC production building in Japan April 07, 2026 Japanese component manufacturer Murata has completed a new production building at its subsidiary Izumo Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Izumo, strengthening its capacity for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs).
Double-digit growth in global 300mm fab equipment spending for 2026 and 2027 April 07, 2026 Worldwide 300mm fab equipment spending is expected to increase 18% to USD 133 billion in 2026 and 14% to USD 151 billion in 2027, SEMI reports.
SUMCO shifts strategy from new fab to equipment upgrades April 07, 2026 SUMCO Corporation has received approval from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) for an amended version of its “Plan for Ensuring Stable Supply” under the Economic Security Promotion Act, the company announced on March 27, 2026.
NX Germany opens Dresden branch to boost logistics April 03, 2026 The state of Saxony, where Dresden is located, is known as one of Europe’s leading hubs for the semiconductor and other advanced technology industries, and it has attracted numerous global companies from these sectors.
Volvo Group and Daimler Truck seek to bring Toyota into cellcentric April 02, 2026 The Volvo Group, Daimler Truck and Toyota Motor Corporation are planning to jointly operate the fuel cell joint venture cellcentric. The move was outlined in a press release from AB Volvo dated March 31.
TSMC targets 3nm production at second Japan fab by 2028 April 01, 2026 TSMC is planning to begin equipment installation and launch mass production of advanced 3-nanometre chips at its second fabrication plant in Japan in 2028, according to a Taiwanese government filing.
Denso invests in NCT to enhance performance of EVs March 26, 2026 Japanese company NCT’s expertise in materials and processing technologies for iron-based amorphous alloys will help it achieve early realization of motor generators’ product competitiveness using this next-generation material.
Tower announces plans to expand 300mm capacity in Japan March 26, 2026 Israeli foundry Tower Semiconductor and Nuvoton Technology Corporation Japan will enter into mutual long-term supply agreements, ensuring continued support for existing customers of both companies.
Fanuc America invests $90M to boost robot manufacturing March 25, 2026 This expands Fanuc America’s engineering capacity and advanced manufacturing capabilities to support the growing demand for automation solutions across North America, including physical AI, virtual commissioning and digital-twin technologies.
Infineon collaborates with Subaru to enhance next-gen ADAS March 20, 2026 Infineon plays a key role in Subaru’s integrated electronic control unit (ECU) for next‑generation advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and vehicle motion control.
MHI to introduce 10MW class centrifugal chiller for data centers March 16, 2026 The 10MW-class chiller is optimally designed with the objective of aligning with emerging reference architectures for large-scale AI computing facilities, which demand higher cooling capacity, increased redundancy, and standardized deployment models.
Hirose to invest $11M in manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu March 16, 2026 Hirose Electric, which has factories in Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia, has signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government. Phase-1 of the project will involve manufacturing precision connectors and electronic components.
Global semiconductor sales rise 3.7% in January March 11, 2026 Global semiconductor sales reached USD 82.5 billion in January 2026, marking a 3.7% increase compared with December 2025 and a 46.1% rise from the same month a year earlier, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).
PLD Space secures €180M to accelerate global access to space March 09, 2026 With over EUR 350 million raised to date, this financing advances PLD Space’s strategic roadmap, supporting its transition to commercial operations and the scaling of its industrial and launch capabilities.
TDK opens its fifth regional headquarters in Asia-Pacific March 05, 2026 Japanese electronics company TDK has established a new Asia-Pacific regional headquarters (APAC RHQ) in Bengaluru, India, effective 1 April 2026. The move marks the company’s fifth regional headquarters, alongside Japan, Europe, the Americas and China.
NEC, Nokia to expand Eletronet’s optical fiber network in Brazil March 04, 2026 The project adds 8,000 km of new fiber routes. This expansion is expected to reach a total of 26,000 km across 23 Brazilian states by the end of 2026. Eletronet is investing USD 30.4 million in this initiative.
ams OSRAM completes EUR 114m lamps business sale March 03, 2026 Sensor and photonics company ams OSRAM has completed the sale of its Entertainment and Industry Lamps business to Japan-based Ushio Inc. for EUR 114 million. The transaction was closed on 2 March 2026.