SMIC narrows gap with Samsung as global foundry revenue hits record $53.49 billion September 10, 2026 SMIC posted the strongest growth among the top three foundries in Q2 2026, with revenue surging 20% QoQ to more than USD 3 billion and market share edging up to 5.4% – closing in on Samsung Foundry's 5.9%. Combined revenue for the world's top ten foundries rose 11.5% to nearly USD 53.49 billion, a new record, according to TrendForce.
Elmos and SK keyfoundry extend partnership to 130nm technology through 2037 September 10, 2026 German automotive semiconductor manufacturer Elmos Semiconductor and South Korean foundry SK keyfoundry have signed an agreement expanding their collaboration to include 130nm technology, securing long-term wafer capacity through 2037. The two companies have worked together on 350nm technology for 18 years.
Samsung, ASML to collaborate on next-gen chip manufacturing September 10, 2026 The two companies aim to deepen collaboration on High NA EUV lithography and advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies. Samsung plans to introduce ASML’s High NA EUV lithography into future DRAM high-volume manufacturing by 2028.
Micron faces strike threat in Taiwan over bonus dispute September 09, 2026 Labour unions representing nearly two-thirds of Micron Technology's Taiwan workforce are threatening to strike unless the US memory chip maker changes how it distributes profits to employees, Reuters reports. More than 80% of union members who took part in an internal survey in August backed strike action.
Novo Nordisk Foundation to establish quantum chip fab in Copenhagen September 08, 2026 Quantum Foundry Copenhagen and the Novo Nordisk Foundation have announced plans to establish a 5,300 square metre quantum chip fabrication facility in Copenhagen, Denmark. The facility is expected to open in 2027 and will develop and scale manufacturing capabilities for next-generation quantum chips.
Intel Foundry and ASML report High NA EUV production milestone September 08, 2026 Intel Foundry and ASML have reported continued progress in High NA EUV lithography production, including more than one million wafers processed to date across early tool certification and testing, research and development, and volume production on select layers of Intel's Panther Lake processors — part of the Core Ultra Series 3 family.
DRAM industry revenue surges 59.5% in Q2 as supply lags demand September 07, 2026 Total DRAM industry revenue rose 59.5% QoQ in Q2 2026, reaching nearly USD 154.73 billion, driven by sharp increases in contract prices and sustained AI server demand. Supply expansion continues to lag demand growth, with supplier inventories at historic lows, according to TrendForce.
Sivers Semiconductors to expand photonics manufacturing in Glasgow September 03, 2026 Swedish company Sivers Semiconductors is investing USD 30 million to expand its indium phosphide manufacturing facility in Glasgow, Scotland.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics signs $790M AI server MLCC contract September 03, 2026 Including this customer, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has signed long-term MLCC supply agreements (LTAs) with over 10 global companies. The company said it is also in discussions for long-term supply contracts with several global companies.
IBM completes acquisition of HRL to advance quantum ecosystem August 31, 2026 The combination brings together complementary expertise in quantum computing, sensing, materials science, and advanced technologies to accelerate future innovation
Mercury partners with Palantir to enhance factory automation August 28, 2026 Palantir is working with key US defense industrial base suppliers to increase throughput and reduce delivery timelines. Mercury will streamline material planning, reduce manual workloads and improve the ability to deliver at increased capacity.
Beyond the headlines: a live semiconductor market conversation in Gothenburg August 26, 2026 The semiconductor market is moving fast – but the headlines and numbers only tell part of the story. Prices are increasing, lead times are stretching, and geopolitics is reshaping how companies think about sourcing. What's harder to see from the outside is how all of this is playing out in practice: in customer behaviour, in order flows, in the conversations that happen daily between distributors, manufacturers and buyers.
Samsung SDI acquires GM's stake in Indiana battery plant August 21, 2026 Samsung SDI has signed a new joint development agreement with General Motors for next-generation prismatic batteries, while simultaneously acquiring GM's 49.99% stake in their joint venture SynergyCells in New Carlisle, Indiana. The plant will initially be used for energy storage system production rather than electric vehicle batteries.
Forge Nano breaks ground on battery gigafactory in North Carolina August 20, 2026 Forge Nano has broken ground on a major expansion of its lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Morrisville, North Carolina, in the United States. The project, backed by up to USD 100 million from the US Department of Energy, will expand the site to nearly 315,000 square feet and establish up to 3 GWh of annual battery cell manufacturing capacity.
Samsung to invest $158M in new HVAC production line in Korea August 20, 2026 The 21,500 sqm HVAC production line in Gwangju, Korea is scheduled to begin operations upon completion by 2028. It will manufacture HVAC products from FläktGroup, which was acquired by Samsung Electronics last year.
Top five NAND Flash brands post 77% revenue surge in Q2 August 18, 2026 Combined revenue for the top five publicly listed NAND Flash brands rose 77% QoQ in Q2 2026 to USD 68.87 billion, driven by sustained AI server demand for enterprise SSDs and significant contract price increases. Micron posted the strongest growth of the group and moved up to third place, according to TrendForce.
Docomo, Samsung validate user-level AI-RAN technology August 18, 2026 This validation represents an important step toward realizing predictive network operations, especially as AI-driven network optimization becomes increasingly prevalent in the 6G network.
General Motors to sell Indiana battery venture to Samsung SDI August 11, 2026 Samsung SDI is poised to buy the 680-acre property, take over the JV and own the Indiana battery-making facility, Bloomberg reports. GM’s move comes as it scales down its EV ambitions amid lukewarm demand for electric vehicles in America.
Netlist, Samsung settle patent disputes, sign new memory deal August 06, 2026 Under the agreements, Samsung will receive access to US firm Netlist’s complete patent portfolio, including its server DIMM and High Bandwidth Memory technologies. Samsung will supply Netlist DRAM and NAND products, and the parties agree to settle and mutually release all pending legal actions.
MetaOptics, Elsoft to advance chip optics manufacturing tools August 06, 2026 Under the partnership, the two companies will design, build and industrialise the key fabrication equipment behind the metalens value chain, from research and development through to high-volume manufacturing.
IonQ receives approval to complete $1.8B acquisition of SkyWater July 31, 2026 Following the close of the transaction, SkyWater will continue to serve a full range of customers as a US-based semiconductor foundry, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of IonQ under the SkyWater name.
UMC reports 17% increase in YoY second quarter revenue July 30, 2026 Second quarter consolidated revenue was NT$68.73 billion, increasing 12.6% from NT$61.04 billion in 1Q26. UMC’s Board of Directors has approved a plan to expand cleanroom capacity at its Singapore P4 facility and to construct a new fab in Taiwan.
Samsung, Broadcom expand collaboration across memory, foundry tech July 28, 2026 On the memory front, Samsung and Broadcom plan to pursue a strategic collaboration for the supply of industry-leading memory solutions, including HBM, supporting Broadcom’s next-generation AI accelerators.
Samsung, KDDI complete AI-powered network optimization trial July 27, 2026 During peak hours, Samsung’s RAN Speed Optimizer (RSO) delivered an average increase of 31% in 5G downlink throughput across the overall trial area, with gains reaching a maximum increase of 52% in dense urban areas, on KDDI’s commercial 5G SA network in Japan.
Tower Semiconductor announces capacity expansion in Japan July 20, 2026 Track one adds new 300mm Silicon Photonics capacity, with full production readiness expected during the fourth quarter of 2027. It consists of repurposing the Arai facility for 300mm Silicon Photonics capacity and advanced packaging capabilities.
Report: Samsung cuts US jobs ahead of HQ move July 20, 2026 The South Korean company said that 739 roles in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, have been affected by Samsung Electronics America’s (SEA) plans to move its headquarters to Texas.
Intel uses next-gen ASML tool to produce its laptop chips July 15, 2026 Intel Foundry has entered high-volume manufacturing for a subset of Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, code-named Panther Lake, using ASML’s EXE High NA EUV technology.
Intel invests €5 billion to expand manufacturing in Europe July 14, 2026 Investment is expected to create permanent high-tech jobs and engage specialised tradespeople, while expanding leading-edge manufacturing capacity in Ireland.
Samsung begins mass production of PM1763 SSD July 14, 2026 Featuring high-speed data transfer and an optimized controller architecture, PM1763, the company’s PCIe 6.0-based enterprise SSD, is expected to serve as a key storage solution for high-performance AI platforms.
Sumitomo Chemical to establish JV with Samsung Electro-Mechanics July 13, 2026 The joint venture company will engage in the business of glass core substrates for advanced semiconductor packages. Glass core substrates are known for features like excellent rigidity, dimensional stability, low warpage and low thermal expansion.
It's gotten worse – and the memory market isn't done yet July 09, 2026 Two months ago, at Evertiq Expo Zürich, Nikolaos Florous left little room for optimism. Tight memory market conditions would persist, he said — and things would likely get worse before they got better.
Silex acquires Onsemi fab in Pennsylvania for $40 million July 07, 2026 Swedish MEMS foundry Silex Microsystems has entered into a binding agreement to acquire a 200mm semiconductor fab in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, in the United States, from Onsemi. The purchase price is USD 40 million.