(CTA interview, please don't lock the story) Artificial intelligence development and adoption have encountered serious energy efficiency hurdles with current computer architectures. To solve this challenge, Canadian startup Blumind has invented an analog architecture for semiconductors that will process neural networks efficiently with extremely low power consumption.
Canada-based startup pH7 Technologies has developed a new chemical process solution that can extract precious and critical metals, mainly platinum-group metals (PGM) from both primary and secondary sources. By utilizing an emerging branch of close-loop metallurgy called SolvoMetallurgy, pH7 provides an environmentally sustainable alternative to smelters and acid-based extraction methods.
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)'s recent announcement of a strategic collaboration with Intel to deliver "enterprise-grade, secure AI" is an example of how industry leaders have been energized by the rise of generative AI to learn how this new technology can be used across businesses. DIGITIMES Asia recently spoke with BCG Henderson Institute Global Director François Candelon about the objectives behind this collaboration, and about the transformative potential of generative AI more broadly.
India stands on the cusp of a transformative leap into the semiconductor manufacturing sector, a move anticipated to significantly diversify and enhance the nation's predominantly software-centric talent pool.
Taiwan's top three lithium battery cell manufacturers right now are Formosa, Foxconn, and Taiwan Cement (TCC). Among them, Formosa Smart Energy Tech (FSET) was formed by integrating the five major corporations of the Formosa Plastics Group, including Formosa Plastics, NPC, FCFC, FPCC, and FBC. It has the largest publicly invested production capacity in Taiwan.
India is putting all its weight behind efforts to manufacture semiconductors locally. At the forefront of this is the joint venture between Foxconn and Vedanta. Speaking to DIGITIMES Asia recently, David Reed, CEO of Vedanta-Foxconn Semiconductors explained that their focus will be on bulk planar CMOS in both the 28 and 40 nanometers, and will primarily deal with logic, as well as RAM and the standard components driven by logic.
India is on many companies' lists for alternative production bases as it has become the world's most populous country. According to international logistics company Dimerco, adopting a scalable business model that tests the market first and builds a production plant later would be a better approach.
In fiscal year 2023, India's EV industry experienced a remarkable surge, with sales leaping to about 1.17 million units – a 154 percent year-on-year increase. The rapid growth in the high-speed electric two-wheeler sector, led by OLA, Hero Electric, and TVS Motors, and robust demand for high-speed electric three-wheelers, particularly for last-mile deliveries and e-commerce, have been major contributors to this trend.
In an interview for the Silicon Island Chronicles documentary produced as part of DIGITIMES's 25th anniversary, Winbond chairman Arthur Chiao discussed his company's journey so far, its adoption of ESG, as well as the recent downturn in the memory market.
LiDAR is rising to be the emerging component differentiating car models in China. According to Evan Chen, an analyst with DIGITIMES Research, global automotive LiDAR shipment is expected to reach 500,000 units in 2023, with China taking up at least 80% of it.
SAS is a veteran in the semiconductor sector, as it was the eighth company to enter and be established in the Hsinchu Science Park. In 2011, its semiconductor department broke off to form GlobalWafers. In an interview for the "Silicon Island Chronicles" documentary organized as part of DIGITIMES's 25th anniversary, SAS chairperson Doris Hsu talks about how the trends have shifted for international semiconductor mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Now, global localization has become a trend.
During TSMC's conference held in Taipei on April 20, 2023, institutional investors made their inquisition on whether the cost and yield of the Fab 21 plant under construction in Arizona, US will drag down TSMC's overall profitability.
As the automotive industry embraces EVs, commercial vehicle electrification has become critical. Known as a luxury passenger EV maker, US-based Karma Automotive has also been scaling up its B2B business, especially for commercial vehicles. It said the market holds great potential.
Atomera was founded in 2001 by Robert Mears with a vision to develop a platform of materials technologies for use across multiple industries. In response to the slowdown in the advancement of Moore's Law, Atomera developed Mears Silicon Technology (MST), which provides several power, performance, area, and cost (PPAC) improvements. MST's potential to improve PPAC also shows promise in developing MRAM to the point where it can finally be considered a mainstream memory. An email interview with Mears, also CTO for the company, is included below.
