“TSMC”: these four letters represent for the global semiconductor industry the pinnacle of achievement in foundry services, the contractual manufacturing of semiconductor chips for those companies who choose to remain ‘fabless’, safe in the knowledge that TSMC, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, will get the job done on terms that suit their business model.   Under..

China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), or “two sessions” (“lianghui”), took place last month, with passage of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) headlining the agenda. Although wide-ranging in scope, the “14FYP” is where we look for clues to China’s evolving plans for its high-tech base.   First, basic research in technology is to receive significant prioritisation,..

Childhood dreams don’t always evolve into reality, but for Hong Konger “Queenie” Hoi Shan Chan, the calling was always science, and that’s how her journey has proceeded. After a glamorous-sounding spell as a “Fellow” at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC), she’s now back in academe, teaching at universities in the UK, namely the Open University..

As reported in Reuters on 8th Feb 2021, the global chip shortage is being acutely felt in particular by automotive manufacturers, from General Motors to Stellantis and Honda Motor, who are shutting assembly lines due to the shortages. Some auto firms have also furloughed staff. Eight-inch chip manufacturing plants owned mostly by Asian firms, which..

Says the report, which was also cited in the China Economic Review, the Shanghai government is aiming to achieve “scaled production” of 12-nanometer semiconductors this year, as part of the nationwide effort to strengthen domestic production. Underpinning this strategy appears to be a move to cut reliance on imported chips amid ongoing US sanctions that..

Lisa Su, currently CEO and President of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), has an impressive versatility that allows her to be both an electrical engineer and a successful businessperson. Born in Tainan, Taiwan, Su emigrated to the US aged three, later studying at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), majoring in Electrical Engineering. Her focus..

Put simply, set against the backdrop of US-China tensions, amongst other global challenges, news of this deal has not just piqued the interest of specialist technology journalists, but has quickly sparked the imaginations of global commentators, broadcasters, and consumers alike.   What we know Nvidia’s co-founder Jensen Huang clearly sees the extended value in the..

The satellite was launched into orbit by a Long March 3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China’s Sichuan province. “Beidou” is China’s name for the “Big Dipper” or Ursa Major constellation, a traditional navigational aid for locating the North Star in the nighttime sky. China’s progressive development in aerospace The..