chip industry

ASML, the Dutch maker of advanced lithography equipment, has said it currently sells no chipmaking machines within Europe, according to an executive. The statement highlights how the continent, despite hosting one of the world's most critical semiconductor suppliers, lacks major chip manufacturing customers of its own, fueling discussion about Europe's limited position in global chip production.

China may permit Alibaba and ByteDance to purchase new Nvidia chips, according to a report by The Information relayed by Investing.com and Yahoo Finance. The potential approval would mark a shift for two of China's largest tech companies, which have faced restrictions on accessing advanced US-made semiconductors amid ongoing US-China trade tensions over chip exports.

Dutch chip equipment maker ASML says it is not selling its chipmaking machines to customers in Europe, and has warned that the region risks falling behind the United States, China and India in the semiconductor industry. The statement is drawing attention among business and technology watchers, who see it as a stark signal of Europe's weakening position in advanced chip production despite ongoing efforts to build domestic capacity.

Barron's reports that Nvidia's stock is holding up despite a broad downturn across the semiconductor sector, attributing its resilience to three key reasons. Investors are watching the chipmaker closely as peers slide, debating whether Nvidia's strength reflects durable fundamentals such as AI demand or a temporary divergence from wider industry weakness.

Market chatter is focused on the possibility that Nvidia's newly announced AI chips could be sold in China. The company has been constrained by US export controls that block its most advanced chips from the Chinese market, so any path for its latest silicon to reach Chinese customers would be a significant development for the semiconductor industry and global AI competition.

South Korea is building its semiconductor workforce by introducing chip-related training at the high school level. The move reflects the country's effort to secure a steady pipeline of skilled workers for its semiconductor industry, a cornerstone of the national economy, as global competition for chip talent and manufacturing capacity intensifies.

Industry coverage highlights how the AI chip boom is reshaping the semiconductor sector, accelerating transformation across chipmakers and pushing up demand for specialised materials used in advanced fabrication. Analysts note that surging investment in AI hardware is changing supply chains and creating new opportunities for materials suppliers. Observers are weighing how sustainable this demand growth will be as AI development continues at pace.

French research institute CEA-Leti and Grenoble-based quantum computing startup Quobly have expanded their collaboration to speed up the development of next-generation silicon quantum technologies. The two partners, both based in the Grenoble area, are working on semiconductor-based qubits that could leverage existing chip manufacturing expertise to scale quantum processors. The announcement was reported by quantum industry publication The Quantum Insider.

Nvidia's newest AI chips could be cleared for sale in China, according to a MarketScreener report. The story is drawing attention because US export controls have sharply restricted Nvidia's ability to sell advanced chips to Chinese customers, so any reopening of that market would be a major shift for the semiconductor industry and for US-China tech relations.

VIS, the Taiwanese chipmaker, says the joint venture fab it runs with Netherlands-based NXP Semiconductors has entered the initial production stage. The milestone marks the start of output at the plant, which is expected to supply chips for automotive and industrial uses. Further details on capacity, yield ramp-up and timing for full-scale production were not given in the initial announcement.

Vietnamese outlet Tuoi Tre examines how Vietnam could develop a genuine semiconductor industry, drawing lessons from Singapore, where the chip sector contributes roughly 6% of GDP. The piece analyses what policies, investment strategies and workforce development Singapore used, and how Vietnam might apply them as it positions itself as an emerging player in the global chip supply chain.

Google is testing AI chips intended for 'fractionalized' data centers in space, an approach that would split computing workloads across orbiting infrastructure rather than single large facilities. The project signals a push to move AI compute beyond terrestrial power and cooling limits. Details on timeline, partners and technical results remain limited, but the initiative underscores growing tech-industry interest in orbital data infrastructure.