Xi Jinping’s Washington visit underscores China’s pivot to hard‑technology, with AI at the forefront of bilateral talks. Both sides have agreed to an “AI hotline” to prevent runaway systems. Beijing’s hard‑tech surge, accelerated by U.S. sanctions and supply‑chain restrictions, is evident in the success of ChangXin Memory Technologies and Unitree Robotics. The 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026‑2030) outlines a strategy for technological sovereignty, while Xi’s directives in Shanghai and Beijing emphasize early, long‑term investment in basic research and [...]

Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF have unveiled a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) distributed amplifier that operates from 4 GHz to 420 GHz with 11 ± 2 dB gain. The device uses 20‑nm gate length InGaAs‑on‑Si high‑electron‑mobility transistors, replacing earlier 35‑nm GaAs‑based chips. Measured noise figures reach 2.8–7.7 dB up to 202 GHz, and saturated output power lies between 6 and 8 dBm. The amplifier’s broadband, low‑noise, high‑power profile targets optical‑electrical interfaces in next‑generation data centers, high‑precision measurement equipment, [...]

Tata Electronics and Japanese precision semiconductor component manufacturer Enomoto signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen India’s semiconductor packaging ecosystem. The partnership will support Tata Electronics’ $3 billion high‑volume packaging plant in Jagiroad, Assam, by providing Enomoto’s research and development expertise, advanced manufacturing techniques, and next‑generation solutions. Enomoto will also explore localizing lead‑frame production to reinforce the domestic supply chain. The collaboration aims to facilitate technology transfer, engineering cooperation, and capability development, creating a more integrated and resilient [...]

Thailand approved its first national semiconductor strategy, outlining a 30‑year roadmap to build a full domestic ecosystem from research to high‑value applications. The plan targets roughly $80 billion in cumulative investment and $150 billion in annual revenue by 2050, while creating more than 230,000 jobs. Three phases will strengthen assembly and testing by 2030, attract upstream investors by 2040, and complete the supply chain by 2050. Priority technologies are photonics, power semiconductors, and sensors, supported by tax incentives, workforce [...]

Thailand approved its first national semiconductor strategy, outlining a 30‑year roadmap to build a fully integrated domestic ecosystem. The plan targets $80 billion in cumulative investment and $150 billion in annual revenue by 2050, while creating more than 230,000 jobs under the “Made in Thailand” chip initiative. Three phases will strengthen assembly and testing by 2030, attract upstream investors by 2040, and complete the supply chain by 2050. Priority technologies include photonics, power semiconductors, and sensors, supported by tax [...]

Alibaba Group unveiled its Zhenwu V900, a new AI accelerator that the company claims delivers three times the performance of its predecessor. Developed by Alibaba’s T‑Head division, the chip can be deployed in clusters of up to 500,000 processors to train advanced AI models. The announcement follows Alibaba’s $53 billion investment in AI infrastructure and a $10.2 billion share offering, as the firm targets 20 GW of global data‑centre capacity by 2032. The move signals Alibaba’s intent to compete with Nvidia [...]

Qualcomm announced that its Snapdragon X2 platform will receive official Debian and Ubuntu Linux support by 2026, marking the first formal commitment to Linux on its processors. The company will prioritize systemd‑boot, UEFI, and core I/O drivers for USB, PCIe, UART, I2C, and SPI, while also integrating FastRPC for the Hexagon NPU to support AI workloads. Qualcomm will address power‑management and graphics drivers, essential for mobile and embedded AI applications. The announcement follows extensive collaboration with Microsoft [...]