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U.S. CHIPS Act: Here’s Why and What Congress Should Swiftly Approve

By Bolaji Ojo

The U.S. CHIPS Act is languishing in Congress. But it can pass in the next weeks if the right actions are taken and if proponents offer the concessions that lawmakers can justify to the electorate.

Advocates of the $52 billion bill know exactly why it is stuck: there is tenuous support for it in both chambers. The support is especially lukewarm in the Senate where some members are wary of handing out billions to support an industry crying wolf even as it spends huge sums on share buybacks, stock dividends and executive compensations. 

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Emmanuel Macron, President of France (in the center) listens to Jean-Marc Chery, STMicroelectronics CEO talks. Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for Internal Market stands next to Macron.

CHIPS Act: Europe Moving Fast, With Intel Along for the Ride

By Junko Yoshida

What’s at stake?
As shown this week when STMicroelectronics and GlobalFoundries revealed their joint 300mm fab project in Crolles, France, Europe is moving full-speed ahead with its CHIPS Act. At stake is the future not just of European chip companies, but its entire high-tech industry. We caught up with Jean-Christophe Eloy, CEO of Yole Group, to get his assessment of the E.U.’s ambitious strategy.

Few would have predicted that 27 disparate European states could unite to forge a strategy for resurrecting the region’s semiconductor industry.

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Cruise robotaxi at night

Robotaxi Priorities: Avoid Crashes or Avoid Blame?

By Junko Yoshida

What’s at stake?
California DMV collision reports filed by autonomous–vehicle companies over the past 18 months reveal a curious pattern: Almost invariably, the blame for a crash is assigned to the human driver of the other car, casting the driverless vehicle the victim. Is this because human drivers are deemed to be organically erratic and irresponsible? Or, perhaps, are AVs driving too cautiously? A close reading of the data suggests a third possibility — that AVs are programmed to avoid blame rather than avoid accidents.

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ST and GlobalFoundries Plan New 300mm Europe Chip Plant

By Bolaji Ojo

STMicroelectronics NV and U.S.-based contract chipmaker GlobalFoundries Inc. said they have agreed to establish a new 300mm semiconductor manufacturing fab in France with “significant financial support” from the French government. They expect the new fab to start production in 2024 and become fully operational by 2026 when it should start producing up to 620,000 wafers per year.

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silicon photonics ecosystem

Silicon Photonics: Who Should Be on Your Radar and Why

By Bolaji Ojo

What’s at stake
With silicon photonics promising to vastly accelerate data access and transmission, companies all along the supply chain are jumping in with both feet. Collaborations among rivals are critical at this early stage as companies work to steer the nascent market toward their take on the technology. It’s too early to tell which of these uneasy alliances will prevail, but a look at the partnerships may yield some clues.

Read More »Silicon Photonics: Who Should Be on Your Radar and Why