Skip to content

News & Analysis

NXP Nudges OEMs Toward Software-First Design

By Junko Yoshida

What’s at stake:
“Software-defined” is an inescapable trend even for automakers. Gone soon will be days when OEMs demanded tier ones to bring another (hardware) box with each new feature, so that they can pile up boxes in a vehicle that results in ever-growing complexity. While Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV) hold much promise, the trend demands that carmakers design vehicles using virtual ECUs in a virtual development environment.

For car buyers, software-defined vehicles (SDVs) could simply mean over-the-air updates or various apps running on in-vehicle infotainment systems that leave the underlying hardware unchanged.

For automotive design engineers, on the other hand, SDVs are both critical and problematic.

Read More »NXP Nudges OEMs Toward Software-First Design
Silicon Box Expands to Italy

Silicon Box Brings Advanced Packaging to Europe

By Junko Yoshida

What’s at stake:
Less than a year after the launch of its first chiplet foundry in Singapore, Silicon Box is setting its sights on northern Italy to open another advanced panel-level packaging foundry with a $3.6 billion (€3.2 billion) investment. Is the startup overreaching?

Sehat Sutardja, his wife Weili Dai, along with Byung Joon (BJ) Han, three co-founders of the startup Silicon Box, unveiled their plan in Milan this week, accompanied by Adolfo Urso, Italian Minister of Enterprises and the “Made in Italy” initiative.

The move reflects Silicon Box’s push for global expansion, coupled with Italy’s long-standing efforts to attract investment from technology companies.

Read More »Silicon Box Brings Advanced Packaging to Europe

Why Fintech Companies Are Closing Shop in Nigeria

By Fred Ohwahwa

What’s at stake:

Tech investors who doled out what is beginning to look like ‘easy money’ to start-ups in Africa’s leading economy are discovering the enterprises need more than funds. Now that some of the companies have ended belly up, investors are taking stock and trying to figure out how much handholding future investments will need.

Amid the global challenging economic environment, many start up tech companies in Nigeria folded up in 2023. At the last count, eight of such companies went under.

In a country with astronomically high unemployment rate – estimated at 33 percent by some projections – this is a significant development considering the country’s leading position in fintech across Africa.

Read More »Why Fintech Companies Are Closing Shop in Nigeria
China lithium-ion battery manufacrturing

China’s EV Battery Lead Appears Unassailable

By George Leopold

What’s at stake:
If any nation can ride out a projected slump in EV demand, it’s China and its EV powerhouses, battery maker CATL and car maker BYD.

Demand for still-pricey battery EVs is plateauing, at least outside the booming Chinese market, but some industry analysts predict a rebound is possible over the next 18 months when a second wave of adoption gathers steam across Asia, Europe and the U.S.

An upturn in battery EV adoption is bound to solidify China’s stranglehold on the global EV battery and materials supply web. The sector is dominated by China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., which currently controls 37 percent of the global battery market. Better known as CATL, the industry leader along with Chinese EV juggernaut BYD provide lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries for all Tesla EVs made in China.

Read More »China’s EV Battery Lead Appears Unassailable

1.6T Ethernet IP Poses Options for Hyperscalers

By Junko Yoshida

What’s at stake:
On the 25th year anniversary of its design IP business, Synopsys has a new 1.6 T Ethernet IP with differentiated features. The EDA company could potentially court big guns in the datacenter market. But can it compete with merchant semiconductor companies?

Synopsys has rolled out what it calls “the industry’s first complete 1.6T Ethernet IP solutions” – consisting of 224G Ethernet PHY IP, multi-channel/multi-rate Ethernet controllers supporting up to 1.6T and its verification IP.

Synopsys is poised to move up the food chain from chips to system designs, by working directly with prominent system companies, such as hyperscalers, interested in designing custom silicon tailored to their own needs.

Meanwhile, leading networking semiconductor suppliers such as Marvell and Broadcom, who have launched similar 1.6T Ethernet chips, also claim they are already aligned with hyperscalers.

Read More »1.6T Ethernet IP Poses Options for Hyperscalers
Infineon Builds Fortress SiC: Foresight or Overreach?

Infineon Builds Fortress SiC: Foresight or Overreach?

By Bolaji Ojo

What’s at stake?

Infineon Technologies is fast becoming a silicon carbide powerhouse, fortified by sourcing alliances and spendings on fabs running into billions of dollars in addition to sales deals with OEM customers. As its capital outlay grows, however, the question arises: is Infineon doing too much in a market that is still struggling to find its feet? Or are these prescient moves for which the company’s management deserve credit?

Infineon Technologies AG on Wednesday unexpectedly said it was reorganizing its global sales organization. Infineon, said CMO Andreas Urschitz, wants to position itself “for ambitious growth by further strengthening and streamlining its sales organization.”

The terse, 3-paragraph statement announcing the decision is atypical of Infineon, hinting that more changes may be afoot at Europe’s leading semiconductor vendor.

Read More »Infineon Builds Fortress SiC: Foresight or Overreach?
Japan's Bet on Jim Keller: Why?

Japan Bets on Jim Keller: Why?

By Junko Yoshida

What’s at stake:
Japan’s ability to secure the chip supply and protect national security would require it to build leading-edge semiconductor fabs and AI technologies. Japan is giving Tenstorrent, a Canadian startup, the job of leading its national AI/RISC-V/chiplet project.

Japan’s chipmaking challenge is colossal. It will take herculean effort and staggering investment to bring up a 2-nm process technology at Rapidus, its startup foundry, by 2027.

Given the many national tech projects that have failed under the guidance of the Japanese government, recent media headlines such as “Japan’s comeback in semiconductor manufacturing” make some industry observers in Japan cringe.

Nonetheless, as the Ojo-Yoshida Report learned recently from semiconductor manufacturing equipment vendors and EDA suppliers, contracts are getting signed. Hardware and software tools are heading to Sapporo, where Rapidus is building a fab.

Read More »Japan Bets on Jim Keller: Why?
Wolfspeed Ails but What Exactly Is the Problem?

Wolfspeed Ails but What Exactly Is the Problem?

By Bolaji Ojo

What’s at stake?

Wolfspeed Inc.’s market value is not in alignment with the positive stories about its position and profile in the silicon carbide market. In essence, its market dominance is not reflected in its market valuation. Wall Street is heavily discounting the stock. Why? Plus, with valuation this low, Wolfspeed is an appealing acquisition target. What’s stopping buyers from making a move?

Wolfspeed Inc., by all measures, should be the shiniest star in the silicon carbide (SiC) galaxy.

It prides itself as the “only pure-play vertically integrated silicon carbide company.” This means Wolfspeed is in the enviable position of owning, controlling and operating its own wafer-sourcing and production supply chain.

This vertical operating structure – a long abandoned system in the regular silicon semiconductor market – is a strength in the SiC segment, putting Wolfspeed in the uniquely advantageous position of being a prime beneficiary of the surging demand for SiC devices from the electronics, power and energy markets. Investors should be swooning over its stocks. They are instead paring back its valuation. There are a few reasons behind this, but none appear compelling. Do potential buyers of Wolfspeed shares know more than the average observer? Even this is not clear.

Read More »Wolfspeed Ails but What Exactly Is the Problem?
Foundry Dreams Spotlighted at Intel-Palooza

Foundry Dreams Spotlighted at Intel-Palooza

By Junko Yoshida

What’s at stake:
“Intel Foundry Day” was described by one executive as a “coming out party” to burnish the image of Intel Corp.’s foundry enterprise. This isn’t Intel’s first crack at wooing customers into its foundry. The thing is this: beyond building new fabs around the world, has Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger done enough to prove that his ‘IDM 2.0’ strategy for manufacturing, innovation and product leadership is also working for customers?

By lining up big guns like U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as “Foundry Day” speakers, Intel highlighted its power to pull strings and issue a reminder that it remains a heavyweight in the global semiconductor industry.

To establish itself as a credible, independent foundry, however, Intel must go beyond pageantry. 

Read More »Foundry Dreams Spotlighted at Intel-Palooza
Arm Doubles Down on AI, Chiplets With Neoverse Update

Arm Doubles Down on AI, Chiplets With Neoverse Update

By Bolaji Ojo

What’s at stake:

The artificial intelligence market is poised to be a top economic growth driver, and everyone wants a piece of the business. By updating its Neoverse IP to address AI and chiplets, Arm is moving to solidify its formidable position in the semiconductor design process. Global hyperscalers are already using Arm’s Neoverse, but the IP vendor is taking no chances. Will Neoverse CSS V3 and Neoverse CSS N3 help push Arm deeper into the AI market?

Arm Holdings Plc has unveiled updated versions of its Neoverse intellectual property for the semiconductor industry, aiming the two offerings directly at the artificial intelligence market with the goal of a the tighter embrace with its current customers and others exploring options in the fast-growing sector.

With Neoverse CSS N3 and Neoverse CSS V3, both updates on the earlier versions (dubbed CSS N2 and CSS V2, respectively), Arm is plunging headfirst into two of the hottest segments of the semiconductor world – AI and chiplets.

Read More »Arm Doubles Down on AI, Chiplets With Neoverse Update