INTERNATIONAL news
Intel In talks to acquire GlobalFoundries for $30 billion
The US chipmaker Intel is in talks to acquire contract chipmaker GlobalFoundries for $30 billion. GlobalFoundries, which was owned by Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices, is currently in the hands of the Abu Dhabi government’s investment unit Global Mubadala Investment. The talks appear to be proceeding between Intel and Global Mubadala. With rivals like Arm quickly rising in the semiconductor scene, Intel is straining to hold on to its position as a leading chip maker globally.
LG Chem to invest $5.2 billion for EV batteries’ chemicals
South Korean giant LG Chem is looking to invest $5.2 billion in four years to begin the production of essential chemicals and materials used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This move comes as part of the company’s plans to help countries and companies reduce their dependence on China where the largest share of EV battery chemicals is produced. LG explained that it will be expanding its manufacturing capacity to meet the demands of the battery materials market, which is forecast to more than double from 39 trillion to about 100 trillion won ($87 billion) by 2026.
Rohde & Schwarz acquires Zurich Instruments
Rohde & Schwarz has acquired Zurich Instruments. The former said that the acquisition of Zurich Instruments AG, a technological leader in test and measurement, will help Rohde & Schwarz further expand its test and measurement division. The Swiss company Zurich Instruments AG will be run as a full subsidiary. All functions at Zurich Instruments will remain in place, from development and production to marketing and sales.
US solar firm CubicPV looking to invest in India
US based solar component maker CubicPV is looking at India as a manufacturing hub as it plans to invest $1.1 billion to set up 10GW solar wafer and cells manufacturing capacity in India over the coming five years. The company is in talks with the Indian government to participate in the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for solar equipment manufacturers. CubicPV plans to start with 2GW of cells and wafers capacity, and then expand it to 10GW over five years at a cost of $1.1 billion.
Audi to become EV-only brand by 2026
German auto giant Volkswagen Group’s Audi will stop introducing new combustion engine models from 2026 as it is aiming to shift its focus and investments towards electric vehicles. Audi will launch its final ICE powered vehicle, the Q5, in 2026 which will be manufactured up to 2033. Audi India is currently gearing up to introduce its first electric vehicle in the Indian market.
Foxconn records all-time high sales amid rising demand
Taiwanese contract electronics manufacturer Foxconn has reported an all-time high second-quarter sales record of about $48 billion in the April-June quarter, which is about 20 percent higher than the same quarter last year. The Apple supplier’s sales growth can be attributed to the surge in demand for electronic devices as schools and offices continue to be held from home amidst the ongoing pandemic.
China’s Wingtech acquires the largest chip plant in UK
Chinese electronic software giant Wingtech Technology announced that its subsidiary Nexperia has acquired the UK’s biggest chip plant Newport Wafer Fab (NWF) to boost global production capacity. Nexperia obtained 100 percent ownership of the Welsh semiconductor production facility and decided to rename it as Nexperia Newport. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but it is worth around $87 million, according to several reports.
Apple, Intel to use TSMC’s 3nm chip production technology
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has found
Apple and Intel as the first adopters of its 3-nanometer (3nm) chip production technology which is planned to be deployed next year. Apple and Intel are testing their chip designs with TSMC’s 3nm production technology with a commercial output of such chips expected to start in the second half of next year. The most advanced chip production tech being used for consumer products today is TSMC’s 5nm technology, which is used for all iPhone 12 processor chips.
AMD wins EU antitrust approval for Xilinx acquisition
Semiconductor designer Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Inc has secured unconditional EU antitrust approval for its $35 billion bid for Xilinx Inc. AMD had announced the deal in October last year. The European Commission said it had not found any issues after a preliminary review. The proposed transaction would raise no competition concerns in the European Economic Area given the absence of horizontal overlaps and vertical relationships between the activities of the companies.
MKS Instruments to buy Atotech for $5.1 billion
Semiconductor equipment maker MKS Instruments Inc will buy specialty chemicals group Atotech Ltd for about $5.1 billion to expand its chip manufacturing capabilities. MKS, which has a market capitalisation of about $10 billion, will fund the acquisition through cash and debt financing.