Semicon Briefing

The EU plans investments of €120 bn through 2035 under Chips Act 2.0 and for the first time will require authorities to prefer chips from European startups. The strategic shift away from pure subsidies toward demand-side management marks a paradigm shift in Europe's semiconductor policy – Chips Act 2.0 will be officially unveiled on June 3rd.

ams-OSRAM divests its non-optical analog and mixed-signal sensor portfolio for €570 mn to Infineon – closing is imminent in Q2 2026, with antitrust authorities reviewing since March. Infineon thereby strengthens its position in the AI data center and sensor markets, while ams-OSRAM will focus on digital photonics going forward.

TSMC Arizona's Phase-1 profitability surprised positively, yet Samsung Foundry is catching up: first HBM7 samples delivered, a multi-year 2nm/3D-IC deal with Cadence for AI GPU flows signed, and Samsung expected to win Anthropic chip orders. Competitive dynamics between TSMC and Samsung are intensifying noticeably in the AI foundry market.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics supplies silicon capacitors for Intel's EMIB Advanced Packaging under a $1.1-bn contract, as Intel cannot manufacture these components itself. The deal is seen as a clear signal for the ramp-up of Intel's next AI chip generation and positions Samsung as a critical supplier in the Intel ecosystem.

ASML and Tata Electronics have announced a strategic partnership to develop India's semiconductor industry – ASML thereby secures a foothold in a government-subsidized chip market outside the traditional TSMC/Samsung/Intel axis. The deal underscores India's growing role as an alternative manufacturing location amid geopolitical diversification strategies.

SkyWater Technology shareholders have approved the merger with IonQ; closing is expected in Q2/Q3 2026. The combination of IonQ's quantum computing focus and SkyWater's US-exclusive foundry capacity is viewed as a strategic step toward commercializing quantum chips under domestic manufacturing.