July 24, 2026 · 03:48 Uhr
Intel officially confirmed on July 15, 2026, that its 18A process node with ASML High-NA EUV has entered volume production – a milestone for Intel's foundry strategy. This marks Intel's first serious entry as a competitor to TSMC and Samsung, which could fundamentally change competition in the foundry market.
The European Commission approved €659 million in German subsidies under the EU Chips Act this week – for four new manufacturing facilities for SiC epi-wafers, power MOSFETs, metrology equipment, and detector chips. In parallel, Infineon is opening its €1 billion EU-subsidized Dresden fab significantly ahead of schedule and doubling capacity there for power and analog chips.
Intel and AMD reportedly concluded up to two-year server CPU supply contracts with Chinese customers – exploiting loopholes in US export controls. Jensen Huang (Nvidia) meanwhile warned that export restrictions won't stop China's AI development but will accelerate its domestic capabilities.
China is working on its most significant export control update in years – this time aimed at keeping its own AI technologies domestic rather than blocking Western ones. This marks a strategic escalation in tech decoupling and could fundamentally reshape global AI supply chains.
Siemens announced the acquisition of Precision Innovations, expanding its semiconductor equipment portfolio. The deal joins a continuing M&A wave in the semiconductor sector, which according to CB Insights surged 47% in Q1 2026 compared to the prior year.
TSMC raised its 2026 capex guidance from $52–56 billion to $60–64 billion – the company explicitly cited tool inflation as the main driver, directly benefiting ASML and Applied Materials. This represents a new dimension to the known TSMC pricing story and underscores the pricing power of semicap equipment suppliers.
The semiconductor industry is simultaneously experiencing an investment and consolidation wave on both sides of the Atlantic: TSMC is raising capex to record levels, Intel's 18A enters volume production, and Europe is allocating new chip subsidies – the buildup of Western manufacturing capacity is gaining significant momentum. Geopolitically, US-China tech decoupling is intensifying: while US export controls are being circumvented in practice through CPU supply deals by Intel and AMD, China is preparing its own export restrictions on AI technologies – a symmetric escalation step with far-reaching consequences for global supply chains. The most critical security development is China's acceleration of domestic chip development as a direct response to Western restrictions, confirming Jensen Huang's warning about unintended effects of export policy. In parallel, concentration among key equipment suppliers like ASML and Applied Materials is deepening, with their pricing power increasing further as capex budgets rise across all major foundries.
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