LG Innotek, Automotive AP Module Development Semiconductor Business Launch
LG Innotek announced on the 19th that it will foster its semiconductor components business to generate annual sales of over 3 trillion won by 2030. Currently, over 80% of its sales are concentrated in the optical business, including camera modules, and its ambition is to diversify its business by using the semiconductor components business as a new growth engine.
LG Innotek announced today its plan to expand its existing electric (automotive electronics and electrical devices) parts business into the automotive semiconductor sector, led by its new product, the automotive application processor (AP) module (pictured).
The AP module for vehicles is the ‘brain’ that integrates and controls the electronic systems of a car, like the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer. As the autonomous driving and software-centric vehicle (SDV) trends become the ‘new normal’ in the automobile industry, demand has skyrocketed. The industry predicts that the number of AP modules installed in vehicles worldwide will grow from 33 million units this year to 113 million units in 2030, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22%.
“25% tariff on automobiles, more on semiconductors”
US President Donald Trump announced on the 18th that the automobile tariff rate that he had previously announced would be imposed would be “25%.” He followed up on the 14th by saying that the imposition would take place “around April 2nd” and now he has set the rate. President Trump also said that he would “impose tariffs of 25% or more” on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
There are growing concerns that Hyundai and Kia will be subject to a 25% tariff on the 140,000 vehicles they produce in Mexico and export to the US, as well as the 1 million vehicles they send domestically to the US. Domestic semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are also expected to see a sharp decline in semiconductor exports to the US, which amounted to $10.7 billion (approximately KRW 15.4 trillion) last year, centered on general-purpose memory products such as DRAM and NAND flash.
Merck “Molybdenum Material Production in Korea”
Kim Woo-kyu, CEO of Merck Korea, announced at a press conference for “Semicon Korea 2025” on the 20th, “We will make investments in molybdenum production in Korea this year.”
Merck has decided to invest 600 million euros (approximately 890 billion won) from 2021 to 2025 to strengthen its semiconductor material supply chain in Korea. The planned investment in Korea will be completed this year, and molybdenum has been selected as the last new investment area.
Molybdenum is gaining attention as a material to replace tungsten. Semiconductors that need to be stacked high, such as 3D NAND, use tungsten instead of copper wiring, but its high resistivity limits the implementation of high-performance semiconductors. Molybdenum is a material that can solve this problem, and it is considered a next-generation semiconductor material because it has good resistance as well as thermochemical stability.
Lam Research, First Commercialization of ‘New Material Deposition Equipment’
Lam Research, a global semiconductor equipment company, has commercialized the world’s first ‘molybdenum (Mo)’ deposition equipment for cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing.
It is known that the equipment has currently been introduced to the cutting-edge 3D NAND processes of Micron in the US and major domestic companies. It is expected that it will be applied to foundry and DRAM processes in the future.
Lam Research has developed the world’s first molybdenum ALD equipment and has begun introducing it to major domestic and international cutting-edge 3D NAND mass production companies. As NAND generations progress, cells (minimum memory units) are stacked higher. Lam Research explains that molybdenum is suitable because the wiring width must be reduced to manufacture more layers densely.
‘Meta Sale Theory’ Furiosa AI, “All Possibilities Open and Discussing”
Domestic artificial intelligence (AI) fabless (semiconductor design) startup Furiosa AI said that it is open to all possibilities, including sale or equity investment, regarding the company’s sale negotiations with Meta. A Furiosa AI official expressed regret that they had wanted to receive investment from Korea, but there were no offers of the scale they wanted.
Jeong Yeong-beom, executive director of Furiosa AI, said this at an emergency AI strategy discussion held at the National Assembly Members’ Hall on the morning of the 18th, saying, “We will make the best choice.”
Earlier, foreign media reported that Furiosa AI was in negotiations to sell to Meta. As Furiosa AI is a rare domestic AI fabless company, the industry is paying increasing attention to the situation of the sale negotiations.
Intel Splits in Two… Broadcom Considers Acquiring Chip Design Division
On the 15th (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing anonymous sources, that Broadcom closely reviewed Intel’s chip design and marketing business divisions and informally discussed the possibility of a bid with its internal advisory group.
However, it was reported that Broadcom plans to make an acquisition offer only if it secures a partner in Intel’s manufacturing division, and that it has not yet made a formal offer to Intel. This means that there is a possibility that Broadcom will ultimately not pursue the acquisition.
Earlier, Bloomberg News reported the previous day, citing sources, that Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) company, is considering acquiring shares of Intel’s factory and operating it at the request of the Trump administration. WSJ explained that Broadcom is not a partner of TSMC and is conducting a separate review.
Ibiden Invests 47.5 Billion Won to Increase Production of Semiconductor Graphite Parts
According to Nikkei on the 18th, Japan’s Ibiden will invest 5 billion yen (approximately 47.5 billion won) to increase its production capacity for graphite parts for semiconductor manufacturing equipment by 50%. It has already started expansion at its manufacturing bases in Japan and Korea and plans to gradually expand production.
The products that Ibiden is increasing production of are graphite crucibles used to refine silicon and silicon carbide (SiC) single crystals (ingots), which are raw materials for semiconductor wafers. The industry evaluates Ibiden products as having high quality competitiveness due to low impurities. Global wafer manufacturers such as Shin-Etsu Semiconductor and SUMCO are major customers.
Volkswagen, World’s No. 1 Battery China CATL to Cooperate on Electric Vehicles
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other sources on the 22nd, Volkswagen Group China announced that it will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for strategic cooperation with Chinese battery giant CATL to respond to the rapidly evolving and fiercely competitive era of electric vehicles.
Through the MOU, the two companies agreed to strengthen cooperation in research and development of electric vehicle batteries, new material applications, and automobile parts development.
Volkswagen said its partnership with CATL will enable it to provide better battery solutions to customers, support its supply chain and better meet the growing demand in the electric vehicle market.
LG Ensol to Supply Electric Vehicle Batteries to Toyota Instead of GM in the US
Bloomberg News and Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on the 19th that LG Energy Solution will supply electric and hybrid vehicle batteries to Toyota Motor of Japan in the United States.
The amount that Toyota will receive is estimated to be around $1.5 billion (KRW 2.1637 trillion). According to reports, Toyota has agreed to transfer battery orders that were supposed to be purchased from LG Energy Solution’s other Michigan plants to the Lansing plant if LG Energy Solution fully acquires the Lansing, Michigan battery plant.
Suzuki Japan Invests 38 Trillion Won in Research and Facilities Over 6 Years… “Focusing on Electric Vehicle Development”
Japanese automobile and motorcycle company Suzuki announced on the 20th that it will invest a total of 4 trillion yen (approximately 38 trillion won) in research and development and facility investment by March 2031.
According to Kyodo News and Nihon Keizai Shimbun, in the mid-term management plan released that day, Suzuki decided to spend 2 trillion yen each on research and development and facility investment over the next six years.
Of the facility investment, 1.2 trillion yen (approximately 11.5 trillion won) is planned to be allocated to India, the main market. The facility investment amount in Japan was not disclosed. Suzuki set its sales target for 2030 (April 2030 to March 2031) at 4.2 million units, about 1 million more than now, and its sales target was set at 8 trillion yen (approximately 76.5 trillion won).
DN Automotive Battery Production Plant to be Built in Busan
Busan City succeeded in attracting investment in a large-scale battery production plant worth 400 billion won from DN Automotive Co., Ltd. This is the second investment in Busan by DN Group, which was designated as a semi-large enterprise in 2023, following the investment in DN Solutions’ global unit advanced manufacturing center last year.
The city announced on the 20th that it will sign an investment memorandum of understanding with DN Automotive for the construction of a new ‘Busan Battery Factory’ in the city hall video conference room.
DN Automotive is the holding company of DN Group and focuses on automotive dustproof parts and battery businesses. In particular, dustproof parts are supplied to major overseas automakers such as GM, BMW, and Stellantis Group, and occupy the top 3 global market share.
Top Material, Long-term Supply Contract for Cathode Materials and Materials with European Battery Companies
Top Material, a secondary battery total solution company, announced on the 19th that it has signed a contract with European secondary battery company Prime Battery Technology to supply cathode materials and components worth up to KRW 1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.
According to the company, this contract is a long-term contract that will last until 2035. It includes a supply of at least $41 million (approximately 60 billion won) to $80 million (120 billion won) per year for 10 years. The total contract size is estimated to be at least 600 billion won and up to 1.2 trillion won.
Posco FutureM President Eom Ki-cheon: “Canadian cathode material plant to be completed in May”
Posco Future M President Eom Ki-cheon announced on the 19th, “We plan to complete (the Canadian cathode material plant) in May.”
After attending the Korea Battery Industry Association board meeting on this day, President Eom met with reporters and said, “Phase 1 is proceeding as planned.”
In 2022, POSCO Future M announced that it would build a secondary battery cathode material plant in Canada in collaboration with U.S. automaker GM (General Motors). The original completion date was September 30th of last year, but the company announced in a public notice that the schedule had been postponed. The Canadian cathode material plant is being built in two stages.
Pino signs 7.2 billion won precursor supply contract with L&F
Secondary battery materials company Pino announced on the 19th that it signed a 7.2 billion won nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) precursor supply contract with L&F, a leading domestic cathode material manufacturer.
This contract is the largest single contract for precursor supply since entering the secondary battery materials business. In particular, following the 5.4 billion won supply contract signed in January, the company has succeeded in securing orders for NCM precursors worth a total of 15.1 billion won in less than two months.
Precursors are key materials for secondary battery cathode materials that affect battery voltage and energy density.
FortyDot to build autonomous driving infrastructure on Mars
Forty2Dot, which is in charge of Hyundai Motor Company’s conversion to software-centric vehicles (SDV), has started building autonomous driving infrastructure in the 4 million square meter Gyeonggi Hwaseong International Theme Park. Forty2Dot announced on the 17th that it signed a business agreement (MOU) with Shinsegae Property for this purpose. Starting with this agreement, they plan to verify smart city solutions and related services to be implemented in Hwaseong Star Bay City and explore various cooperative measures to implement smart cities.
The Star Bay City complex development project is an innovative city construction project that provides a complex space for entertainment, culture, shopping, and leisure. The two companies have set a goal of building state-of-the-art infrastructure on a 4,189,000㎡ (approximately 1,270,000 pyeong) site that includes theme and water parks, golf courses, accommodations, Starfield, and apartment complexes, and introducing mobility and control solutions to key locations within the city.
China delays approval of Tesla autonomous driving… Could use it as a trade deal with the US
The Financial Times (FT) reported on the 17th (local time), citing anonymous sources, that Tesla had heard from Chinese regulators that there was no clear schedule set for when its fully autonomous driving (FSD) technology would be approved.
Tesla could be left far behind in the autonomous driving race in China, as China’s largest electric car company, BYD, has announced that it will provide self-driving systems for free on almost all of its vehicles.
Tesla announced in September last year that it would introduce FSD software in China and Europe, but the plan appears to have already been shelved due to delays in regulatory approval.
DeepSeek’s Self-Driving Cars Are Coming to China… Will They Threaten Tesla?
According to industry sources on the 19th, BYD plans to install its advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) “God’s Eye” based on the giant language model (LLM) “Deepseek R1” in all models, from high-priced models to low-priced models. Also, unlike competitors like Tesla, BYD will maintain the price even if an advanced autonomous driving system is installed.
More than a dozen Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers, including BYD, have also recently announced plans to develop cars equipped with DeepSec’s AI capabilities. These include Geely Automobile, Great Wall Motor, Chery Automobile, Dongfeng Automobile, Lieb Motor, Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC), and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).
Rainbow Robotics, speeding up its conquest of the 12 trillion won ‘logistics robot’ market
Rainbow Robotics, a robot platform specialist and subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, is expanding its business into the global logistics robot market worth 12.4 trillion won.
Rainbow Robotics announced on the 20th that it signed a ‘logistics automation business agreement (MOU)’ with Techtaka, which operates the global integrated logistics platform ‘Argo’, at the Rainbow Robotics headquarters in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon on the 19th.
Ahead of the agreement, Rainbow Robotics delivered five small logistics robots, the ‘RBM-S100’, to Techtaka to conduct a pre-verification (PoC). It plans to supply an additional 30 units within this month.
Naver Invests in On-Device AI Autonomous Driving ‘Wearable AI’
Naver D2SF (D2 Startup Factory) has made a new investment in ‘Whereable.ai’, an AI-based autonomous driving startup.
This investment is the first investment for Wearable AI, which was founded in January 2024. The seed round was led by Quad Ventures, with participation from Naver D2SF and POSTECH Holdings.
Wearable AI is developing an AI-based autonomous driving solution that recognizes the road environment in real time, adapts to environmental changes, and optimizes it by utilizing self-supervised learning technology.
KPS, which is changing its main business, issues EB for subsidiary with corporate value of 200 billion won
KPS, which is transforming into a pharmaceutical company, has been recognized as having a corporate value of 200 billion won for its subsidiary Battery Solutions, which is preparing for an IPO. It has successfully issued 15 billion won worth of convertible bonds (EB) to domestic institutional investors.
On the 20th, KPS issued private equity EB to Rico Asset Management, JC Asset Management, etc. at 17,543 won per share, corresponding to the corporate value of 200 billion won of its subsidiary Battery Solutions, the exchange target company, through a public notice.
KPS is a specialized company in FMM (fine metal mask) tensile equipment used in OLED deposition processes. Recently, as new investments in OLED have slowed down, it is changing its main business to a pharmaceutical company.
New Mini Countryman with Circular OLED, Automobile Journalists Association’s ‘Design of the Year’
BMW Group MINI Korea announced on the 21st that the ‘New MINI Countryman’ was selected as the ‘Design of the Year’ in the ‘Car of the Year’ evaluation conducted by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association (KAJA).
In the Car of the Year judging, the interior design of the new MINI Countryman was praised for its fresh image centered around the circular OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display.
Mini Korea, together with Samsung Display, developed the first circular OLED display in the automotive industry.
Samsung TVs 19 years, LG OLED TVs 12 years, world’s No. 1
According to global market research firm Omdia on the 18th, Samsung Electronics ranked first in the global TV market last year with a 28.3% share based on sales. It has maintained its throne for 19 years since 2006. LG Electronics came in second with 16.1%, followed by China’s TCL (12.4%) and Hisense (10.5%), and Japan’s Sony (5.4%).
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have gradually increased their share in the premium TV market priced at $2,500 or more. In the premium TV market, Samsung Electronics’ sales share increased from 45.4% in 2020 to 49.6% last year, ranking first, while LG Electronics ranked second with 30.2% from 21.3%. Sony’s share, which was 22.4% during the same period, decreased to 15.2%, and TCL’s share, which was 3.5%, decreased to 1.6%.
Source: kipost.net