Elon Musk personally recruits Korean semiconductor talent, waving the Taegeukgi flag.
On the 17th (local time), CEO Musk shared Tesla Korea’s AI chip design engineer recruitment notice on his X (formerly Twitter) and posted 16 Taegeukgi emoticons.
He wrote, “If you live in Korea and want to work in chip design, fabrication (fab), or artificial intelligence (AI) software, apply to Tesla.”
On the 15th, Tesla Korea posted a job advertisement saying, “We are looking for talent to join us in developing the world’s best mass-produced AI chip.”
Rebellion introduces its AI accelerator, RebellQuad, at the world’s largest chip design conference.
AI semiconductor startup Rebellion announced on the 19th that it had presented a paper on the technology of its flagship product, RebellQuad, at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), the most prestigious academic conference in the field of semiconductor circuits, and completed a live demonstration in a real-world environment.
RebelleQuad is Rebellion’s next-generation AI semiconductor. It overcomes the physical limitations of semiconductor chip manufacturing using a chiplet process, solving the low yield problem and maximizing production efficiency to secure the economic feasibility of high-performance computing.
Rebellion presented at a processor session attended by leading global semiconductor companies such as IBM and MediaTek.
BlackRock acquires 5% stake in SK Hynix, focusing on semiconductor investments.
According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s Electronic Disclosure System (DART) on the 20th, BlackRock disclosed that it holds 36,407,157 shares of SK Hynix, exceeding a 5% stake. This marks the first time BlackRock has held a stake of more than 5% in SK Hynix since May 9, 2018, approximately seven years and nine months ago.
The resurgence of large global institutional investors as major shareholders is interpreted as a reflection of expectations for an improvement in the memory semiconductor industry.
Nvidia signs multi-billion dollar semiconductor supply deal with Meta
According to the Financial Times (FT) on the 17th (local time), after the close of regular trading that day, Nvidia announced that it had signed a contract to supply millions of Blackwells and Vera Rubin, a next-generation AI-dedicated graphics processing unit (GPU), to Meta over the next several years. Ben Bazzari, CEO of technology consulting firm Creative Strategies, estimated that “this contract will be worth several billion dollars.”
The deal is seen as part of Nvidia’s strategy to expand its existing partnership with Meta while maintaining market dominance amid competition from AMD and other major tech companies developing their own chips.
Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company would increase its investment in AI infrastructure to up to $135 billion this year.
Mirae Company Mass-Produces Wafer Surface Polishing Equipment
Mirae Company announced on the 19th that it has completed the development of wafer surface polishing processing equipment specialized for fan-out wafer-level packaging (FO-WLP) and glass carrier-based processes and has begun mass production.
FO-WLP and glass carrier-based packaging are next-generation packaging technologies attracting attention due to the growing demand for high-density semiconductors in areas such as AI, mobile, and autonomous driving. Mirae Company developed this equipment by applying ultra-precision polishing and grinding technology, accumulated in the display equipment field, to semiconductor processes.
The equipment uses a cerium oxide (CeO₂)-based polishing pad to remove microscopic foreign matter from the surface of the glass carrier and precisely detects defects such as cracks, breaks, and particles. Automated optical inspection (AOI) is performed before and after the process, and the process is automatically halted if any defects exceeding the specified standards are detected.
OpenAI hires founder of OpenClo, ushering in an era of actionable AI.
OpenAI has made a bold move to dominate the market for autonomous “agents.” The company is accelerating the development of its next-generation core products by hiring Peter Steinberger, founder of the popular personal AI agent project “OpenClaw.”
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, officially announced on the 17th through the social platform X that “Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI to lead the next generation of personal agents.”
Google Launches Gemini 3.1 Pro, More Than Doubles Inference Performance
Google unveiled the Gemini 3.1 Pro on the 19th (local time), which more than doubles the inference performance of the existing model.
Google emphasized that this model offers advanced reasoning capabilities that can be applied to challenging tasks, not just simple answers. Indeed, the model achieved a score of 77.1% on the ARC-AGI-2 performance metric, which assesses the ability to unravel novel logical patterns, more than doubling the previous model’s score of 31.1%. This score also surpasses competing models like OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 (52.9%) and Antropic Cloud Opus 4.6 (68.8%).
A mockup of Samsung SDI’s all-solid-state battery unveiled at the InterBattery exhibition. / Photo = Samsung SDI
“European production must exceed 70% to qualify for subsidies”… EU moves to curb Chinese electric vehicles
According to a Financial Times (FT) report on the 17th, the European Commission is pursuing a plan to provide subsidies only to electric vehicles with more than 70% of their production in the EU.
The draft law prepared by the EU Commission stipulates that for buyers of electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles to receive government subsidies, the vehicles must be assembled within the EU and 70% of their components, excluding batteries, must be produced within the EU based on price.
However, the FT reported that the 70% figure in the draft bill was written in parentheses, indicating that the ratio is still being discussed and could be revised.
Samsung SDI to Sell 10 Trillion Won Stake in Samsung Display, Secures Investment Potential
According to an electronic disclosure on the 20th, Samsung SDI announced that it “reported to the board of directors its intention to sell its Samsung Display shares to secure investment resources and improve its financial structure.”
Samsung SDI plans to review transaction partners, size, terms, and timing through its Sustainability Management Committee, comprised solely of outside directors, before reporting to and approving the board of directors. Specific details have not yet been finalized.
Samsung SDI holds a 15.2% stake in Samsung Display, an unlisted company. Its book value is estimated at over 10 trillion won. A full sale would secure over 10 trillion won in cash.
Tesla’s first Cybercab without a steering wheel or pedals has been released, with full production starting in April.
On the 18th (local time), Tesla posted on social media photos of the first CyberCap vehicles rolling out of its Gigatexas, Texas, U.S. factory. While most of the vehicle’s body is obscured by workers, the windshield and some of its exterior are visible.
Industry insiders believe that this vehicle is likely a pre-production model, citing the limited exposure range.
Cybercab is a fully autonomous robotaxi concept vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals.
Four of the top 10 companies in all-solid-state battery patent applications are Korean.
The Ministry of Intellectual Property announced on the 13th the status of all-solid-state battery patents applied for in five major countries, including Korea, the United States, Japan, Europe, and China, from 2004 to 2023.
By company, Japan’s Toyota holds the record for the most all-solid-state battery patents, filing 2,337 over the past 20 years. LG Energy Solution ranked second with 2,136 applications, followed by Japan’s Panasonic in third with 733. Among the ten companies with the most all-solid-state battery patent applications, four are Korean: LG Energy Solution (second), Samsung Electronics (fourth), Samsung SDI (fifth), and Hyundai Motor Company (sixth).
Inox Lithium Begins First Shipments of Lithium Hydroxide Samples
Innox Lithium announced on the 13th that it has begun shipping samples of high-purity lithium hydroxide to major overseas battery companies.
The company plans to begin full-scale mass production and sales in April, targeting overseas markets first, and then expand sales to various global customers, including domestic battery manufacturers, to pursue qualitative and quantitative growth in its business.
This initial shipment demonstrates Innox Lithium’s unique process and quality engineering capabilities. Following the completion of its production line in the Ochang Technopolis Industrial Complex in North Chungcheong Province last November, the company achieved global top-tier quality standards in just three months.
Thermo Fisher and Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) are partnering to advance next-generation batteries.
Thermo Fisher Scientific announced on the 13th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) Next-Generation Secondary Battery Strategy Research Group on the 11th and will begin collaborating on next-generation secondary battery research and analysis technology.
This agreement aims to gradually establish a collaborative system between the two institutions across various areas, including joint research, technological exchange, utilization of analytical infrastructure, and training of specialized personnel. Based on the data obtained during the research process, the two organizations will also explore joint research papers and intellectual property (IP) collaboration.
/Photo = Hyundai Engineering
California suspends Tesla sales ban, urging correction of false self-driving car advertising
California regulators have decided not to suspend electric vehicle company Tesla’s sales license for 30 days.
The court ruled that Tesla had taken corrective action and ceased misleading advertising related to its autonomous driving capabilities.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced on the 17th (local time) that it would suspend the suspension of Tesla’s sales license, saying that Tesla has stopped using misleading language regarding the vehicle’s autonomous driving capabilities.
Autocrypt and TRIZ Partner on Autonomous Driving Business
Autocrypt announced on the 20th that it has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with TRIZ for the development of autonomous driving technology and services.
Autocrypt will be responsible for ▲the overall operation of autonomous driving services ▲the supply and maintenance/defect repair of autonomous driving control systems, and will also be in charge of supporting service operation-related proposals in projects discovered by TRIZ.
TRIZ is responsible for ▲supplying autonomous vehicles ▲maintaining and repairing autonomous vehicles and autonomous driving software ▲supporting vehicle-related proposals when exploring autonomous driving businesses for Autocrypt.
Hyundai Engineering’s exterior painting robot has been designated as a new construction technology by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Hyundai Engineering announced on the 20th that the ‘exterior wall painting robot’ technology jointly developed with painting specialist J2NC was designated as a new construction technology by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
New technologies are awarded to construction technologies that were first developed domestically or that were introduced or improved from foreign technologies, and are comprehensively recognized for their novelty, advancement, and field applicability.
The new technology designated this time can replace the existing scaffolding (a temporary work facility where workers ride and hang from wires while working on the exterior walls of a building)-based exterior painting work by applying an unmanned, remote-controlled method.
Severance Hospital achieves 500th robotic brain surgery.
Severance Hospital recently achieved its 500th robotic-assisted precision brain surgery, five years and three months after its first performance in 2020.
Robotic brain surgery is a precision surgical technique used to insert electrodes, harvest tissue, or insert catheters into specific locations within the brain. Once the target location is set on preoperative imaging, the robotic arm automatically and precisely guides the surgeon to that coordinate, allowing the surgeon to perform the surgery along the planned path.
In the past, there was a possibility of error and the surgery time was limited because medical staff had to hold the position by hand or read the coordinate scale with their eyes during the surgery.
BOE Chengdu Campus. /Photo = BOE
APS decides to merge with subsidiary Zenith World.
APS announced on the 19th that it will merge with its subsidiary Zenith World. Upon completion of the merger, APS will remain the surviving company, while Zenith World will cease to exist after the merger.
The merger will be a capital increase-free transaction, without issuing new shares. The merger ratio will be 1 APS to 0.1928726 Zenith World shares. As a consideration for the merger, APS will allocate 514,970 treasury shares to Zenith World shareholders. APS currently holds a 70.25% stake in Zenith World. There will be no changes to APS’s total number of issued shares, capital, or largest shareholder.
Avaco Signs OLED Deposition System Supply Agreement with China’s BOE
Avaco announced on the 19th that it has signed a contract with China’s BOE to supply deposition systems for mass production of OLED displays. The contract period ends on December 21st of next year, and the contract size was not disclosed due to business confidentiality.
Abaco previously received an OLED deposition system order from BOE in June 2024, supplying equipment worth approximately KRW 290 billion. This contract is a follow-up to that project, and the company explained that it is seen as a further confirmation of Abaco’s display equipment technology and mass production capabilities amidst the global resumption of OLED investment.
Source: Kipost.net
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