Samsung

Samsung Biologics acquires PolyPeptide Group for $1.8 billion, strengthening its presence in peptide therapies by focusing on the growth of GLP-1 drugs for obesity and diabetes with one of the largest M&A deals in South Korean biopharma. Facts, figures, and comments.

After the AI-driven rally, the major memory chip manufacturers – Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron – are losing ground in the stock market. The market fears a new oversupply, but this time the semiconductor cycle could be different. However, the Chinese factor remains an unknown.

AI has transformed memory chips into a crucial strategic component, establishing South Korea and its companies Samsung and SK Hynix as leaders in the global supply chain. The ISPI report.

South Korea launches a nearly $600 billion plan with Samsung and SK Hynix to massively expand memory chip production, strengthening leadership in AI and redistributing economic growth towards the southwest of the country.

In the last quarter, South Korean Samsung’s TV sales grew by 8 percent, but right behind, Chinese company TCL made a 20% leap, also thanks to the joint venture with Sony, which decided to strike a deal with its rival in order to remain competitive in the sector. Panasonic, on the other hand, through a partnership, sold its division to Skyworth, a Shenzhen-based brand, remaining marginal in the business. Other famous brands born in the shadow of Mount Fuji have disappeared from the radar. Is the Japanese entertainment industry in decline?

The profit-sharing agreements in favor of their employees, signed in 2024 by SK Hynix and recently by Samsung, could push workers at the Taiwanese chip giant TSMC to threaten to go on strike. This is also because there is growing concern within the company that top management is considering cutting bonuses due to the billions invested in research and development. All this is happening while the financial results are soaring, breaking every record.

On Thursday, Samsung could be paralyzed by a historic strike that may involve 50,000 workers and last for more than two weeks. The government is conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations while a court ruling, siding with management, adds fuel to the fire.

Apple depends on TSMC for the manufacturing of processors used in iPhones and Macs. Thus, for supply chain security reasons, it has started looking for new suppliers: it has initiated contacts with Intel and Samsung, but neither seems capable of matching the Taiwanese company.

Samsung Electronics has quadrupled its deliveries of GDDR6 DRAM memory chips to Tesla, which are essential for the infotainment and autonomous driving systems of the cars. All the details.

Surprise move by Apple, which attempts to refute the accusatory claims of the US Antitrust by requesting to present confidential documents of its main market rival, Samsung, in court.

Confindustria Radio Televisioni is among the organizations that, through the association representing the main European broadcasters, has called on the EU to subject Google, Amazon, Apple, and Samsung to the rules of the Digital Markets Act also for smart TVs and virtual assistants, denouncing the growing power of Big Tech in content distribution. All the details.

There was a time when the housewife from Voghera, according to the stereotype, would vote based on what TV suggested to her: today, European broadcasters believe that consumers are instead guided in their daily content consumption by virtual assistants and the operating systems of their televisions. They are asking Europe to establish regulatory safeguards.

Samsung strikes and the Asian mode of production. Analysis by Alessandro Aresu.