2025-06-25: Renesas Electronics Faces Significant Loss After Wolfspeed Supplier Collapse
South Korea Launches Major Public GPU Cloud Initiative with Leading Tech Firms Competing
Good Morning,
Below are some of the most important developments in the artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and cloud computing sectors in Asia today.
▪️ Japan: Renesas Electronics Faces Significant Loss After Wolfspeed Supplier Collapse
Renesas Electronics faces a major financial setback following the collapse of its US business partner.
▪️ Japan: Lawson Launches Tokyo’s First AI-Driven Convenience Store in Strategic Partnership with KDDI
Lawson’s first AI-powered convenience store in Tokyo combines robotics and analytics to streamline operations and enhance customer service.
▪️ Vietnam: EVNHCMC’s Leadership in Digital Transformation and Smart Grid Innovation Receives Top Industry Recognition
Vietnam Electricity Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation drives innovation through a comprehensive digital transformation strategy in the energy sector.
▪️ Taiwan: Patent and Antitrust Disputes Escalate Between MediaTek and Huawei in Global Chipset Market
Legal and antitrust battles over standard-essential LTE and 5G patents between MediaTek and Huawei have spread across Europe and Asia, marking intensifying competition in the global chipset market.
▪️ Taiwan: Taiwan-US Tariff Negotiations Enter Key Phase Amid Semiconductor Trade Implications
Taiwan and the United States are navigating critical tariff negotiations linked to semiconductor trade.
▪️ China: Surging Demand and Strategic Recruitment Drive Growth in China’s Robotics and AI Talent Market
The rapid expansion of China’s robotics and AI industry has intensified competition for skilled talent across research, development, and commercialization.
▪️ China: Shanghai Zaofu Intelligent Technology launches as Hellobike, Ant Group, and CATL join forces on Level 4 robotaxi venture
China’s leading mobility and technology firms have launched a new robotaxi venture in Shanghai.
▪️ South Korea: South Korea Launches Major Public GPU Cloud Initiative with Leading Tech Firms Competing
South Korea is investing heavily in public GPU-as-a-service and expanding its AI computing infrastructure through a multi-trillion-won government program.
▪️ South Korea: US Export Controls Reshape Samsung, SK hynix, and the Global Memory Market
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix face tightening US export controls that threaten their equipment transfers to China and shape the global memory market.
For more information on these developments, please see the full report below.
Thanks for reading,
Rodney J Johnson
Today's Developments
Widely Reported On Issues of Importance
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Renesas Electronics Faces Significant Loss After Wolfspeed Supplier Collapse
Renesas Electronics faces a major financial setback following the collapse of its US business partner.
Renesas will record an extraordinary loss of roughly ¥250 billion in the first half of its 2025 fiscal year due to the collapse of Wolfspeed Inc., its US silicon carbide wafer supplier.
In July 2023, Renesas signed a ten-year procurement agreement under which it paid an upfront deposit exceeding US$2 billion for silicon carbide wafers.
Wolfspeed’s financial health deteriorated as market conditions weakened, particularly in the power semiconductor segment for electric vehicles.
Declining revenue forecasts and mounting liquidity pressures have pushed Wolfspeed toward seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the near term.
To protect its investment, Renesas negotiated with Wolfspeed to convert the deposit into a package of convertible notes, common stock and warrants, pending approval by the US bankruptcy court.
These measures are scheduled to take effect by September 2025, in line with Wolfspeed’s anticipated reorganization timeline.
References for this Development
マクセル－岩井コスモが投資判断引き下げ マクロ経済に不透明感残るうちは株価の上値は限定されよう〔DZH 個別株情報〕
Yahoo Finance | Local Language | News
〔東京株式〕堅調＝半導体株がけん引（24日前場中盤）
Tokyo Stocks Steady as Semiconductor Shares Drive Gains (24th Morning Session Midpoint)
Yahoo Finance | Local Language | News
ファーウェイの新型ＰＣ、ＳＭＩＣ製旧世代半導体を搭載＝調査会社
Huawei's new PC equipped with SMIC-made older generation semiconductors according to research firm
Yahoo Finance | Local Language | News
Renesas to Post 250-B.-Yen Loss
Nippon | English | News
日経平均寄与度ランキング（前引け）～日経平均は大幅に4日ぶり反発、東エレクが1銘柄で約100円分押し上げ
Yahoo Finance | Local Language | News
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Lawson Launches Tokyo’s First AI-Driven Convenience Store in Strategic Partnership with KDDI
Lawson’s first AI-powered convenience store in Tokyo combines robotics and analytics to streamline operations and enhance customer service.
Lawson opened this next-generation outlet on June 23, 2025, in Minato Ward’s Takanawa Gateway City.
It represents the company’s initial move under its September 2024 equity partnership with KDDI and Mitsubishi Corporation, aiming to tackle acute labor shortages while elevating the customer experience.
The store uses more than 20 cameras—14 of them dedicated to analyzing customer behavior—to supply real-time data to sophisticated algorithms.
These algorithms detect purchasing patterns and track product popularity, enabling dynamic inventory adjustments and targeted promotions based on actual demand.
Digital signage throughout the space delivers personalized recommendations: when a shopper picks up a dessert, the display immediately suggests complementary items such as coffee; if someone hesitates before a shelf, the screen highlights best-sellers or staff picks.
Touch-screen kiosks let customers explore detailed product information, and a network of monitors broadcasts alerts about freshly fried foods.
Robots take over frying tasks and manage heavy beverage displays, cutting down on manual handling, while electronic shelf labels update prices automatically.
Meanwhile, AI-driven monitoring of security feeds tracks both customer movements and employee workflows, improving overall efficiency and bolstering security management.
Lawson aims to reduce employee workload on store operations by 30 percent by fiscal year 2030.
Insights from the Takanawa Gateway City pilot will guide the launch of a second next-generation store at KDDI’s new headquarters in July 2025, with plans to roll out this model across Lawson’s domestic network and eventually into international markets.
President Sadanobu Takemasu says that blending cutting-edge technology with real-world customer interaction creates a fresh convenience store format.
The partnership with telecom provider KDDI, which acquired a 50 percent stake in Lawson last year, reflects a strategic push to harness emerging technologies for a competitive edge.
References for this Development
AIで商品おすすめ 次世代コンビニがオープン ロボットも導入
Mainichi Shimbun | Local Language | News
Lawson beta tests futuristic convenience store with KDDI
Japan Times | English | News
Lawson opens next-gen store in Tokyo
NHK | English | News
＜1分で解説＞ローソンがAI使った次世代コンビニ どんな店?
Explained in 1 Minute: What Kind of Store is Lawson's Next-Generation Convenience Store Using AI?
Mainichi Shimbun | Local Language | News
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