A week marked by growth in global manufacturing capacity, expanding AI infrastructure partnerships, advances in photonics and GaN technologies, and new initiatives in quantum computing and workforce development.
1. SEMI Europe Issues Policy Recommendations for an Updated European Chips Act
SEMI Europe released its Chips Act Report assessing progress and challenges across Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem. While it notes advances in pilot lines and manufacturing capacity, the report identifies gaps in funding access, regional coverage, and administrative efficiency.
It proposes 30 new policy recommendations for a “Chips Act 2.0,” focused on simplifying procedures, strengthening SME participation, and improving workforce and R&D collaboration. The goal is to support a more resilient and competitive semiconductor supply chain in Europe.
2. ECSA Skills Strategy 2025 Highlights Workforce Gaps in Europe
The ECSA Skills Strategy 2025 warns that Europe faces a growing shortage of semiconductor professionals as 30% of the current workforce is expected to retire by 2030. Graduate inflow, meanwhile, is rising by less than 1% per year.
The report outlines an expected annual shortfall of 10,800 skilled workers by the end of the decade and recommends stronger links between academia and industry, updated training programs, and targeted EU–national cooperation to address the talent gap.
3. NVIDIA Reports Record Q3 FY2026 Revenue on AI Infrastructure Demand
NVIDIA posted record quarterly revenue of $57 billion, up 62% year-on-year, with Data Center revenue alone reaching $51.2 billion. The company continues to dominate AI infrastructure deployments across hyperscalers and national compute projects.
New product launches included Rubin CPX, NVLink Fusion, and BlueField-4 network accelerators. Q4 guidance projects $65 billion in revenue as AI infrastructure demand continues to surge globally.
4. AMD, Cisco and HUMAIN Launch Joint Venture for AI Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia
AMD, Cisco and HUMAIN announced a joint venture to deploy up to 1 gigawatt of AI compute capacity in Saudi Arabia by 2030. The first 100 MW phase will begin in 2026, using AMD’s Instinct MI450 accelerators and Cisco’s infrastructure platforms.
The venture aims to build regional AI capacity, support talent development, and establish an AMD Center of Excellence to advance local innovation. It strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position in the growing global AI infrastructure race.
5. GlobalFoundries Expands Photonics Leadership with Acquisition of Advanced Micro Foundry
GlobalFoundries acquired Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF) to strengthen its position in silicon photonics manufacturing. The deal adds AMF’s 200mm platform, IP, and R&D team to GF’s global portfolio, expanding capacity in Singapore.
Plans include scaling production toward 300mm wafers and creating a Photonics Center of Excellence in partnership with A*STAR. The acquisition makes GF the largest pure-play silicon photonics foundry by revenue, serving AI, telecom, and LiDAR markets.
6. GlobalFoundries and Navitas Partner to Advance U.S. GaN Manufacturing
GlobalFoundries and Navitas Semiconductor formed a partnership to expand U.S.-based GaN manufacturing for power and energy applications. Production will take place at GF’s Vermont facility, with development beginning in early 2026.
The collaboration aims to strengthen domestic supply chains and deliver next-generation GaN-on-silicon platforms for data centers, grid infrastructure, and industrial systems — supporting U.S. competitiveness in high-efficiency power technologies.
7. Oxford Instruments Enables Coherent’s Transition to Fully Automated 6-Inch InP Manufacturing
Oxford Instruments supplied automation tools supporting Coherent’s shift to 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) wafer production, boosting efficiency for optical devices used in AI data centers and telecom.
The new systems enable more than four times the number of components per wafer, reducing costs and supporting the move from 800G to 1.6T optical interconnects. The collaboration strengthens global capacity for next-generation photonic manufacturing.
8. SkyWater Technology and Silicon Quantum Computing Collaborate on Hybrid Quantum-Classical Systems
SkyWater Technology and Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) are partnering to integrate quantum processors with U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing, advancing hybrid quantum–classical computing.
The partnership combines SQC’s atomic-scale processor design with SkyWater’s trusted manufacturing and packaging expertise, aiming to support future fault-tolerant quantum systems and strengthen domestic quantum capabilities.
9. Microsoft, NVIDIA and Anthropic Form Multi-Layer AI Infrastructure Partnerships
Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Anthropic expanded their partnerships to scale global AI infrastructure. Anthropic will purchase $30 billion in Azure compute capacity, with options to increase to 1 GW.
The companies also announced joint R&D to optimise NVIDIA architectures for Anthropic models, backed by major financial commitments from Microsoft ($5B) and NVIDIA ($10B). The collaboration unites cloud, compute, and model innovation under a shared AI ecosystem.
10. U.S. Authorizes Advanced GPU Exports to UAE and Saudi Arabia
The U.S. Department of Commerce approved exports of up to 35,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs to G42 (UAE) and HUMAIN (Saudi Arabia). The decision follows new security frameworks designed to balance technology cooperation and compliance oversight.
The export approvals include strict monitoring and reporting conditions managed by the Bureau of Industry and Security, supporting U.S. allies while maintaining alignment with national tech-security policies.
11. Deloitte TMT Predictions 2026: AI Scaling and Supply Chain Pressure
Deloitte’s TMT 2026 report predicts a major shift from AI breakthroughs to practical, enterprise-scale adoption. Inference workloads are expected to account for two-thirds of all AI compute by 2026.
The study also highlights continued supply chain fragility, growth in robotics and humanoid automation, and the rise of technology sovereignty as nations pursue greater independence in semiconductor and digital infrastructure.
