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news

European Commission Opens 'ESRS 2.0' for Public Consultation: Draft Aligned with EFRAG Technical Advice, Additional Simplifications for Companies

The European Commission has published a draft of version 2.0 of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS 2.0) for public consultation. The draft is aligned with the technical advice of EFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group) and includes further simplifications for companies.

Sustainabilitysustainability reportingregulation

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EU Approves Germany's Industrial Decarbonization Plan — €5 Billion CCfD to Support Transition in Steel, Chemicals, and Cement

In spring 2026, the European Commission formally approved €5 billion in state aid for Germany's industrial decarbonization program 'Klimaschutzverträge (Climate Protection Contracts).' Targeting three sectors where European carbon costs weigh most heavily — steel, chemicals, and cement — the scheme's core mechanism addresses the barriers that prevent companies from committing to decarbonization investments.

SustainabilitydecarbonizationCBAM

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Infineon FY2026 Q2 Earnings — AI Data Center Power Semiconductors Drive Growth, Full-Year Guidance Raised

Raising full-year guidance is a decision semiconductor manufacturers handle with care. In an industry repeatedly caught off guard by inventory corrections and demand misreads, an upward revision to the outlook ripples not just through share prices but across the entire supply chain. Here is the context behind Infineon Technologies making that call in its FY2026 Q2 earnings report.

Power SemiconductorsInfineonGaN

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World Bank: Carbon Pricing Policies Now Cover About One-Third of Global Emissions

According to the World Bank, carbon pricing policies currently cover approximately one-third of global emissions. This is a significant indicator of the widespread adoption of carbon pricing as a climate change mitigation measure.

Sustainabilitycarbon pricingemissions

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CBAM Cut India's Aluminum Exports by 41.7% — The First Evidence That Carbon Costs Have Reshaped the Structure of Trade

Following the full enforcement of the EU CBAM, India's unalloyed aluminum exports to the EU fell 41.7% in a single year. Drawing on the first quantitative data showing carbon costs materializing as real trade costs, we examine the structural risks now facing Japanese manufacturers.

SustainabilityCBAMIndia

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SiC Wafer Geopolitics: What Doosan's Acquisition of SK Siltron Signals

South Korea's Doosan announces a full 100% stake acquisition of SK Siltron in a deal valued at approximately 5 trillion KRW. We examine the vertical integration strategy moving forward despite a 414 billion KRW impairment in the SiC business and 1.2 trillion KRW in covenant issues, and place it in the context of Japan-Korea supply chain cooperation.

Power SemiconductorsSiCSiC wafer

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SSBJ and CBAM Launch Simultaneously in 2026 — The Dual Challenge of 'Disclosure and Carbon Costs' Facing Japanese Companies

A February 2026 amendment to Cabinet Office ordinances establishes the legal basis for mandatory SSBJ disclosure, while CBAM enters full enforcement in January of the same year. Whether companies can design an integrated response to both regulations around the shared foundation of supply chain emissions data will determine their competitive edge.

SustainabilitySSBJISSB

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India's Semiconductors Shift into High Gear: The Tata-ASML Partnership Signals a Move from Vision to Execution

In May 2026, Tata Electronics and ASML signed a memorandum of understanding, bringing India's first advanced semiconductor fab closer to reality. From the $11 billion Dholera fab to the participation of Japanese firms including ROHM, India's supply chain buildout is moving from 'vision' to 'execution.'

Power SemiconductorsIndiasemiconductor fab

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Cyient Announces India's First GaN Power ICs

Cyient has unveiled 650V GaN power ICs targeting AI, telecommunications, fast charging, and e-mobility applications. These ICs deliver improved power efficiency and contribute to enhanced performance in next-generation applications.

Power SemiconductorsGaNpower IC

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GaN Market Moves: Navitas's Strong Earnings and India's First Mass Production Point to the Next Frontier

Navitas Semiconductor's Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations, driving a surge in its stock price, underscoring the market success of its GaN technology.

Power SemiconductorsGaNFinancial Results

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Rohm's SiC Business: A Look at the 158.4 Billion Yen Loss - Excess Inventory, Denso Partnership, and Merger Talks with Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric

ROHM recorded an impairment loss of ¥193.6 billion in its power semiconductor business for the fiscal year ending March 2025, resulting in a net loss of ¥158.4 billion, primarily due to impairments on fixed assets in the SiC business.

Power SemiconductorsPower SemiconductorsSiC

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SSBJ April 2027 Deadline Looms: Three Preparations Suppliers Must Make Now

Sosius has launched a free AI diagnostic tool, "SSBJ...", for companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime, in preparation for the Sustainability Standards Board of Japan (SSBJ) disclosure standards (applicable from the April 2027 period), enabling companies to easily assess their disclosure readiness.

SustainabilitySustainability DisclosureAI

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CBAM After the Transition Period: What Japan's Steel and Chemical Exporters Must Address

The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered full implementation in January 2026. With six sectors covered — steel, aluminum, fertilizers, cement, hydrogen, and electricity — Japanese exporters face requirements to calculate and declare embedded emissions. This article examines the current state of compliance and the key practical issues at stake.

SustainabilityCBAMEurope

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CSRD and CSDDD Supply Chain Provisions: How They Reach Japanese Companies and What to Prioritize

The EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) create practical compliance obligations for Japanese companies even without direct applicability — through European customers and trading partners. This article outlines the channels through which these directives cascade and the actions Japanese companies should prioritize.

SustainabilityCSRDCSDDD

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Data Center Power Demand and Power Device Trends — Key Issues for 2026

Power consumption at data centers is surging on the back of generative AI investment. As efficiency requirements tighten, SiC- and GaN-based UPS and PSU designs are becoming mainstream. This article examines the evolving demand for power devices in power infrastructure and the implications for procurement.

Power SemiconductorsData CenterPower Semiconductors

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Green Hydrogen Cost Trends 2026: Where Manufacturing Costs Stand and Procurement Implications

Green hydrogen production costs are trending downward driven by falling renewable energy prices and electrolyzer scale-up, but as of 2026 a 3-to-4x cost gap versus grey hydrogen remains. This article maps the challenges across production, transport, and demand, and outlines scenarios where Japanese manufacturers have direct exposure.

SustainabilityGreen HydrogenDecarbonization

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How GX-ETS Phase 2 Ripples Down to Mid-Tier Suppliers

The April 2026 enforcement of GX-ETS Phase 2 is not limited to the approximately 300–400 directly regulated companies. The cost structure that large enterprises bear for emissions reduction will inevitably flow downstream through supply chain demands on mid-tier and small manufacturers. This article maps what is coming, and through which channels.

SustainabilityGX-ETSJapan

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Internal Carbon Pricing: How Manufacturers Can Embed Carbon Costs in Business Decisions

ICP (Internal Carbon Price) is a mechanism by which companies set their own price on emissions ahead of external regulations such as carbon taxes and ETS, and factor it into investment decisions. Applying the ICP concept to equipment upgrades, supplier evaluation, and product design structurally embeds carbon risk into business decision-making. This article outlines implementation approaches and practical options.

SustainabilityInternal Carbon PriceCarbon Pricing

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SiC Demand at an Inflection Point — How EV Slowdown Has Opened Industrial Market Opportunities

Slower EV demand growth has prompted a downward revision of SiC market forecasts. Meanwhile, demand from industrial equipment, solar, and data centers is expanding faster than expected, and demand diversification is taking hold as a structural shift. We examine the implications for evaluating supplier demand portfolios.

Power SemiconductorsSiCEV

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TNFD: Nature-Related Risk Disclosure Framework and Its Application for Manufacturers

TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) published its final recommendations in 2023, establishing a framework for disclosing nature-related risks in biodiversity, water, land, and ocean. This article organizes how this framework — often described as the natural counterpart to TCFD — applies to manufacturer supply chain assessment.

SustainabilityTNFDBiodiversity

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Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Manufacturing Cost Trends — Reading the SiC and GaN Cost Curves

The shift to 8-inch SiC wafers and improvements in GaN-on-Si epitaxial growth are reshaping the cost structure of wide bandgap semiconductors. We examine the outlook for when the price gap versus silicon will narrow, and the key manufacturing technology factors driving cost reduction.

Power SemiconductorsSiCGaN

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BYD Semiconductor Expands SiC Mass Production

In 2024, BYD's semiconductor subsidiary, BYD Semiconductor, announced plans to expand its 1200V SiC MOSFET mass production line, thereby increasing the in-house utilization rate for EV inverters. This move signifies more than just vertical integration; it demonstrates the world's largest EV manufacturer's strategic intent to gain control over the upstream of power semiconductor components.

Power SemiconductorsBYDEV

news

Fuji Electric Unveils Next-Generation IGBT

As the mid-2020s saw increasing pronouncements of silicon IGBTs becoming obsolete, Fuji Electric unveiled its next-generation IGBTs. Positioned by the company as "8th generation," these devices reportedly achieve significant improvements over conventional models in both switching loss and on-voltage, poised to revolutionize EV inverters.

Power SemiconductorsIGBT富士電機

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Infineon CoolSiC Product Lineup Updates

Infineon, a leader in the SiC MOSFET market, is updating its CoolSiC family lineup, a move not just about adding products but expanding voltage ranges and improving gate structures, offering insights into what this signifies for the entire industry.

Power SemiconductorsInfineonSiC

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Infineon and SK Siltron Sign SiC Wafer Supply Agreement

In 2025, Infineon signed a multi-year SiC wafer supply agreement with SK Siltron, symbolizing a structural shift in the SiC supply chain where wafer procurement secured through single long-term contracts will determine the competitiveness of power semiconductors.

Power SemiconductorsInfineonSK Siltron

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Japanese Power Semiconductor Trio's Integration Progress

The "consolidation of three Japanese power semiconductor firms" concept, repeatedly reported since 2025, has garnered attention as a state-backed restructuring initiative supported by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; however, tracking the movements of the involved companies reveals that the outline of the consolidation remains vague, prompting a need to clarify what has been decided and what remains undecided in the current situation.

Power SemiconductorsJapanmarket restructuring

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Mitsubishi Electric and Coherent Joint Development of 8-inch SiC Substrates

Mitsubishi Electric and Coherent, a leading player in optical components and semiconductor materials, have agreed to jointly develop 8-inch (200mm) SiC wafers, marking a pivotal shift from the current 6-inch (150mm) standard that will fundamentally alter manufacturing cost structures by increasing chip yield per wafer.

Power Semiconductors8-inch SiCCoherent

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onsemi SiC Business Performance Outlook

As 2025 begins, a prevailing view is that onsemi's SiC business is not growing as much as market expectations, with its SiC business, primarily for EV inverters, facing headwinds from the slowing electrification pace in Europe and the US, leading to a series of downward revisions to full-year forecasts. However, the company remains unwavering in its SiC investment strategy, a stance of "standing firm" that...

Power SemiconductorsSiConsemi

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Renesas Acquires Transphorm GaN Business

Renesas Electronics has agreed to acquire Transphorm, a pioneer in GaN-on-SiC vertical GaN structures, in a deal set to fundamentally transform its power semiconductor portfolio in 2025.

Power SemiconductorsGaNM&A

news

Renesas and Wolfspeed Sign 10-Year SiC Wafer Supply Agreement

Renesas Electronics and Wolfspeed have signed a 10-year long-term supply agreement for SiC wafers, a duration that highlights the significance of this unprecedented pact in the semiconductor industry, moving beyond a buyer's market for SiC wafer procurement.

Power SemiconductorsRenesasSiC

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STMicroelectronics Ampere SiC Power Modules for EV 2026

STMicroelectronics and Ampere (a distinct EV powertrain design company, not the Arm-based server design firm formerly part of Oracle) are reportedly collaborating on SiC power modules for next-generation EV traction inverters, targeting commercialization in 2026; the announcement's core is simple, yet it implies a significant strategic shift.

Power SemiconductorsAmpereEV

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STMicroelectronics SiC New Fab: Mass Production Progress

STMicroelectronics aims to capture EV and industrial demand by incrementally expanding its SiC power semiconductor fab in Catania, Italy, a move that, considering the scale and timing of investment and the pressure to monetize its SiC business, signals more than just a capacity increase.

Power SemiconductorsEVSTMicroelectronics

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Toshiba Triple-Gate IGBT Achieves 40% Reduction in Power Loss

Toshiba announces new "Triple-Gate IGBT" structure, capable of up to 40% loss reduction compared to conventional devices; this 40% improvement signifies more than a generational spec upgrade, as in industrial equipment, railways, and large inverters, the primary battlegrounds for IGBTs, even a 1% loss reduction directly impacts system cooling costs and annual electricity expenses.

Power SemiconductorsIGBTToshiba