ELECTRONIC NEWS HIGHLIGHT W15.2025

1. Micron Appoints Former TSMC Chairman Mark Liu to Board

Micron Technology has announced that former TSMC Chairman Mark Liu has officially joined the company’s board of directors. Liu has more than 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, having held key leadership roles at TSMC, including Senior Vice President, Co-CEO, President and Co-CEO, before serving as Chairman from 2018 to 2024. Under his leadership, TSMC has solidified its position as the world’s largest foundry.

Liu began his career at Intel, contributing to the development of 32-bit microprocessor technology, and later conducted high-speed electronics research at AT&T Bell Labs. Following his planned retirement from TSMC in June 2024, he is now the founder and chairman of J&M Copper Beech Ventures.

Micron Chairman, President, and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said Liu’s deep expertise in semiconductor manufacturing, manufacturing operations, and technology innovation will help guide Micron’s growth strategy, especially as AI-driven demand surges from data centers to edge computing.

Learn more: Micron Appoints Former TSMC Chairman Mark Liu to Board

2. Malaysia to invest $250 million in Arm chip design to develop local GPUs

Malaysia will spend $250 million over the next decade to buy advanced chip designs from Arm, Economic Affairs Minister Rafizi Ramli said, to support local manufacturers in developing homegrown graphics processing units (GPUs).

The deal covers seven advanced chip designs, with the government looking to boost the domestic semiconductor ecosystem. The initiative aims to create 10 local chip companies, each generating $1.5 billion to $2 billion in annual revenue.

Driven by surging demand for AI and data centers, global tech giants have ramped up investments in Malaysia. Since 2023, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Alphabet (Google) and ByteDance have committed billions of dollars to cloud computing and AI infrastructure in the country.

In addition, Malaysia plans to establish Southeast Asia’s largest integrated circuit (IC) design center, offering tax incentives, subsidies, and visa exemptions to attract global technology companies and investors. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the center will host industry leaders and collaborate with global companies such as Arm. Reports say Arm will sign an agreement to set up a facility in Malaysia.

Learn more: Malaysia to invest $250 million in Arm chip design to develop local GPUs

3. onsemi considers acquiring Allegro Microsystems to expand automotive chip business

onsemi is reportedly exploring acquiring sensor IC supplier Allegro Microsystems and has been working with advisers on the potential deal, people familiar with the matter said. Allegro has not yet decided whether to accept the offer and could attract other bidders.

Allegro specializes in motion control and sensor and power solutions for energy-efficient systems, serving applications in automotive engines, safety systems, data centers and industrial sectors. The company’s largest shareholder, Japan’s Sanken Electric, owns approximately 32% of the company. Allegro recently appointed longtime executive Mike Doogue as its new President and CEO.

The move fits into onsemi’s strategy to strengthen its automotive semiconductor portfolio. The company, which develops sensor and power technologies for automotive, industrial and cloud applications, recently lowered its Q1 revenue forecast due to weak demand for automotive chips. In addition, onsemi announced a restructuring plan that will cut about 2,400 jobs globally by 2025 to reduce operating costs.