Core Viewpoint - Japan's Rapidus plans to build a next-generation 1.4 nm wafer fab by FY2027, aiming for production in 2029, to compete with industry giants like TSMC and Intel [2][4]. Group 1: Company Overview - Rapidus was established in 2022 and is supported by eight major Japanese corporations, including DENSO, Kioxia, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, NEC, NTT, SoftBank, Sony, and Toyota [4]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Rapidus aims to close the gap with TSMC, which announced its 1.4 nm technology earlier this year and will fully launch R&D next year [4]. - Intel has already begun production of its 18A node process (2 nm level), indicating a highly competitive environment for Rapidus [4]. - TSMC is experiencing a surge in orders due to the "AI boom," with its Arizona facility ramping up production of the latest process chips [4]. Group 3: Production Challenges - Rapidus is expected to start mass production of 2 nm process wafers in the second half of 2027, but faces potential yield issues common in mature foundries before mass production [4].

Group 1 - The first ultra-high-resolution distributed quantum sensing network has been successfully constructed by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, marking a significant step towards practical quantum sensing technology and paving the way for the development of next-generation precision measurement technologies [2] Group 2 - TSMC is set to begin construction of its 1.4nm advanced process production line, with an initial investment of $49 billion, expected to create 8,000 to 10,000 jobs, and the first plant is projected to start mass production in the second half of 2028 [2] Group 3 - Samsung SDI has partnered with BMW to develop next-generation all-solid-state batteries (ASSB), focusing on performance evaluation and integration into BMW's next-generation evaluation vehicles [2] Group 4 - OpenAI has announced the launch of the "Stargate" data center project in Michigan, which will exceed a total planned capacity of 8GW and is expected to drive over $450 billion in investment over the next three years, creating more than 2,500 union construction jobs [2]