Korea's SKC recently announced its acquisition of a 12% stake in the US-based chip packaging startup, Chipletz, with the intention of establishing a distinctive semiconductor packaging solution ecosystem, as reported by the Korea JoongAng Daily on September 11. According to the agreement, SKC will leverage its glass substrate production capabilities, while Chipletz will contribute its design technology, architecture, related technologies, and customer base.

Chipletz, which spun off from AMD in 2021, specializes in advanced chip packaging technology, including 3D packaging, enabling the interconnection of various chips such as GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Besides SKC, both AMD and Taiwan's ASE also hold shares in Chipletz as well.

Due to subdued demand in the semiconductor industry, the shipment value of Taiwan's semiconductor packaging and testing sector is projected to reach NT$5.6 billion (US$177.8 million; US$1=NT$31.5) in 2023, down from NT$6.7 billion (US$212.7 million) in 2022, as reported by the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC). Taiwan's foundry and IC packaging & testing services are ranked first globally, boasting market shares of 63% and 54%, respectively. In addition, Taiwan's IC design is globally ranked second with a market share of 18%.