Economy — 2,060 insights
South Korea’s chip hub plans face tough questions over timing, demand
Economy

South Korea’s chip hub plans face tough questions over timing, demand

SK Hynix, Samsung aim to tap AI boom, but cyclical nature of memory market has some worried Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Samsung and SK Hynix are involved in a plan to build a new chip production hub in the country's southwest. © Samsung Electronics/Reuters SEOUL -- South Korea's "unprecedented" vision for a new chip production hub involving Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is facing questions over how it will mesh with the cyclical nature of the memory chip sector, even as the AI-fueled supply crunch shows little sign of easing.

July 8, 2026
Singapore’s Temasek to raise AI exposure 2.5-fold over 5 years
Economy

Singapore’s Temasek to raise AI exposure 2.5-fold over 5 years

State investor bets on data centers, chips amid concerns over tech bubble Singaporean state investor Temasek Holdings sees "compelling opportunities" in artificial intelligence. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters) SINGAPORE -- State investor Temasek Holdings is set to raise its exposure to artificial intelligence bets by about 2.5-fold over the next five years, with data centers and semiconductors among its key focus areas.

July 8, 2026
Singapore hospital group makes market debut as population ages
Economy

Singapore hospital group makes market debut as population ages

Foundation Healthcare hits $780m market cap just 3 years after establishment Singaporean hospital group Foundation Healthcare's stock listing ceremony at the Singapore Exchange on July 8. (Photo by Fumika Sato) SINGAPORE -- Shares of private medical service provider Foundation Healthcare Holdings (FHH) debuted on the Singapore Exchange on Wednesday, marking a major hospital operator listing in Southeast Asia as the population ages.

July 8, 2026
IMF sharply downgrades Cambodia economic forecasts
Economy

IMF sharply downgrades Cambodia economic forecasts

Growth to slow to 3% and inflation to double to 5.6%, according to US-based fund Workers at a China-funded textile and garment factory in Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia. The sector remains one of the mainstays of the Southeast Asian nation's economy. © Getty Images PHNOM PENH -- The International Monetary Fund has sharply downgraded its economic outlook for Cambodia, warning that rising energy prices will compound previous challenges like the Thai border conflict and cyber scam industry, depressing growth and accelerating inflation.

July 8, 2026
Toyota-backed Chinese unicorn Momenta falls flat in Hong Kong bourse debut
Economy

Toyota-backed Chinese unicorn Momenta falls flat in Hong Kong bourse debut

Self-driving startup tied to top carmakers met with caution after raising $750m in IPO A Momenta robotaxi is displayed at the booth of the Chinese autonomous driving startup at the Auto Shanghai show in April 2025. © Reuters HONG KONG -- Shares of Chinese self-driving startup Momenta opened higher but ended flat in their Hong Kong debut on Wednesday, as investors weighed hopes that its technology will define the future of autonomous vehicles against worries about profitability.

July 8, 2026
Japan’s Itochu and Daikin to recover aluminum from air conditioners
Economy

Japan’s Itochu and Daikin to recover aluminum from air conditioners

Country aims to ramp up recycling of critical materials to cut Middle East dependence Itochu and Daikin Industries plan to work together to recycle aluminum from the latter's commercial air conditioners as Japan aims to reduce reliance on the Middle East for the metal. (Nikkei montage) TOKYO -- Japanese trading house Itochu and air-conditioner manufacturer Daikin Industries will jointly launch a business to recover aluminum from used commercial air conditioners, as Japan seeks to reduce its reliance on imports of critical resources, especially as conflict in the Middle East disrupts global supply chains.

July 8, 2026
Southeast Asia at risk of steel capacity glut, Worldsteel chief warns
Economy

Southeast Asia at risk of steel capacity glut, Worldsteel chief warns

Iran war, Western tariffs push China exports to region adding local production Baosteel's Shanghai steelworks. Chinese steelmakers are continuing to expand exports of cheap steel. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi) NEW YORK -- Signs of a steel supply glut are starting to emerge in Southeast Asia, World Steel Association Director General Edwin Basson told Nikkei, with increased Chinese exports coming on top of growing domestic capacity.

July 8, 2026
Spent fuel emerges as weak point in Japan’s nuclear renaissance
Economy

Spent fuel emerges as weak point in Japan’s nuclear renaissance

Country's sole planned reprocessing plant is nearly 30 years behind schedule France's La Hague reprocessing plant suspends spent fuel in a deep pool for five to seven years to reduce radiation. (Photo by Yuya Kakegawa) OSAKA/TOKYO -- As Japan begins to restart and build new nuclear power plants, its ability to recycle spent nuclear fuel has emerged as a major challenge, with one power company planning to send fuel to France while a planned domestic processing plant stares down its 28th scheduling revision.

July 8, 2026
Toyota investors cast doubtful eye on 20% ROE target
Economy

Toyota investors cast doubtful eye on 20% ROE target

Automaker faces pressure to focus on asset-light revenue sources like software Toyota Motor's new RAV4 sport utility vehicle features Arene, the automaker's first proprietary software platform. (Photo by Azusa Kawakami) TOKYO -- Investors are growing skeptical of Toyota Motor's prospects for achieving its target of 20% return on equity, pushing for more concrete action including bigger dividends from the company's cash hoard and more efficient use of assets.

July 8, 2026
‘Kioxia of today wouldn’t exist’ under Toshiba, Bain dealmaker says
Economy

‘Kioxia of today wouldn’t exist’ under Toshiba, Bain dealmaker says

Yuji Sugimoto, who led acquisition, says memory maker needed independence to grow Yuji Sugimoto, Bain Capital's representative in Japan, led the purchase of the company that would become Kioxia from Toshiba in 2018. (Source photos by Nikkei) TOKYO -- Memory maker Kioxia Holdings became the largest Japanese company in terms of market capitalization in June, a far cry from its former position as a unit of industrial conglomerate Toshiba.

July 8, 2026
Bridgestone’s airless tires hit streets of Japan after nearly 2 decades
Economy

Bridgestone’s airless tires hit streets of Japan after nearly 2 decades

Self-driving mobility service adopts AirFree for low-speed shuttle service The AirFree tires are debuting commercially in self-driving mobility vehicles serving older adults in Higashiomi, Japan. (Photo by Seiya Ota) TOKYO -- Bridgestone announced Tuesday the commercial rollout of its puncture-resistant airless tires, a product that had been in the works for 18 years from the prototype stage.

July 8, 2026
Japan maglev plan paves way to ultra-fast link for $2tn ‘megaregion’
Economy

Japan maglev plan paves way to ultra-fast link for $2tn ‘megaregion’

Tokyo-Nagoya-Osaka line likely to reshape region home to 66 million The Linear Chuo Shinkansen will cut travel times between Japan's biggest cities to less than half the current fastest options. (Central Japan Railway) TOKYO/NAGOYA/SHIZUOKA, Japan -- With Japan's efforts to build an ultra-fast maglev train line connecting Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka a step closer to reality after a local governor's approval, public-private hopes are high for the creation of a new massive economic corridor.

July 8, 2026