United Microelectronics Backs US Semiconductor Push With Polar Foundry Collaboration
United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE:UMC) on Thursday penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Polar Semiconductor to explore collaboration on scalable 8-inch wafer production in the U.S.
The deal explores collaboration on U.S.-based scalable 8-inch wafer production, supplying high-quality chips critical to key industries such as automotive, data centers, consumer electronics, and aerospace & defense.
Details
As per the MOU, Polar Semiconductor will produce selected devices at its expanded 8-inch Minnesota facility, leveraging UMC’s 8-inch technology portfolio and global customer reach.
The partnership aims to drive growth, support customers’ multi-sourcing strategies, and bolster U.S. 8-inch wafer manufacturing, enhancing supply chain resilience and securing domestic production of power semiconductors vital to automotive, electric grids, robotics, and data centers.
Ken Obuszewski, Vice President of Marketing of Polar, said, “This partnership is aligned with Polar’s strategy to meet the growing demand for domestic manufacturing, including the need to onshore semiconductor solutions from U.S. and global customers.”
“With deep foundry customer relationships and a robust portfolio of specialized technologies, partnership with UMC is proof of Polar’s capability to be a value-added silicon foundry in specialized technologies focused on power and sensors.”
November Sales
In a separate release, United Microelectronics reported November 2025 net sales of $21.2 million, marking a 5.91% increase year-over-year. For the January–November 2025 period, net sales rose 2.31% Y/Y.
Recent Earnings
In October, the company reported third-quarter revenue of $1.94 billion (59.13 billion New Taiwanese dollars), which topped the analyst consensus estimate of $1.92 billion.
Earnings per American Depositary Share (ADS) came in at 19.7 cents, also topping the analyst consensus of 12 cents.
For the fourth quarter, wafer shipments are projected to remain flat compared with third-quarter 2025 levels, while average selling prices in U.S. dollars are expected to stay firm.
Price Action: UMC shares are down 0.76% at $7.790 premarket at the last check on Thursday.
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