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Glonghui, June 15 | Global compound semiconductor wafer products and advanced material solutions provider IQE plc and high-value analog semiconductor foundry Tower Semiconductor jointly announced today that the two parties have signed a multi-year Indium Phosphide (InP) epiwafer supply agreement. This collaboration aims to strengthen the two companies’ technical footprints in the fields of optoelectronics and high-frequency communications, integrating IQE’s materials expertise with Tower’s wafer foundry manufacturing capabilities to jointly meet the growing market demand for advanced semiconductor solutions.The core of the cooperation between IQE and Tower focuses on the wide application of Indium Phosphide (InP) materials. As a key compound semiconductor material, InP possesses excellent electron mobility and optical properties; it is an indispensable foundation for manufacturing high-speed optical fiber communication components, laser diodes, and photodetectors. Through the signing of this multi-year supply agreement, IQE will become Tower’s important strategic supplier in the field of InP epiwafers, ensuring that Tower has a stable and high-quality source of materials for producing high-performance optoelectronic components, and further enhancing its competitiveness in the market.With the rapid evolution of global data centers, 5G communications infrastructure, and artificial intelligence technology, the demand for high bandwidth and low-latency transmission is experiencing explosive growth. The collaboration between the two companies is more than a simple supply chain integration—it also symbolizes their deep technical cooperation in research and development. IQE will leverage its leading position in epiwafer technology to provide Tower with customized Indium Phosphide solutions, helping Tower’s customers achieve more efficient chip designs for optical communications and sensing applications, and further consolidating both companies’ critical positions within the semiconductor supply chain.

Capital Economics said on Monday that the temporary peace agreement between the US and Iran is expected to ease the immediate pressure on central banks to raise interest rates. Chief Economist Neil Shearing pointed out that it was already expected that the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England would keep rates unchanged this week, and now this is almost certain.Last week, the European Central Bank tightened policy, while in emerging markets, the previously anticipated rate hike in Indonesia may no longer happen, and the Czech National Bank is also expected to stand pat.Capital Economics also warned that the macro outlook remains challenging. In most major economies, the inflation rate will remain above target throughout 2026 and the first half of 2027, while economic growth is relatively weak.Shearing added that, given persistent inflationary pressures, some central banks may still take moderate precautionary rate hikes.

The Philippine fintech app GCash now supports 94 million users making payments with Bitcoin via the Lightning Network. (The Bitcoin Historian)