Amidst the rapid surge in demand for AI servers driven by the AI boom, edge computing has emerged as the new focal point in the market landscape.

According to Industrial PC (IPC) maker Aaeon, edge computing will be the main battleground in the IPC industry as AI adoption grows. However, product design must go hand in hand with software development to ensure a steady foothold in this new ecosystem.

Due to a lack of killer apps, 5G smartphone sales have been sluggish at the consumer end of the market, leading to a drop in momentum at wireless testing and certification lab Sporton International, says special assistant to the president David Chou. However, Sporton is optimistic about AI-enabled devices driving sales in the latter half of 2024.

Tencent Cloud, the cloud business of global technology company Tencent, has recently announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. (BRI) and Hi Cloud Indonesia, a cloud service provider (CSP). The collaboration aims to drive innovation in BRI's banking services by leveraging technology, with a specific goal to enhance customer service and transaction experiences.

Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) announced the launch of the "IC Taiwan Grand Challenge" on May 14 to attract global IC-related teams to Taiwan to propose research, development, and commercialization plans and leverage the semiconductor ecosystem and capabilities.

Rapid advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs) go hand in hand with ongoing upgrades in computing hardware.

AI continues to redefine how businesses operate and how consumers engage with the world around them.

The explosive growth in Generative AI (GenAI) business opportunities spurred by ChatGPT drives the demand for hardware and software related to the GenAI supply chain. TSMC, the sole supplier of AI chips for Nvidia and other vendors, is also bolstering its supply chain partners with recent capacity expansions.

TSMC reported consolidated net revenue of over NT$236 billion (US$7.3 billion) in April 2024 while Apple's iPhone deliveries slowed and the company still experiences the aftereffects of a strong earthquake in Taiwan on April 3.

The European Parliament made a significant announcement on March 13, 2024, declaring the passage of the "AI Act," set to be implemented in phases beginning in mid-2025.

Synergy Research Group's latest insights unveil a significant surge in hyperscale data centers, surpassing the 1,000-mark milestone.

In the first quarter of 2024, AMD's data center and client revenue experienced year-on-year growth rates of over 80%. The company is optimistic that AI will fuel these two businesses to continue to grow. In contrast, AMD's gaming business saw a significant decline of nearly 50%, with prospects appearing even bleaker. It's speculated that this could affect the launch of new products.

UnaBiz, a Massive Internet of Things (IoT) service provider and integrator, announces performance evolution on Sigfox 0G technology, reducing device energy consumption by up to 18 times. The transformative enhancement aims to deliver a significant efficiency boost for Sigfox-based solutions, empowering developers, 0G Operators, and major customers alike.

Qualcomm's first-quarter fiscal report has signaled an ongoing recovery in smartphone demand, with robust demand in the high-end Chinese smartphone market.

Smart manufacturing and edge computing trends have led to renewed demand in the Industrial PC (IPC) market.

PSMC, a Taiwan-based semiconductor foundry service provider, inaugurates its first 12-inch wafer fab in Miaoli, Taiwan on May 2. At the ceremony venue, PSMC chairman Frank Huang said the new fab has received interposer orders from a big American customer and will be a supplier to applications such as TSMC's Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate (CoWoS).

Thanks to the server supply chain shift out of China due to the US-China trade conflicts, Taiwan's computer production value has grown significantly over the past 5 years. Although China remains the biggest production site of Notebook PCs (NB), manufacturers of high-end servers have returned to Taiwan.

Despite global expectations, Germany and the European Union have trailed in the race for digital healthcare, a surprising development compared to Taiwan's advancements.

Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia view software as a crucial element of their future development. The pair targets China's fast-growing connected vehicle market and will collaborate with local tech giant Baidu.

Apple has launched the language model OpenELM, with an emphasis on open-source and efficiency. The model is expected to be available on the iPhone.

In a showcase of Taiwan's burgeoning AI ecosystem, the 2024 AI Expo held at the Expo Dome in Taipei Expo Park featured a lineup of 56 local AI startups, each offering diverse and innovative AI solutions tailored to meet the evolving needs of businesses worldwide.

GenAI is expanding its footprint from cloud to edge, with leading chip and platform manufacturers joining forces to tap into the burgeoning market.

With a retail price of US$3,500, it may be difficult for the Apple Vision Pro to dominate the consumer market.

The annual Computex Taipei event will be held at the Nangang Exhibition Hall from June 4-7 2024.

At the AI Expo Taiwan 2024, running from April 24–26 at the Taipei Expo Park, major chip companies offer their take on potential developments in cloud and edge AI technologies, with the development and challenges in edge computing taking a particular focus.