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Aug 20 SEMICONDUCTORS

SoftBank's US$2 billion investment seen as symbolic; tapping TSMC veterans key to turnaround

Aug 20 SEMICONDUCTORS

Commentary: CXMT targets HBM3 by 2026 as Trump redefines chip trade calculus

Aug 20 ICT

Xiaomi shifts gears as EV and AI drive growth despite smartphone slowdown

Trump and Intel

As the US's largest semiconductor company, Intel has always been a focus for the US government in its attempts to reshore manufacturing.

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SEMICONDUCTORS

Aug 20

Commentary: Who will lead GaN market after TSMC's 2027 exit?

Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors are on the brink of a major transformation. Once hailed as the rising star among third-generation semiconductors, this technology has fallen from grace due to intense price competition in the Chinese market. Now, with global GaN foundry leader TSMC announcing its withdrawal by mid-2027, the entire industry is entering an early era of fragmentation reminiscent of the Warring States period.

Aug 20

Why TSMC's CoWoS bottleneck could lock AI memory makers into Nvidia's orbit

The AI chip market is expected to stay under Nvidia's dominance in 2026, as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron battle to win sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) orders. Efforts by hyperscalers to lessen dependence on Nvidia have so far fallen short, leaving the US chipmaker at the center of industry competition.

Aug 20

TSMC holds the high ground on 2nm, but Samsung moves fast to close the gap

The battle for dominance in 2-nanometer (nm) chip manufacturing has officially begun. While Samsung Electronics is gaining ground by offering lower prices and faster response times, its Taiwanese rival, TSMC, is doubling down on a high-price, no-discount strategy—setting the stage for a pivotal clash in next-generation semiconductor production.

ICT

Aug 20

Taiwan pitches AI robotics as next trillion-dollar industry at Intelligent Asia 2025

The 2025 Intelligent Asia smart manufacturing exhibition opened in Taipei on August 20, 2025, with robotics taking center stage. Taiwanese firms unveiled proprietary modules and solutions, while humanoid robot makers showcased full-scale models. Szu Kou-i, president of the Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robotics Association (TAIROA), said Taiwan's AI robotics industry could soon exceed NT$1 trillion in output.

Aug 20

Meta restructures AI lab into four units, eyes potential job cuts

Meta has reportedly reorganized its recently formed 'superintelligence' lab into four units focused on research, products, infrastructure, and advanced model development, while considering possible staff reductions, according to Bloomberg and The New York Times.

Aug 21, 06:49

Wiselink posts record-high 2Q25 revenue with growth from anti-fraud, fintech businesses

Wiselink has seen its revenue for the second quarter of 2025 surge by 60% year-over-year to NT$634 million (approx. US$21 million), marking a new record high for the company as it continues its push into expanding into the overseas enterprise software market, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia.

TRENDING

COMMUNICATIONS

Aug 20

Top smartphone brands gear up for 2H25: three key market trends to watch

The global smartphone market has shown signs of slowed sales growth, though major brands persist in launching new devices to stimulate demand. Key products like Google's Pixel 10, Apple's iPhone 17 series, and Samsung's foldable phones are expected to shape consumer interest in the latter half of 2025.

Aug 20

Xiaomi strengthens smartphone presence amid modest global growth

Despite declining smartphone sales, Xiaomi maintained its top-three global smartphone ranking amid a mature market while its AIoT business maintained gross margins above 20%. Strategic premiumization, regional growth, and robust R&D investment underpin the company's resilience and long-term competitiveness across smartphones and connected devices.

Aug 19

Beijing's digital report card: Big 5G gains, rising AI, and the next bet on low-altitude economy

China unveiled the results of its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) for digital economy development, showcasing progress in digital infrastructure, cross-industry data applications, and efforts to establish a national framework for data sharing and circulation.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Aug 20

Taiwan's auto parts sector struggles to survive market freeze as tariff uncertainty lingers

Taiwan's automotive parts industry is facing its toughest challenge in years, as domestic car demand has stalled since April 2025. The sales freeze has rippled through the supply chain, leaving suppliers struggling with fewer working days, relentless price competition, and lingering uncertainty over auto tariffs.

Aug 20

Taiwan's manufacturing 'Big Six' are quietly building factories of the future

As industrial automation and robotics evolve at breakneck speed, major global automakers and Tier 1 suppliers are swiftly transforming their production lines into testing grounds for cutting-edge AI and humanoid robots.

Aug 20

Xiaomi eyes 2027 European expansion following robust EV profitability

Xiaomi's electric vehicle business delivered strong performance in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting the company's strategic focus on premiumization and operational efficiency.

SUSTAINABILITY

Aug 20

Giga Solar's subsidiary breaks ground on 60MW solar plant in the Philippines

Giga Solar Materials, a leading solar conductive paste manufacturer in Taiwan, announced on August 19 that its renewable energy arm, Whole Sun Green Power, has begun construction of the 60-megawatt (MW) Taysan solar power plant in Batangas Province, Philippines. The project is being developed in partnership with Wyn Power Corporation and Edward Marcs Philippines Inc.

Aug 19

Samsung SDI beats LGES, SK On to secure major ESS contract

Samsung SDI recently emerged victorious in a large-scale energy storage system (ESS) tender in South Korea, marking a significant milestone in its business transformation as the electric vehicle (EV) market faces a downturn.

Aug 17

TCC battery plant fire results in NT$11B loss, exposing challenges in Taiwan's lithium battery industry

A fire at Molicel's lithium ternary battery factory, a subsidiary of TCC, revealed serious failures in its firefighting system, which did not activate any of its key safety protocols. The incident has prompted TCC to prepare legal action against the equipment supplier.

AEROSPACE

Aug 20

From funeral services to AI server cleaning, Tienpin United now ventures into commercial drones

Tienpin United, a group that started in the life services industry, expanded its business after entering the AI liquid cooling server cleaning market. The company is now moving into the high-end commercial drone market by partnering with Taiwan's drone application development teams to establish a subsidiary. The initial capital will be NT$100 million (approx. US$3.3 million), with plans to complete the setup by the end of 2025.

Aug 16

US and allies rush to build counter-drone defenses as small UAV threats grow in modern warfare

The Russia–Ukraine conflict has transformed modern warfare, prompting nations to accelerate the development and mass production of diverse attack drones. Future battles may begin with waves of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) whose low-cost, mid-to-long-range strikes are intended to exhaust expensive surface-to-air missiles, whether launched from land, sea, or aircraft, before clearing the way for more destructive warplanes and missiles.

Aug 15

Shinkong to build northern Taiwan’s largest drone hub, tapping Taoyuan–Hsinchu ICT cluster

Taiwan's Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corporation (SSFC) is deepening its push into the low-altitude economy, unveiling plans to transform its Shinkong InnovHUB complex into northern Taiwan's largest center for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) development, manufacturing, test flights, and licensing. The project, part of the Shinkong Young Lion smart manufacturing park, aims to serve as an integrated platform spanning design through deployment.

DISPLAYS

Aug 20

AUO's acquisition of Adlink Technology sparks insider trading allegations

Panel manufacturer Au Optronics (AUO) completed its acquisition of industrial PC provider Adlink Technology in the second quarter of 2025. Shortly after, a stock trading scandal involving individuals close to Adlink's chairman came to light, prompting a law enforcement investigation.

Aug 19

Smartphone display market sees diverging price trends across panel types

The third quarter, traditionally a peak season for the smartphone supply chain, has brought a mixed picture for display panel pricing. While overall production remains at high utilization levels, market dynamics and pricing trends vary significantly across panel technologies.

Aug 18

Qisda-backed Diva Labs rolls out new display tech for hospitals and industrial control

Diva Laboratories, a medical display unit of Taiwan's Qisda Corp., is expanding with three growth drivers: the world's first 55- and 65-inch optical bonding (OB) LCDs for operating rooms, a QDII off-the-shelf display line set for mass production in October, and OLED panels tailored for ultrasound imaging. Shipments of the large OB displays started in July, while OLED models are scheduled to roll out in late 2025 and scale in 2026.

BIZ FOCUS

Aug 5, 11:49

Cultivating OCP, embracing open source

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MULTIMEDIA

Nvidia’s partners weigh in on Taiwan’s nuclear power future