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May 6
GlobalWafers reports weaker quarter as expansion weighs on margins

GlobalWafers said on May 4 that its first-quarter performance reflected a transitional period, as short-term cost pressures and capacity expansion weighed on margins even as demand tied to artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing began to strengthen.

Labor tensions across South Korea's technology sector are intensifying, and the conflict is no longer confined to traditional disputes between workers and management. Increasingly, the country's AI-driven economic transformation is exposing fractures within workforces themselves, as employees in faster-growing business divisions demand a larger share of corporate profits. In contrast, weaker divisions struggle to keep pace.
China's AI market has expanded rapidly through free and low-cost offerings, but rising computing costs and deeper enterprise adoption are beginning to reshape the sector's business models. ByteDance-backed Doubao is now testing paid subscription plans priced between CNY68–500 (US$9–69) per month, signaling a formal shift toward tiered monetization.
Yotta Data Services is considering an initial public offering in Mumbai that could raise as much as US$900 million, according to sources familiar with the matter, as reported by Bloomberg. The company has engaged ICICI Securities Ltd and SBI Capital Markets Ltd as advisers, with additional banks expected to join ahead of a draft prospectus filing in the next two to three months.
Taiwan's expanding semiconductor and AI-related industries have driven up electricity demand, prompting officials and researchers to call for the faster deployment of energy storage and virtual power plants to fill gaps left by the slow pace of natural gas plant construction.
Chelic reported stronger first-quarter results as rising global shipments of AI servers drove demand across PCB, liquid-cooling, and semiconductor equipment supply chains, boosting orders for pneumatic components, flow sensors, and cleanroom automation parts. The company said optimized product design and adjusted production allocation increased shipments of higher-value-added products, supporting margins and operating performance in the quarter.
The Longtan Science Park expansion known as Longke Phase 3 is being resubmitted for review to the National Science and Technology Council in May as Taiwan Power Company prepares for potential new industrial demand, executives said. The redevelopment, paused since 2022 after local opposition, has drawn renewed attention after reports that TSMC might consider the site, and Taipower identified the NSTC as its largest anticipated customer for future power needs.
MetaAge, a unit of Qisda, reported consolidated first-quarter 2026 revenue of about NT$6.02 billion, up NT$1.29 billion (US$192 million) from NT$4.73 billion a year earlier, a 27% year-on-year increase, and net profit attributable to owners of the parent of about NT$33 million with basic earnings per share of NT$0.17. The board approved the results, which the company said reflected strong global demand for AI infrastructure and enterprise high-performance computing.

The global race in large AI models continues to intensify, with Chinese state-backed capital accelerating its push into the sector. According to foreign media reports, China's "Big Fund" — formally known as the China Integrated Circuit (IC) Industry Investment Fund — is in talks to lead an investment in AI startup DeepSeek, with the company's valuation approaching US$45 billion.

Inventec reported April 2026 revenue of NT$84.786 billion (US$2.68 billion), down 3.17% month on month but up 36.53% year on year, signaling continued momentum in its notebook and server businesses heading into the second quarter of 2026, with broader implications for supply chains and enterprise AI deployments globally.
HTC on May 6 released operating results showing consolidated revenue for April 2026 dropped to NT$151 million (US$4.81 million), down 54.64% from March, while cumulative revenue for the first four months of 2026 totaled NT$804 million, a 7.06% decline year-on-year. The company also disclosed results for the first quarter of 2026, reporting revenue of NT$650 million, an operating gross margin of 41.7%, an operating net loss of NT$560 million and a net loss attributable to owners of the parent of NT$240 million.
Taiwanese companies showcased end-to-end AI infrastructure and applications at AI EXPO Korea 2026, aiming to address South Korea's urgent demand for high-performance computing, data sovereignty and industrial AI deployment. The Taiwan pavilion gathered 16 firms under the theme "From Chip to Application" to present hardware, edge devices, software and security solutions to South Korean buyers during the event in Seoul.