CipherLab, a manufacturer of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) solutions, performed well in the first half of 2025, benefiting from large-scale orders from domestic and overseas customers. The company expects growth to continue in the second half of the year and into 2026.

Nissan Motor is engaging in discussions with Taiwan's Foxconn to potentially use its Oppama plant in Kanagawa Prefecture for electric vehicle (EV) production. This move forms part of Nissan's broader plan to restructure and optimize its manufacturing operations, according to Nikkei, Reuters, and Yomiuri.

Xiaomi's latest breakout products, the YU7 electric vehicle and AI-powered smart glasses, are making waves not just for their functionality, but for how they're being positioned and sold. In today's digital-first consumer economy, tech is no longer just about utilities; it's a lifestyle marker. Analysts are increasingly framing this shift as "hype-driven tech consumption," with some even likening it to the rise of "tech collectibles."

On July 4, the Taipei-based Information Management Association (IMA) announced the launch of the "Taiwan Tongues" project, a major initiative to build an open, high-quality AI corpus that captures Taiwan's rich linguistic diversity. The goal is to ensure Taiwan's voice can be understood by global AI models.

Meta Platforms has announced the formation of Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), aiming to challenge rivals in the artificial intelligence sector through a substantial recruitment campaign and strategic realignment. CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the initiative in an internal memo dated June 30, 2025, naming Alexandr Wang, former Scale AI founder, as Chief AI Officer, with former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman co-leading the lab. The creation of MSL marks Meta's intensified push into AI research and development, backed by efforts to consolidate its existing AI infrastructure.

Energy AIoT startup Thingnario is positioning Taiwan to capitalize on surging electricity demand from generative AI while meeting net-zero targets, bringing together industry and government officials to discuss AI-driven energy transformation.

US President Donald Trump's country-by-country tariffs will take effect August 1, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said, signaling some breathing room for US trading partners ahead of a July 9 deadline previously set by the president.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from June 30 to July 6, 2025. This week's highlights include Samsung's strategic licensing of Intel patents to avoid global IP battles, Intel's executive shakeup, and Apple edges closer to launching a foldable iPhone. Meanwhile, China's domestic AI chipmakers face steep uphill battles, while Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem formed a new alliance backing TSMC's international expansion.

Foxconn's June 2025 revenue rose 10.09% year-over-year to NT$540.24 billion (approx. US$18.62 billion), driven by strong AI cloud demand, but fell 12.26% from May due to currency headwinds. The company remains cautiously optimistic for the second half, expecting seasonal ICT growth while monitoring geopolitical risks and fluctuating exchange rates.

As global competition in artificial intelligence (AI) intensifies, the US-China rivalry has expanded beyond chips and models to include the competition for talent and education integration.

Malaysia has revised its electricity tariff structure, resulting in a sharper-than-expected rise in power costs that is prompting data center operators to reassess their expenses as Malaysia has emerged as a data center hub thanks to favorable geographic and policy factors.