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Jan 21
OpenAI sets 2026 as year for practical AI adoption, eyes hardware debut and new revenue streams
OpenAI has designated 2026 as a year for "practical adoption" of AI, signaling a strategic push to accelerate AI deployment across high-value sectors such as healthcare, scientific research, and enterprise applications. The company is simultaneously exploring diversified revenue streams, including advertising, subscriptions, and licensing models.

Sony Group has decided to spin off its TV business and place it into a joint venture controlled by TCL, marking the company's formal retreat from a segment that once defined Japan's consumer-electronics prowess. The move underscores Sony's strategic pivot toward higher-margin businesses—gaming, music, and film—while reflecting a broader, decades-long withdrawal by Japanese firms from mass-market home appliances.

Sony Corporation and TCL Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture that will take over Sony's home entertainment business, including TV and audio product R&D, manufacturing, operations, and after-sales services. The new entity is expected to begin operations as early as April 2027, effectively placing the future of the Bravia brand under TCL's operational control.

The humanoid robot industry experienced notable commercial growth in 2025, with an annual increase of 16,000 new units installed worldwide, according to reports from multiple research agencies. The sector remains dominated by Chinese manufacturers, who captured the majority of global market share alongside a single leading American firm.
On January 21, 2026, GlobalWafers chairwoman Doris Hsu spoke to the media about the recent US-Taiwan tariff agreement, which lowers Taiwan's reciprocal tariffs to 15% without stacking most-favored-nation (MFN) rates. This makes Taiwan the first country to secure tariff relief under Section 232. Both sides also plan to expand supply chain investment cooperation. Hsu called this a very positive outcome for Taiwan's overall industry and said it has eased market concerns.
GlobalWafers chairman Doris Hsu told the media on January 21, 2026, that the company's global expansion plans are starting to pay off, with subsidiaries in Niigata and Utsunomiya, Japan, as well as Denmark, all hitting record revenues in 2025. Niche products like gallium nitride (GaN) stood out for their strong performance. Hsu also outlined GlobalWafers' 2026 strategy and shared her outlook on market conditions.
Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers are sharpening their competitive positions around AI-era infrastructure, shifting attention from cyclical end markets to longer-cycle platform builds for cloud, networking, and data centers. Recent company updates from Celestica, Sanmina, Jabil, and Flex show a common playbook: move up the value chain, standardize repeatable system designs, and invest in power, thermal, and integration capabilities that shorten deployment times for hyperscale customers.
A cluster of China's leading electronics manufacturers and component suppliers is entering the new year with a clearer division of labor across the AI device wave, automotive electrification, and globalized manufacturing. Recent company filings, investor communications, and post‑autumn analyst commentary point to a common theme: growth is being pursued less through single-product cycles and more through platform capabilities—vertical integration, module-level design, and cross‑sector customer expansion—while capital market actions and overseas footprints are being positioned as strategic amplifiers.
Taiwan's government is moving its quantum technology development program into a second phase, centered on building a national-level heterogeneous hybrid computing platform that integrates high-performance computing (HPC) with quantum computing (QC). Based in southern Taiwan, the system is intended to accelerate real-world applications through international cooperation, leveraging the country's strong semiconductor manufacturing expertise.

China-based electronics manufacturing giant Luxshare Precision has been hit by a major cybersecurity incident, with a ransomware group claiming it breached the company's internal systems and stole large volumes of sensitive engineering and operational data tied to products for leading technology clients, including Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, Meta Platforms, Qualcomm, and LG Electronics. If confirmed, the incident could pose risks to the global consumer electronics supply chain.

Taiwanese electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and original design manufacturing (ODM) companies continue to dominate the global industry, with combined revenues of the world's top 20 players projected to climb sharply in 2025, according to estimates compiled by DIGITIMES.
Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) chairwoman Doris Hsu emphasized power supply issues affecting Taiwan-US industry expansion, including Taiwan's green energy shortages and US AI data center conflicts. SAS is committing to 100% green energy for new plants and integrating green energy certificates with wafer sales.