Humanoid robot scaling is still constrained by price, and Chinese humanoid robots — which command the largest global market share — show a sharp gap between consumer and industrial models. Industrial versions demand high load, high precision, and strong stability, making several precision transmission parts a key battleground for Chinese players and Taiwan suppliers.
India has unveiled the next phase of its semiconductor policy, a move that could reshape global chip supply chains, investment flows, and talent markets. The expanded program aims to deepen local design and manufacturing capacity, while giving multinational companies and developers a larger role in one of technology's most strategic sectors.
China's push to build computing infrastructure in orbit is moving beyond experimental projects, with several initiatives this year pointing towards a more coordinated effort to develop space-based AI and data-processing capabilities.
Semicon Taiwan 2026 is set to open soon as Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International said AI is pushing a new wave of technology upgrades across the global chip industry. At an August 31 pre-event briefing, the group said the changes are accelerating work in AI computing, advanced process technology, heterogeneous integration, and quantum computing.
China is testing a new route for combining quantum computing with generative AI, moving beyond model training toward the decision layer used by AI agents. Beijing Guoguang Liangchao Technology has introduced Xenomi, a family of large language models that uses quantum annealing for selected routing, tool-selection, and task-decision workloads while leaving language understanding to conventional AI models.
Buima swung back to profitability in the second quarter of 2026 as a recovery in its battery module shipments and gains from asset disposal lifted results. The company said demand tied to low Earth orbit satellites, wearable devices, and other applications helped improve profitability, while margin measures and earnings per share reached quarterly records.
Ninety-six percent of professionals in Taiwan use AI in the workplace, topping the Asia-wide average of 93%, according to a new survey released by Robert Walters. The report, which covered nearly 5,000 professionals and employers across 10 Asian markets, showed that Taiwanese companies are already using AI far beyond basic tasks and are preparing for broader changes in job design and skills.
Nidec Chaun-Choung Technology plans to establish a dedicated liquid-cooling team and deepen cooperation with major cloud service providers, citing rising thermal-management demand from AI servers. The company also plans to expand cooling capacity beyond its existing operations in Kunshan, China, to Hanoi, Vietnam, with mass production and shipments expected to begin in 2028.
If vision serves as a robot's eyes, tactile sensors function as its skin and peripheral nerves. In China, leading dexterous-hand makers have increasingly begun treating tactile sensing as a standard feature. The shift was particularly visible at the 2026 World Robot Conference, where queues formed throughout the day at tactile-glove demonstration areas as visitors took turns grasping objects and watching real-time changes in touch data. According to Chinese market research estimates, tactile-sensor penetration in dexterous robotic hands has risen from about 20% in early 2025 to more than 60% in 2026.
Taiwan’s manufacturing business-climate indicator moved into the index’s red “prosperity” category in July, with the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) saying on August 31 that a sharper rise in optimism among local manufacturers lifted its operating environment index. At the same time, year-over-year export growth to the US fell to 28.0% from 267.6% in January, the lowest level since February 2025.
Five listed Chinese outsourced semiconductor assembly and test providers reported first-half 2026 results in the last two weeks of August, showing net profit growth of up to 317%, yet the figures that strip out one-off items reveal a far more uneven recovery — one in which two companies are carrying most of the operating improvement, one is still losing money on its core business, and the sector's capital commitments now run well ahead of what it currently earns.
Wuhan Xinxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (XMC) has laid out a 10-year expansion strategy centered on 3D integration, silicon photonics (SiPh), and specialty processes, targeting a fourfold increase in production capacity while building a broader semiconductor ecosystem around Wuhan.
SK Hynix is reportedly considering adding Intel Foundry as a second manufacturing source for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) base dies, a move that could reduce its reliance on TSMC as the logic layer beneath HBM becomes increasingly important to cost, performance and accelerator design.
According to OFweek Robotics, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has issued a clear warning to the country's booming robotics sector: focus on practical applications and sustainable growth rather than blind speculation. Speaking at an August 28 press conference, NDRC spokesperson Chao Li called for a disciplined approach to development, urging governments and tech firms to build on local resource endowments and industrial strengths rather than blindly following trends.
The Executive Yuan's proposed Special Act for Indigenous Defense Unmanned Vehicle Procurement failed to win approval in the Legislative Yuan, which instead adopted a version proposed by opposition caucuses, leaving a six-year, NT$240 billion (approx. US$7.6 billion) procurement framework facing uncertainty.
