Copper prices are expected to continue rising through 2026, driven by strong demand from AI data center construction, growth in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, and power grid modernization projects. Wire and cable manufacturers such as Taya and Walsin Lihwa stand to benefit from the international copper price surge, with market reports suggesting planned price increases for related products.
Taiwanese networking companies are broadly optimistic about returning to growth in 2026 as an AI-driven expansion moves beyond chips and servers into network transmission layers, and Wi‑Fi 7 device penetration is expected to rise significantly. The outlook reflects rising demand for higher-capacity switches and consumer broadband upgrades.
As AI moves from labs to everyday applications, 2025 is emerging as the year AI Agents begin transforming human interaction with technology, shifting from simple assistants to autonomous executors of complex tasks. Google DeepMind's recent research offers a fresh perspective on how true Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) might develop—not as a single dominant AI, but through a decentralized network of specialized Agents working together.
Taiwan's push to build strategic AI, robotics, and quantum computing infrastructure is facing delays after the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) NT$10.85 billion (approx. US$345.3 million) 2026 budget has yet to enter legislative review, leaving several flagship projects in limbo.
Taiwan's drive to scale artificial intelligence and robotics faces a critical setback as political deadlock in the Legislative Yuan blocks passage of the 2026 central government budget, freezing billions of New Taiwan dollars in new technology investment across multiple ministries.
Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision) has teamed up with UK-based carbon capture and storage (CCS) design firm Pace CCS to establish a joint laboratory in Taiwan, focusing on developing corrosion-prevention techniques for CCS pipelines. This collaboration aims to enhance Foxconn's position in the green energy supply chain amid rising global net-zero commitments.
Demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is crowding out production capacity for consumer memory. Despite capacity expansions by major memory makers, including Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix, the supply of HBM for AI servers remains tight, and the demand from large chipmakers is difficult to satisfy immediately. IC distributors report that lead times from memory manufacturers have now extended to 52 weeks. With priority allocation given to large clients, almost no stock is available. Both distributors and customers must now pay upfront and wait in line for delivery.
As quantum technology, one of South Korea's national strategic technologies, gradually shifts from government-led R&D to the private sector, growing AI computing workloads have brought quantum processing units (QPUs) into the spotlight. Quantum equipment maker SDT stated that the proportion of government funding in its R&D budget has significantly declined, with demand steadily shifting toward private-sector customers.
Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has raised concerns that prolonged delays in budget approvals could cause Taiwan to miss the critical 2026 global takeoff for silicon photonics (SiPh) and co-packaged optics (CPO), two cornerstone technologies underpinning next-generation AI servers.
As artificial intelligence (AI) moves beyond its infrastructure build-out phase, the industrial PC (IPC) sector anticipates 2026 as a key year for scaling AI from centralized cloud setups to diverse edge computing environments. This transition marks a turning point in which AI-powered edge devices become integral to real-world operations across the manufacturing, medical, transportation, defense, and public safety sectors.
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced that artificial intelligence (AI) will be the central theme of CES 2026, under the banner "AI Forward." The event will emphasize AI's impact on product launches and technological advancements, with keynote addresses and major announcements from leading technology companies.
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