CONNECT WITH US
Feb 12
Taiwan ODMs split in early 2026 as business transition takes hold

Taiwan's leading original design manufacturers (ODMs) are entering 2026 at different stages of transition, as efforts to expand into AI servers and automotive electronics intersect with seasonal softness and shifting demand in legacy businesses. January 2026 results from Pegatron and Compal Electronics illustrate how the two companies are navigating that shift with contrasting near-term outcomes.

Generative AI is crossing a critical threshold, shifting from an assistive tool to a system capable of directly assuming work. Early in 2026, this shift became visible almost simultaneously in Silicon Valley and Hangzhou. In the US, Anthropic enabled executable plug-ins for Claude, turning large language models into task-orchestrating AI agents and jolting the software industry. In China, a Hangzhou-based AI startup triggered a parallel shift by pushing AI directly into corporate accounting and displacing manual bookkeeping workflows.

As geopolitical dynamics shift, Singapore has emerged as a focal point for Taiwanese and international investment, underpinned by its stable financial system and neutral political stance. The city-state offers distinct advantages for established companies, startups, and mobile talent, though it maintains rigorous standards for entry and operation.

Robotic end effectors, particularly dexterous hands, have become a critical bottleneck in the commercial deployment of humanoid robots. US start-up Psyonic is addressing this gap with a plug-and-play robotic hand designed for humanoids as well as industrial robotic platforms.
Since the generative AI boom of late 2022, the sector has seen fresh disruption in 2025 and 2026, with startups DeepSeek and Anthropic PBC's Claude Cowork driving waves of change that industry insiders say are altering competitive dynamics and market expectations.
Lenovo Group reported a 21% decline in third-quarter profit but exceeded analyst expectations as strong revenue growth, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) demand, helped offset margin pressures. The company also warned of mounting pressure on PC shipments due to a worsening memory-chip shortage.
Rare earth metals are essential to modern industry and defense. They are found in high-performance motors, precision weapon guidance systems, and a range of green energy technologies. Yet the global rare earth supply chain has long suffered severe imbalances.
Mistral AI will invest EUR1.2 billion (US$1.43 billion) to build large-scale AI data centres in Sweden, marking its first infrastructure expansion outside France. The move positions the company at the centre of Europe's push to secure domestic AI compute capacity and reduce reliance on foreign cloud infrastructure, Reuters and AFP reported.

Ahead of the Lunar New Year, Chinese AI startup Z.ai (formerly Zhipu AI) released its open-source model GLM-5, highlighting AI agent capabilities and coding performance. The company said the user experience is "approaching Anthropic Claude Opus 4.5."

Weblink International Inc. reported consolidated revenue of NT$2.897 billion (about US$92 million) in January 2026, a 39.86% year-on-year increase and a historic monthly high driven by accelerated AI application adoption across multiple sectors.

After posting record revenue in 2025, Foxconn held its annual company sports carnival on February 12, continuing for a second consecutive year to replace the traditional year-end party banquet with a large-scale athletic event. Ahead of the event, Foxconn chairman Young Liu said 2026 "will definitely be much better" than 2025.

Taiwan's machinery industry posted continued export growth in January, driven by demand for AI-related electronic equipment and semiconductor-linked products, while the machine tool sector remains under pressure, according to industry associations.