Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of March 23-27, 2026:
Swancor Holding's subsidiary, Swancor Robotech, on March 27, opened an intelligent robot application demonstration center in Neihu, Taipei, highlighting progress in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity into its TaiiBot platform. The company aims to manufacture lightweight, 100% recyclable AI robots to accelerate large-scale industrial applications.
Artificial intelligence is entering a new phase centered on agentic systems, with momentum shifting from digital environments to real-world applications. Speaking at the DIGITIMES AI Expo on March 26, Aurotek said the industry focus is no longer limited to model capability, but is moving toward enabling AI to operate in physical settings such as factories, logistics and service environments.
Apple plans to open its Siri voice assistant to rival artificial intelligence (AI) services, moving beyond its partnership with OpenAI, according to Bloomberg and Reuters.
Taiwan is moving to cement its status as the "beating heart" of the global technology industry by transitioning from a hardware manufacturing powerhouse into what Acer founder Stan Shih calls a "silicon innovation island". The Taiwanese government plans to do this through a series of infrastructure projects, from power generation to supercomputing.
LS Eco Energy and Australia's Lynas Rare Earths have entered a strategic partnership to create an independent rare earths supply chain. This move could help global manufacturers seeking alternatives to China's dominant position. The tie-up aims to link mining, metallisation, and magnet production across Vietnam, the US, and other markets.
Senao International's cautious 2026 outlook, outlined at a March 27 investor briefing, signals global repercussions for device makers as inflation, chip shortages, and high smartphone penetration reshape demand. The Taiwanese distributor plans to pivot toward AI-capable smartphones and the used-phone market to sustain revenue amid slowing shipments and rising component costs.
India is reporting steady progress in expanding domestic manufacturing capacity across electronics, automotive, and other industrial sectors under its "Make in India" and production-linked incentive (PLI) programmes, with investments, output, and exports continuing to scale.
The focus of artificial intelligence computing is set to shift from training to inference beyond 2025, a transition that will also redefine system bottlenecks across data centers, according to DIGITIMES Research.
Huawei Technologies unveiled its 2026 wearable product lineup at a launch event in Taiwan on the March 27. Yong Hai, general manager of Xunwei Technology, the exclusive distributor for Huawei in Taiwan, highlighted that the company achieved a remarkable 60% year-over-year increase in earphone sales revenue in 2025 despite lacking a smartphone product line in Taiwan.
India is recalibrating FDI rules, semiconductor incentives and AI policy while expanding power capacity and attracting global players like Tesla, Keysight and DNP. Data center ambitions are rising amid talks with Meta and Google. However, challenges persist, including rising GPU costs and declining smartphone shipments, highlighting a complex but accelerating industrial transformation.
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