China's leading large model developers are accelerating flagship releases, while domestic AI chipmakers are responding almost simultaneously, announcing Day-0 adaptation and optimization as soon as new models are introduced.
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is stepping up its premium push in India even as a global surge in memory prices threatens to erode margins across the handset industry, prompting brands to rethink product positioning, component choices, and pricing strategies in 2026.
Quanta Cloud Technology (QCT) said it will invest THB1.098 billion (approx. US$35.34 million) in electromechanical engineering and materials for its Thailand facility, reinforcing the site's role in the company's planned expansion of AI servers.
The Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Taiwan and the US has been officially signed, reducing Taiwan's average export tariffs to the US by 23.45pp and boosting export competitiveness across many industries. The average tariff rate for Taiwanese exports to the US now stands at 12.33%.
Taiwan and the US finalized the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) on February 13, establishing a mutual 15% tariff rate and commitments on food security and defense resilience, while business groups urged immediate parliamentary action to prevent possible US reassessment.
On February 12, Taiwan and the US officially signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) in Washington, D.C. The US side's tariff reductions for Taiwan will take effect upon completion of its domestic procedures and publication in the US Federal Register.
Netherlands-based photonic quantum computing hardware company QuiX Quantum B.V. and germanium silicon (GeSi) photonics specialist Artilux have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic partnership. The companies will combine expertise in quantum computing and silicon photonics (SiPh) to develop photonic quantum computing systems designed for higher energy efficiency, improved scalability, and compatibility with existing data center infrastructure, supporting deployment in practical computing environments.
Taiwan's heavy electrical industry kicked off 2026 with strong performance, driven by robust orders from Taiwan Power Company's (Taipower) grid resilience projects, and sustained demand for grid upgrades in the US. Major players—including Shihlin Electric and Engineering Corporation (SEEC), Chung-Hsin Electric and Machinery (CHEM), Fortune Electric, and Allis Electric—all reported record-high January revenues compared to previous years, reflecting a simultaneous surge in both export orders and domestic infrastructure demand for transformers.
Amazon Web Services' (AWS) Trainium 3 servers, slated for mass production in the second quarter of 2026, have sharply reduced their planned use of liquid cooling, supply chain sources say, reversing an earlier 50:50 air‑to‑liquid split to roughly 90% air‑cooled and 10% liquid or less as production nears. This change could slow broader adoption of liquid cooling in AI server fleets.
As global efforts accelerate the development of home healthcare in a bid to alleviate resource pressures on frontline medical institutions, home care is set to become a core component of future healthcare systems. In response to this clear market trend, Taiwan is focusing on leveraging its existing ICT strengths alongside its healthcare system advantages to tap into new industry growth momentum.
Anthropic has hired Oxford philosopher Amanda Askell to teach its flagship model Claude ethical behavior, a move that reframes the company's competition with other AI labs as a contest over trust and governance rather than solely technical prowess.
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