Chinese tech giants ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent have collectively ordered more than 3 million units of Nvidia's new RTX PRO 5500 graphics cards, representing a total value exceeding US$35 billion, as reported by Reuters.

Surging memory prices are forcing e-reader makers to raise prices, weakening demand and clouding E Ink Holdings' 2026 outlook. E Ink has cut its revenue-growth forecast, while Netronix expects shipments to remain flat. The companies are looking to electronic shelf labels, advertising displays, and products to offset pressure on consumer electronics.

Racing Electric Instrument (REI), which built its business on defense and aerospace motors, is expanding into the commercial unmanned vehicle market, targeting power systems for drones and robots. REI chairman Chieh-tsun Lai said the company's experience in designing, manufacturing, and validating motors for highly demanding defense and aerospace applications gives it advantages over conventional industrial motor suppliers.

Toppan Holdings and Japan's Keio University have completed a proof of concept for technology that combines quantum computers with generative AI to support manga and anime production, and have launched follow-up research. The research team generated images through quantum circuits and used AI for background completion, coloring, and resolution enhancement, demonstrating the feasibility of applying quantum technology to content production.

Supermicro expects quarterly revenue and gross margin to exceed its earlier guidance, citing stronger demand for AI platforms and a more favorable customer and product mix. The October 20 update comes as investors question the financing behind the AI data center expansion.

Rising memory prices are squeezing smartphone makers and consumers, pushing shipments to their lowest third-quarter level since 2012, and accelerating the market's retreat from entry-level devices. Brands are raising prices, cutting low-margin models, and limiting production, while delayed upgrades and interest in used and refurbished phones further weigh on demand.

Taiwan's export orders totaled US$114.21 billion in September 2026, up US$11.25 billion, or 10.9%, from the previous month, according to data released by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on October 20. After seasonal adjustment, orders rose 1.1%. Compared with September 2025, export orders increased US$42.87 billion, or 62.4%, while growth in New Taiwan dollar terms reached 69.5%.

Nvidia is positioning its Vera CPU as a central component of data-center infrastructure for agentic artificial intelligence, as multistep reasoning and tool calls increase demand for fast serial processing. The company says CPU resources are gaining importance alongside GPUs, while declining GPU-to-CPU ratios signal a potential redesign of AI computing architectures.

Contrel Technology and FSE jointly showcased dual-core laser micromachining and plasma process technologies at TPCA Show 2026, targeting advanced packaging and high-end substrate manufacturing. The companies' solutions span key processes from surface treatment and residue removal to laser trimming, debonding, grooving, and cutting.

Taiwan is promoting its science-park development model as Mexico's Sonora state and Poland explore partnerships to attract investment and build industrial hubs. The effort could shape how regions worldwide develop global supply chains by combining research, manufacturing, infrastructure, talent, and sustainability, while Taiwan's companies seek opportunities beyond established overseas clusters.

Competition among Chinese suppliers is driving down prices for dexterous robotic hands, but cheaper hardware has yet to resolve a bigger challenge for humanoid developers: proving that multi-finger systems can perform industrial tasks reliably and at a competitive cost.