Taiwan's aging population and declining birth rates have led to an increasingly pressing labor shortage, a major structural issue uncovered through a National Taiwan University (NTU) study commissioned by the National Development Council (NDC) on how demographic shifts impact policies. Under this backdrop, industry experts see high potential for the robotics sector, but cost reduction and improved intelligence remain key challenges for widespread adoption.
On December 30, Chinese AI company Z.ai launched a share sale to raise HK$4.35 billion (approx. US$560 million), aiming to become the first large language model (LLM) developer listed in Hong Kong amid a tech IPO surge, with a scheduled listing for January 8, 2026. Meanwhile, Z.ai has recently launched its latest open-source model, GLM-4.7, signaling a shift toward enterprise-focused AI and broader global adoption. As the company prepares for a 2026 IPO, the release highlights the growing influence of independent developers in a market increasingly shaped by hyperscale competitors and ecosystem distribution.
Under ongoing geopolitical risks and rising tariff barriers, Foxconn Technology Group's smartphone assembler FIH Mobile plans to shift part of its new product introduction (NPI) operations from China to Vietnam starting in 2026, sources say. This move marks a significant step as the industry adapts to heightened supply chain resilience demands amid US-China tech tensions.
The field of AI robots has now entered a phase of rapid development and iteration, as evidenced by optimistic predictions from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. As noted by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), key technologies for building advanced AI robots in the future include semantic reasoning, task decomposition, causal inference, chain-of-thought, multi-step reasoning, and cross-domain generalization capabilities.
Global 5G penetration is expected to overtake 4G in 2027 to become the dominant network technology, according to the latest Mobility Report from Ericsson. In addition to this pivotal milestone in mobile communications, the report also points to the beginning of the standardization process for 6G, which is expected to reach 180 million users by 2031, with advanced markets such as the US, China, Japan, and South Korea leading the way in terms of adoption.
Taiwan-based tech products distributor Weblink International is riding a surge in memory prices and robust demand for AI servers, positioning the company for strong growth in 2026. President Dave Lin said both segments continue to face supply constraints, but remain among Weblink's most promising growth drivers.
Facing severe memory shortages and rapidly rising prices, global PC brands are implementing strategies to offset cost pressures, including price increases or maintaining prices with downgraded specifications. Channel partners point out that memory accounts for nearly 20% of a PC's total bill of materials (BOM), and recent sharp hikes in memory prices have forced many vendors to quietly adjust their PC pricing.
The rapid expansion of AI data centers is triggering unprecedented electricity demand, placing Taiwan's power grid under growing strain. Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) Chairman Wen-sheng Tseng warns that land scarcity, urban density, and climate risks are converging into a critical infrastructure challenge.
It is difficult to imagine any company exerting greater influence on the AI industry in 2025 than Nvidia. The market closely tracks CEO Jensen Huang's every move—whether he was meeting US President Donald Trump or sharing fried chicken and beer with executives from Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Group in South Korea.
Tatung held an extraordinary shareholders meeting on December 30, where its board was comprehensively reshuffled with nine directors (including three independents), and non-compete restrictions on the newly elected directors were lifted.
Ability Opto-Electronics Technology (AOET) expressed optimism for its 2026 operations during its earnings call on December 30, despite the notebook market being impacted by rising memory prices in the fourth quarter of 2025, prompting some customers to scale back shipment volumes. Chairman Victor Kao pointed to the company's new product line expansions and the gradual securing of customer certifications as key drivers of confidence for 2026.
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