Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of May 25-31, 2026:
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hosts trillion-dollar dinner for Taiwan AI suppliers
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang convened his annual "trillion-dollar dinner" in Taipei on May 28, bringing together senior executives from Taiwan's AI server, semiconductor, and technology supply chains in a high-profile gathering that underscored the island's central role in the global AI ecosystem. The event featured industry leaders, including TSMC chairman C.C. Wei, Quanta chairman Barry Lam, Foxconn chairman Young Liu, and MediaTek vice chairman Rick Tsai.
A notable highlight was the first appearance of Unimicron Technology chairman S.C. Chien since assuming the role in February 2026. The dinner served as a showcase of the close ties between Nvidia and its key Taiwanese partners, spanning chip manufacturing, electronics assembly, AI servers, components, and infrastructure.
TSMC CEO to address bonus backlash in person as Jensen Huang's visit puts Taiwan chipmaker in spotlight
Wei sought to reassure employees ahead of a company-wide meeting on May 27 amid growing backlash over reports that employee bonuses would be reduced by 15%. In an internal letter, Wei emphasized that TSMC's compensation policy remains competitive, that any bonus adjustments would be guided by fairness, transparency, and long-term incentives, and that employees would continue to share in the company's growth.
The message follows days of criticism from employees who argued that the proposed changes were inconsistent with TSMC's record financial performance, with some even calling for unionization. Wei's intervention came after earlier company statements and internal memos failed to calm concerns, setting the stage for a closely watched all-hands meeting that could test employee sentiment and highlight broader questions about labor representation in Taiwan's semiconductor industry.
Nvidia CEO says Taiwan needs more electricity, ministry confirms 5.2 GW of gas capacity to be added
Taiwan's government moved to reassure industry and investors over future power supply after Huang remarked that the island's fast-growing manufacturing sector will require more electricity. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said Taiwan has already incorporated AI-driven demand into its energy planning and expects no power shortages before 2032, with four new natural gas-fired generation units totaling 5.2GW set to come online by the end of 2026 and additional capacity scheduled through 2031.
Premier Jung-tai Cho said the government's "second energy transition" strategy aims to provide sufficient, cleaner, and more reliable energy by replacing coal-fired plants with higher-efficiency natural gas facilities while supporting Taiwan's semiconductor and AI industries. Officials also highlighted ongoing efforts to stabilize energy costs amid Middle East tensions, including maintaining LPG prices and working to ensure a stable energy supply for both industry and the public.
Nvidia's Vietnam hiring signals push into high-end AI server manufacturing alongside expanding Taiwan ODMs
Nvidia's growing recruitment efforts in Vietnam highlight the country's emergence as a strategic manufacturing hub for advanced AI infrastructure, particularly as Taiwanese server makers and electronics manufacturers expand production capacity there. Job postings tied to Nvidia's high-performance SXM GPU platform suggest closer collaboration with Foxconn on next-generation AI server manufacturing, while hiring across engineering, factory planning, and operations roles points to a broader commitment to building Vietnam's AI hardware ecosystem.
The move aligns with wider industry efforts to diversify supply chains beyond China, with companies such as Foxconn and MiTAC increasing investments in Vietnamese facilities for servers, networking equipment, and industrial computing products. Together, these developments position Vietnam as an increasingly important base for AI server production and a key beneficiary of the global reorganization of AI hardware supply chains.
Nvidia CEO says Huawei's Tau Scaling Law not a threat to TSMC
Speaking after his annual "trillion-dollar dinner" in Taipei, Huang expressed confidence in Taiwan's central role in the AI era, arguing that the market opportunity created by AI could be many times larger than the traditional semiconductor industry and drive significant growth for Taiwan's supply chain over the next decade. Huang dismissed concerns that Huawei's newly proposed Tau Scaling Law poses a threat to TSMC, noting that the Taiwanese foundry has spent years investing in advanced packaging and chip-stacking technologies that can continue boosting computing performance even as process scaling slows.
He also downplayed concerns over cloud providers developing their own AI chips, saying competition is natural in a rapidly expanding market and emphasizing Nvidia's unique position as the only AI computing platform spanning cloud providers, enterprises, industrial applications, and autonomous vehicles. At the same time, Huang highlighted power availability as Taiwan's biggest challenge, urging the island not only to manufacture AI systems but also to adopt AI more broadly across industry, education, and society, while acknowledging that Nvidia continues to face supply constraints as it sustains near-triple-digit growth.
Nvidia's move into Beitou-Shilin Tech Park raises AI power demand; Taipower uses dual-track strategy to push substation development
Taiwan is accelerating power infrastructure development to support Nvidia's planned new headquarters in the Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (BSTP), which is expected to begin construction by the end of 2026 and open in 2030. With AI-related activity projected to drive electricity demand in the area to about 180MW, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) plans a dual-track strategy involving both temporary and permanent substations.
A temporary substation, scheduled for completion within 20 months, will initially provide 60MW of capacity, while a dedicated Wenlin substation will be built to meet long-term demand because existing nearby substations are already operating near capacity.
The Taipei City Government and Taipower have agreed on a phased power supply plan that includes short-term support from existing substations, medium-term deployment of the temporary facility, and a long-term permanent substation designed to balance urban planning, engineering safety, and construction timelines. The project reflects growing concerns over the energy requirements of Taiwan's expanding AI industry, echoing Huang's repeated calls for increased electricity capacity to sustain future growth.
Intel makes first major move into India's semiconductor ecosystem with advanced glass substrate manufacturing MoU
India has signed an agreement with Intel and US-based 3DGS to establish an advanced glass-core substrate manufacturing facility in Odisha, marking Intel's first major involvement in the country's semiconductor manufacturing sector beyond its existing design operations.
The project, to be developed over five to six years in the Bhubaneswar-Khurda region, will focus on producing glass core substrates and related technologies used in advanced semiconductor packaging for AI processors, high-performance computing systems, and chiplet-based architectures. The investment supports India's ambition to build a more comprehensive semiconductor supply chain under the India Semiconductor Mission by adding a critical midstream capability that has traditionally been concentrated in East Asia.
Officials said the facility could create high-skilled jobs, strengthen India's position in advanced packaging, and potentially attract additional semiconductor manufacturing and testing investments, while also providing the global industry with a new source of advanced substrate production amid efforts to diversify supply chains.
Article edited by Jack Wu
