With the advent of 5G-Advanced (5.5G) in 2024, the journey toward 6G is swiftly approaching. Non-terrestrial networks (NTN) have become a key transformative force in the future of communications. By expanding network coverage from terrestrial to aerial and space domains, NTN not only paves the way for "ubiquitous connectivity," a central objective of 6G, but also signifies a crucial milestone in the convergence of the telecommunications and aerospace sectors

SpaceX continues to dominate the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications market, but other US companies are advancing with distinct strategies aimed at capturing emerging opportunities in the rapidly evolving space connectivity sector

The development of the hydrogen energy industry has been driven by demand from application sectors, including scenarios ranging from hydrogen vehicles to power usage. Although global hydrogen vehicle sales have declined over the past two years, Japan has remained committed to promoting hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles and even expanding trials of natural gas-hydrogen blended combustion power generation

The US satellite industry has evolved over nearly seven decades through sustained investment from NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD). Early NASA commercial resupply and launch contracts also enabled SpaceX to build its technological and financial foundation, setting the stage for its dominance in the New Space era

SoftBank Group's agreement to acquire the robotics division of Switzerland's ABB for approximately US$5.4 billion is a significant strategic move. The deal highlights Japan's increasing dominance in industrial automation and simultaneously marks a substantial withdrawal for Europe from the rapidly evolving, AI-driven robotics race

The surge in generative AI has intensified demand for AI servers and chips, shifting the focus from pure computational power to data transmission speed. This transition has accelerated the adoption of high-bandwidth memory (HBM). At GTC 2025, Nvidia introduced its Spectrum-X and Quantum-X silicon photonics network switches, positioning silicon photonics and co-packaged optics (CPO) as new frontiers in AI infrastructure. Consequently, AI innovation is extending beyond chip performance to encompass communication and transmission technologies

As low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite deployments accelerate and 5G standards continue to evolve, direct-to-device (D2D) technology is emerging as the cornerstone for integrating mobile and satellite communications. The architecture extends terrestrial network coverage into space, addressing connectivity gaps in remote, maritime, and disaster-stricken regions, while also creating new business opportunities for telecom operators and satellite providers

As Moore's Law slows, advanced packaging has become the critical lever driving breakthroughs in AI chip performance, according to DIGITIMES chief semiconductor analyst Tony Huang. Speaking with DIGITIMES Asia, Huang emphasized that heterogeneous integration is now as pivotal to system performance as transistor scaling once was

Both Japan and South Korea are accelerating plans for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), aiming to expand satellite-based communications beyond traditional ground infrastructure. In the early stages, both nations collaborated with Starlink, but Japan has outpaced South Korea in developing mobile direct-to-satellite services

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries—long praised for their affordability and safety—are gaining traction among Western automakers. As cost-conscious electric vehicles (EVs) enter the spotlight, global giants like Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis are increasingly building out product lines centered on LFP battery technology

As the automotive industry races toward smarter, more autonomous vehicles, a new generation of artificial intelligence (AI) is taking center stage: Agentic AI. With its hallmark features—multi-agent collaboration, autonomous decision-making, and iterative learning—agentic AI is emerging as a critical force driving the next wave of transformation in mobility, manufacturing, and in-car experience

In September 2025, Nvidia announced plans to invest up to US$100 billion in OpenAI in phases, deploying at least 10GW of Nvidia server systems to support the development of next-generation AI computing platforms. This represents one of the largest infrastructure collaborations in the generative AI era, both in scale and investment, and is a rare strategic alliance in the past decade

In the ongoing transformation of the global automotive industry, one shift stands above the rest: the rise of the software-defined vehicle, or SDV. More than a technological upgrade, the move toward SDVs is reshaping vehicle architecture, supply chains, and the strategic priorities of automakers and semiconductor companies alike

The global automotive market reached total sales of 44.42 million units in the first half of 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 2.7%. Among these, the combined sales volume of the three major markets—China, the US, and Europe—totaled 27.48 million units, accounting for 61.9% of the global share, and they remain the core of the worldwide automotive industry

The Trump administration's tariff policy announced in April 2025 is reshaping global server supply chains, prompting Taiwan's leading EMS firms—Foxconn, Wistron, Quanta, Inventec, and Mitac—to accelerate US expansion. Concentrating investments in Texas and California, these companies aim to localize high-margin components while navigating rising costs and tariff-driven uncertainties