As 2025 nears its close, the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom is again prompting debate over whether the sector is entering speculative territory. From Silicon Valley to Wall Street and across China's tech and investment circles, comparisons with the 2000 dot-com bubble have intensified. With China now a central participant in the AI landscape rather than an observer, the debate has gained broader industry attention

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

As SpaceX's low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites reshape global communications, Taiwan is accelerating its push into the space industry. According to a recent DIGITIMES report on NTN convergence, the Taiwan Space Center (TASA) is advancing dual tracks in "cubesat" and "communications satellite" programs, aiming to cultivate domestic system integration (SI) capabilities. The goal is to enable Taiwanese firms to move beyond producing individual components and subsystems toward full satellite design and mission planning, laying the groundwork for future international expansion

Quantum communication, which uses phenomena such as entanglement to enable highly secure data transmission via photons, is set for significant expansion. Market forecasts estimate the sector will reach around US$1.2 billion in 2024 and continue growing at an annual rate approaching 30% through 2035. Early applications like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and quantum networks are already being adopted in industries, despite obstacles such as high costs and the absence of standardized protocols

While TSMC's October consolidated revenue hit a historic high of NT$367.47 billion, up 16.9% year-over-year, the growth rate was the lowest since March 2024

The Future Innovation Tech Expo (FIX) 2025 concluded its Global Media Awards by highlighting companies that have successfully moved from concept to execution. The awards focus on firms translating forward-looking ideas into deployable, real-world systems

China is using the escalating Nexperia dispute to showcase a new, flexible export strategy that mixes hardline control with selective exemptions. As the Dutch government's takeover of the chipmaker triggered factory shutdowns in China, Beijing countered with both sanctions and relief measures, proving it can retaliate while also managing the global supply chain

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

Quantum sensing, one of the three pillars of quantum technology alongside quantum computing and quantum communication, is rapidly advancing toward commercial use. By leveraging quantum effects at atomic or subatomic scales, quantum sensors enable precision and security beyond the reach of conventional systems

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

Since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, his administration has escalated technology export restrictions with unprecedented aggression. Beyond raising overseas H-1B visa application fees to US$100,000 and demanding that Nvidia and AMD remit 15% of their advanced chip revenues from China to the US Treasury, Trump has now banned sales of Nvidia's cutting-edge Blackwell AI chips to China entirely

The global OLED display market is fiercely competitive, becoming a key battleground for major brands. Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) continue to dominate the high-end panel supply chain, while brand leaders such as Asus, MSI, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Dell aggressively push technology specifications to capture market share in mid- to high-end OLED displays

When Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sat down for fried chicken and beer with Samsung's Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai's Chung Eui-sun on a Gyeongju street corner, the casual dinner quickly went viral across South Korea. The scene captured something larger than corporate networking: Nvidia's calculated pivot toward Asia's most agile technology hub

Amid tense US-China relations, shifting policies under the Trump administration, and growing concerns over an "AI bubble," Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has launched an intensive "diplomatic de-escalation" tour to defuse tensions. He recently made consecutive appearances at Nvidia's GTC conference in Washington, DC, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, demonstrating his flexible execution of the "Huang-style" strategy

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