The 2026 Global Automotive and Technology Expo (GATE 2026), held August 26-28 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur, was ostensibly about the future of mobility. But the stronger message from the three-day event was about something more fundamental: Malaysia wants foreign automakers to build an industrial ecosystem, not simply sell cars.

Nidec Chaun-Choung Technology plans to establish a dedicated liquid-cooling team and deepen cooperation with major cloud service providers, citing rising thermal-management demand from AI servers. The company also plans to expand cooling capacity beyond its existing operations in Kunshan, China, to Hanoi, Vietnam, with mass production and shipments expected to begin in 2028.

The 2026 Global Automotive and Technology Expo (GATE 2026) closed on August 28 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur. It highlighted Malaysia's contradictory but pragmatic stance toward China in the auto sector. Over the three-day event, the main story for ASEAN's auto industry was not a new car or new technology. It was Malaysia's balancing act around the "China factor."

Can Xiaomi's in-house chip reach 2nm? Is HBM rerouting to Malaysia TSMC giving Intel a pass? Can Nvidia hold a 75% gross margin or protect market share? Ahead of Apple's September 10 event, the pre-event technology lull was anything but quiet, and DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin broke down three stories and the industry logic behind them.

MCE Holdings Berhad (MCE) is expanding its product lines and capacity as Chinese competitors intensify pressure on Malaysia's auto parts industry, with the company aiming to defend its position as a leading local supplier.

China's largest domestic Tier 1 auto parts supplier, Jingwei Hirain, is stepping up its push into Malaysia and the ASEAN market, with President Chengjian Fan saying the region will become an important window for auto supply chain planning over the next 3-5 years.

At the Sustainability Environment Asia Conference 2026, Gunalan Kaniasan, principal for water resources in Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJC) at AWS, outlined strategies for water sustainability across the Asia-Pacific region. As data center demand grows, AWS is actively collaborating with governments and utilities to introduce recycled-water alternatives, navigate regulatory barriers, and test water-credit mechanisms.

At GATE 2026, Kaizhong, a major Chinese commutator maker, used its display to showcase how its automotive business has laid the groundwork for expansion into data centers, dexterous hands, and drones. The company is also targeting new opportunities in Southeast Asia as Chinese automakers deepen their regional footprint.

Efforts to curb the illicit trade of advanced AI hardware to China have intensified following a series of indictments and probes targeting the supply chain.

At Sustainability Environment Asia Conference 2026, Suhaimi Mansor, deputy chief executive of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia, delivered a clear mandate for the nation's built environment: sustainability must transition from simple assessment to measurable, lifecycle-wide performance across buildings and infrastructure.

Southeast Asia's EV market is expected to reach US$23.58 billion by 2031, with a 2026-2031 CAGR of 31.55%. But Malaysia's charging infrastructure is falling well behind government targets, creating an opening for Chinese hardware suppliers.

Hybrid and plug-in hybrid demand continues to grow across ASEAN, with Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand posting the strongest sales gains. The shift is drawing local Southeast Asian automakers and Chinese brands into a tougher fight for share.

Proton said its vehicle sales rose 38.7% in the first seven months of 2026, as the Malaysian automaker highlighted new electrification and connected mobility technologies at GATE 2026. The company tied the growth to a broader push to strengthen its engineering and manufacturing capabilities while supporting Malaysia's automotive industry competitiveness.

The 2026 Global Automotive and Technology Expo (GATE 2026) will take place August 26-28 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur, as Southeast Asia's auto market enters a new phase of slower overall growth but faster EV adoption.