A more than 3x rise in China's lithium carbonate price over the past year has pushed sodium-ion batteries back into the spotlight, with the technology increasingly seen as a potential mainstream alternative to lithium batteries. But US industry players say sodium batteries made in the US still cost more than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, and subsidies from federal and local governments have yet to create a viable market in the near term.

LG Energy Solution (LGES) is emerging as a key battery supplier for humanoid robots, as demand for high-performance batteries shifts from electric vehicles to physical AI systems with tighter space, weight and runtime requirements.

China's battery industry is widening its lead at home and abroad. Market leader CATL posted record profits while expanding its dominance in overseas electric vehicle (EV) markets. The results underscore the growing imbalance between battery suppliers and automakers.

Huawei's next-generation flagship Mate 90 smartphone series has reportedly entered the chip packaging and testing stage, according to sources within China's supply chain. The lineup is expected to launch in September 2026 and will be the first to feature Huawei's new Kirin 2026 flagship processor, which is based on the company's Tau Scaling (τ) concept. The device is expected to be one of Huawei's flagship demonstrations of its post-Moore semiconductor strategy.

The cancellation of Blackstone-owned QTS' planned Digital Gateway data center project in Virginia underscores a new challenge for the artificial intelligence industry: securing enough land, power, and community support may now matter as much as securing enough AI chips.

South Korea is moving to position itself as an exporter of "intelligence" rather than just the chips and equipment that go into building it, with SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won outlining an AI data center plan expected to involve more than KRW1,000 trillion (approx. US$652.7 billion) in investment, according to Hankyung.

South Korean conglomerates will invest a combined KRW312 trillion (approx. US$203.6 billion) in the Yeongnam region, as the government moves to turn the country's southeast into a hub for advanced manufacturing, AI infrastructure, semiconductors, aerospace, defense, and energy.

SJ Semiconductor has started construction of a CNY10 billion (approx. US$1.47 billion) 3DIC manufacturing project in Shanghai's Lingang New Area, expanding advanced packaging capacity for high-performance computing, AI and data center chips.

Huawei's HarmonyOS missed one of China's largest annual government desktop operating system (OS) procurement shortlists, showing that top security certification alone is not enough for public-sector software tenders.