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Friday 6 March 2026
South Korean OLED materials firm Lordin plans India expansion amid Chinese competition
South Korean OLED materials developer Lordin plans to seek a technology-special listing in the first half of 2027, with a US$25 million fundraising round targeted for completion in 2026, as it advances commercialization of its blue phosphorescent emitter technology and expands operations into India
Friday 6 March 2026
South Korea's approval for Google to export high-precision maps raises competition and security questions
South Korea's government has reversed a nearly 20-year policy and conditionally allowed Google to export high-precision map data abroad, a move that could shift the competitive landscape for domestic map services and emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles
Friday 6 March 2026
Commentary: US-Israel conflict spotlights Grok's prediction vs. Claude's deployment
Ever since US and Israel joint forces launched attacks on Iran, widespread debate has erupted about the use of AI in warfare. On online platforms like Reddit, claims have surfaced that the US military has employed Anthropic's Claude and xAI's Grok models during the conflict in Iran, suggesting that large AI models have played a critical role in their operations. However, these assertions require a careful look at the facts
Friday 6 March 2026
Hangzhou signs US$3.7b AI GPU deal: China's multi-vendor chip strategy

On February 28, Hangzhou convened an AI development summit at the Hangzhou Civic Center aimed at positioning the city as China's leading artificial intelligence (AI) hub. According to East Money and Xinhua, 12 AI projects were signed, with a total investment of CNY25.5 billion (US$3.71 billion)

Thursday 5 March 2026
State 'Big Fund' backs humanoid robotics with US$362M Galbot investment

China's embodied AI and humanoid robotics sector is drawing fresh investment, with two major financing deals signaling accelerating commercialization

Thursday 5 March 2026
Coex welcomes AW 2026, accelerating AI-driven industrial transformation
Asia's leading manufacturing AX expo, The Smart Factory + Automation World (AW) 2026, has commenced, taking place from March 4-6, 2026, at Coex in Seoul, South Korea. The event will occupy the entire Coex venue and mark the largest edition in the show's history. Under the theme, "Autonomy, the Driver of Sustainability," AW 2026 is signaling a shift from a traditional smart factory and digital transformation (DX) focused exhibition to a next-generation industrial platform centered on AI and humanoid-driven autonomous manufacturing
Thursday 5 March 2026
AWS Middle East data centers hit by drones; Nvidia, Google adjust operations
Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in the Middle East were disrupted after drone attacks damaged facilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, triggering service outages and forcing major technology companies to reassess regional operations
Thursday 5 March 2026
Anthropic reportedly reopens Pentagon AI talks after blacklist threat

Negotiations between AI startup Anthropic and the US Department of Defense have resumed after talks collapsed last week, while a leaked internal memo criticizing OpenAI's Pentagon agreement has raised tensions. The episode highlights growing disputes between AI developers and defense officials over how advanced models should be used in military operations

Thursday 5 March 2026
Huawei reveals 896-channel automotive LiDAR with dual-optical architecture

Huawei on March 4 unveiled what it said is the world's first mass-produced 896-channel automotive LiDAR, a sensor designed to significantly increase perception resolution for advanced driver-assistance and autonomous driving systems

Thursday 5 March 2026
UMC honorary vice chairman warns US-Iran war unlikely to end quickly, urges tech sector to build Taiwan value
With military conflicts escalating in the Middle East, United Microelectronics (UMC) honorary vice chairman John Hsuan warned that global supply chains will be disrupted by war. He noted that exclusive suppliers face a severe impact, while alternatives exist if supplies are not unique
Thursday 5 March 2026
Jack Ma: AI tech evolves weekly, outpacing society's readiness
Amid the intensifying global race in generative AI, Alibaba founder Jack Ma recently appeared alongside senior executives at Hangzhou Yungu School to address the technology's rapid evolution. Ma bluntly said that AI's technological capabilities are iterating on a "weekly" basis, warning that society's preparedness is struggling to keep pace
Thursday 5 March 2026
AW 2026: Asus outlines edge AI strategy for smart city deployments

ASUS IoT is redefining the urban landscape by positioning itself as the high-performance backbone for modern smart cities, using edge AI and machine learning to transform infrastructure into proactive, life-saving networks. At Automation World (AW) 2026, ASUS said that by deploying edge computers and intelligent sensors, it facilitates real-time traffic management, automated emergency response, and energy-efficient smart poles. This is all while navigating the complex regulatory and privacy landscapes of global markets. ASUS's approach targets 40% reductions in crime, 20% shorter commutes, and 15% lower greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. It is clear the company is preparing for a counterstereotypical future of smart cities, where "intelligence" may even adopt new meanings

Thursday 5 March 2026
Suzuki to acquire Kanadevia's solid-state battery business to strengthen EV technology
Suzuki Motor Corporation said it will acquire the all-solid-state lithium-ion battery business of Japanese engineering firm Kanadevia Corporation, as the automaker steps up development of next-generation battery technology for electric vehicles (EVs)
Thursday 5 March 2026
Commentary: HBM hybrid bonding race heats up, but memory makers slow to adopt
Competition in the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market is intensifying, prompting equipment makers such as Hanwha Semitech and Semes to accelerate development of hybrid bonding tools for HBM production. These newer entrants aim to challenge the thermal compression bonding (TCB) equipment segment dominated by Hanmi Semiconductor. Industry observers, however, say significant technical and cost barriers remain before hybrid bonding can be adopted at scale
Thursday 5 March 2026
China sets 2026 growth target at 4.5–5% as supply chain risks mount
China has set a more flexible economic growth target for 2026, Premier Li Qiang said in the government work report delivered on March 5 and carried by Xinhua News Agency. The gross domestic product growth goal is between 4.5% and 5%, with consumer price index inflation expected to be around 2%, a range that marks a cautious shift from previous years' more definitive "around 5%" target