DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Lotte Energy Materials pivots from EV weakness to AI, ESS copper foil

Levi Li — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 23:47:23 GMT

Cooling electric vehicle demand is forcing South Korean copper foil makers to rethink capital and capacity. Lotte Energy Materials has sold a 90% stake in its architectural exterior contracting subsidiary Lotte EcoWall for KRW170.8 billion (approx. US$120 million), and is redirecting the proceeds into its core copper foil business.

LCD supply could tighten by 2028 as Taiwan sells its fabs to chipmakers

Lily Hess — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 23:45:39 GMT

LCD panel supply could tighten around 2028 as Taiwan manufacturers exit the segment faster than expected, while China uses profits from LCD to ramp OLED investment. The shift is being driven by shrinking LCD line capacity, rising demand for advanced semiconductor packaging, and continued growth in large-screen TVs.

Analysis: When 72% of the world's EV batteries are Chinese, one defect travels

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 23:43:29 GMT

A battery quality controversy involving GAC Aion has put supplier CALB, the world's fourth-largest EV battery maker, under scrutiny and highlighted a less comfortable side of China's breakneck expansion in new energy industries.

Syrma SGS Elemaster opens electronics plant in southern India to serve global markets

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 23:43:13 GMT

A new electronics factory in Bengaluru is set to strengthen India's role in global supply chains, with potential benefits for customers in railways, industrial systems, energy, and medical devices worldwide. The facility highlights rising demand for high-reliability manufacturing and deeper India–Italy industrial ties.

Indonesia bets on a full EV supply chain as BYD opens its Subang plant

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 23:42:51 GMT

Indonesia's industry minister said the country has the resources to build a complete domestic electric vehicle chain, speaking in Subang, West Java, on September 3, as BYD inaugurated an IDR16 trillion assembly plant, joining the Chinese carmaker's operating plants in Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Brazil.

Tesla's Cybercab hits the road, but regulation may become autonomy's next scaling bottleneck

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 23:39:32 GMT

Tesla has finally put its purpose-built Cybercab onto public streets, marking a critical step in Elon Musk's years-long ambition to transform the EV maker into an autonomous mobility company.

Kian Shen eyes stronger 3Q26 on chassis, lightweight frames, Lean3

Willis Ke — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Taiwan's Kian Shen is counting on chassis, lightweight panel frames, and the Lean3 electric vehicle to drive growth, with third-quarter 2026 performance expected to improve from the previous quarter as July returned to profitability and non-operating income provided additional support.

FIT wins Amphenol patent license, expands AI interconnect push

Charlene Chen — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 08:55:00 GMT

Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT) announced on September 7, 2026, that it has secured a patent license from competitor Amphenol for high-speed backplane connector solutions. The two companies also issued a joint statement, saying the collaboration marks an important milestone in advancing core technologies for the AI era and will let them offer customers a more complete service package.

Ma-tek August revenue hits record, eyes U.S. FA, MA service in 2027

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 08:37:45 GMT

MA-tek, a semiconductor testing and analysis company, reported August revenue of NT$565 million, up 17.78% from a year earlier and marking a record high for the sixth straight month. Revenue for the first eight months reached NT$4.196 billion, up 17.66% from the same period in 2025.

AIDC wins 20-year Bombardier contract to expand business jet work

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 08:37:13 GMT

Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) said on September 7 that it won a 20-year full-life-cycle contract from Canadian aerospace group Bombardier for the Challenger 3500 business jet. The award was described as AIDC's most important recent breakthrough in civil aviation and was tied to Taiwan's aerospace supply chain.

SmallSat 2026: Two bottlenecks and four trends reshaping satellite industry

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 08:30:39 GMT

The 40th Annual Small Satellite Conference, held August 23-26, 2026, in Salt Lake City, capped what has been a productive year for the space industry, marked by new payload technologies, next-generation satellite buses, a wave of partnership agreements, and one of the most favorable funding environments in recent years.

LG's robot actuator push turns appliance know-how into a physical AI supply-chain bet

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 08:30:26 GMT

As humanoid robots increasingly move from demonstrations toward factories and commercial deployments, competition is expanding beyond finished robots into the components that determine their cost, weight and ability to move precisely.

US chip tariffs raise stakes for Samsung, SK Hynix's US memory plans

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 08:30:05 GMT

South Korea and the US are discussing semiconductor investments in the US as part of broader bilateral negotiations, bringing US chip tariff policy closer to the investment decisions facing Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

PCB maker Zhen Ding tops US$634M August revenue on AI server, optical module demand

Levi Li — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 08:01:00 GMT

PCB maker Zhen Ding Technology (ZDT) said business momentum is accelerating as demand strengthens during the traditional peak season. In addition to continued stocking for new mobile communications products, combined revenue from servers, optical modules, and IC substrates more than tripled from a year earlier, with growth accelerating further and lifting August revenue above NT$20 billion (≈US$634 million).

Xiaomi debuts 18 fold to challenge Huawei and Samsung in wide-screen foldable race

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 07:51:16 GMT

The flagship foldable market has reached a pivotal turning point as tech giants abandon tall, narrow cover screens in favor of wider aspect ratios and custom processing hardware. Xiaomi's newly launched Xiaomi 18 Fold brings direct competition to top-tier rivals such as the Huawei Pura X Max and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, while setting the stage for Apple's anticipated entry into the category later this week. For prospective buyers evaluating these premium devices, the ultimate purchasing decision hinges on core trade-offs including display usability and internal hardware performance.

What to expect at CIOE, Shenzhen's optoelectronics mega-expo

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 07:47:47 GMT

This week, DIGITIMES heads to Shenzhen to cover an expo showcasing the world of optoelectronics, a class of technologies that serves as the link between electricity and light. In today's era of pervasive digital connectivity, from smart glasses to cars to phones, this event is expected to give us a glimpse into the hardware supply chain behind these devices, and increasingly behind the global AI infrastructure build-out.

US chip investment push puts ownership at center of Korea's $200 billion deal

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 07:15:00 GMT

A US push for additional Korean semiconductor manufacturing investment has entered bilateral negotiations just as the first project under South Korea's US$200 billion strategic-investment mechanism approaches selection.

Samsung speeds silicon photonics test plan with TSMC-vetted probe vendors

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 07:06:00 GMT

Samsung Electronics has moved to accelerate its silicon photonics push by using the same test partners selected by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for key validation work, according to The Elec. The effort is aimed at completing wafer-level testing for photonic integrated circuits, or PICs, by 2026 and preparing for silicon photonics foundry services planned for 2027.

CXMT sees tight DRAM supply through 2H26, accelerates server memory and China-made tool validation

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 07:01:23 GMT

Chinese DRAM maker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) expects global memory supply to remain tight through the second half of 2026, with AI-driven demand supporting prices while the company expands capacity, upgrades processes and pushes further into server memory.

Samsung boosts Galaxy A series output as rivals cut lower-end phones

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 07:00:42 GMT

Samsung Electronics has moved to expand production of mid- to low-end smartphones from August to November 2026, according to South Korean media Maeil Business Newspaper. The plan comes as rising memory chip prices are forcing other handset makers to pull back on lower-margin models, and Samsung is looking to use the shift to gain more smartphone market share.

ChenFull Precision expands from defense and semiconductor equipment into quantum computing

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 06:28:45 GMT

ChenFull Precision has expanded rapidly in recent years from traditional precision manufacturing operations such as welding and surface treatment into the semiconductor process equipment supply chain. Its overall business portfolio is also shifting increasingly toward semiconductors, with the company formally reclassified as a semiconductor stock on the Taipei Stock Exchange in 2025.

ASML lines up Intel, TSMC and Samsung behind 12-inch masks — TSMC alone sets a timeline

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 06:16:21 GMT

ASML issued joint statements with Intel Foundry, TSMC and Samsung Electronics on September 8, converging the three leading-edge chipmakers on a transition from the semiconductor industry's decades-old 6-inch photomask to a larger 12-inch format for High NA EUV lithography. Only TSMC attached a schedule to it.

Xiaomi debuts Xiaomi 18 Fold and mid-to-high-end lineup to defend 100M shipment target amid rising memory costs

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 06:07:00 GMT

Xiaomi unveiled its new wide-fold Xiaomi 18 Fold on the evening of the 7th to address demand and competition in the foldable smartphone market. Despite a recent smartphone market slowdown caused by surging memory prices, Xiaomi has kept up a rapid launch pace, including the new Redmi Note 17 series and the Poco F9 series.

Ennoconn reports August growth as Kontron stake rises to 48.36%

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 06:05:00 GMT

Industrial computer maker Ennoconn Technologies said its business recorded growth in August 2026 across all three of its main business units, supported by stronger demand for Physical AI applications and continued progress in semiconductor high-tech fab construction projects. The company also said its public tender offer for Kontron AG had been completed, raising its stake to about 48.36%.

CPO testing faces hurdles from Insertion 1 to 4, with '100% testing' expected to accelerate in 2027

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 05:57:23 GMT

Co-packaged optics (CPO) has officially entered the mass-production deployment stage, but the critical testing processes responsible for safeguarding yield continue to face different challenges across Insertion 1 through Insertion 4.

Advantech to open North America HQ and expand US manufacturing

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 05:35:00 GMT

Advantech will open its new North America headquarters campus in Tustin, California, on October 21, Taipei time, adding localized manufacturing and service capacity as demand linked to AI deployment continues to rise in the US. The industrial computer maker said the site will support faster delivery, more customization and stronger technical support for regional customers.

Nvidia reportedly shifts Rubin Ultra toward 8-high HBM as memory costs rise

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 04:50:52 GMT

Nvidia is reportedly shifting its Rubin Ultra AI accelerator toward an eight-high high-bandwidth memory (HBM) configuration, down from an earlier 12-high design, as rising memory costs put greater emphasis on bandwidth efficiency and overall system economics.

Huawei shifts AI battle to HarmonyOS 7, turning Celia into system-level agent

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 04:30:26 GMT

Huawei's September 7 product launch was more than a Mate XT 2 and Kirin 9050 Pro refresh. HarmonyOS 7 and an upgraded Celia reveal a broader strategy: make the operating system the control layer connecting on-device AI, applications, user data, and multiple devices.

Kinko revenue climbs monthly, August sales jump 107%

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 04:14:44 GMT

Kinko announced its consolidated revenue for August 2026 on September 8, reaching NT$557 million, up 6.2% from NT$524 million in July and surging 106.8% from NT$269 million(US$17.58 million) a year earlier. It marked the company's largest year-on-year monthly revenue increase so far in 2026.

Intel CPU prices reportedly rising 10% again as Qualcomm and MediaTek target IPC and IoT gaps

Charlene Chen — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 04:13:05 GMT

Intel's PC CPU prices have continued to rise since the end of 2025, and supply chain sources said the company is expected to raise them by another 10%. Its low-margin small-core line is likely heading toward end-of-life (EOL) as CEO Lip-Bu Tan reshapes the business to cut low-margin products and lift overall profitability.

Renewable power shortage puts Taiwan's chip cluster under scrutiny

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 04:10:04 GMT

As semiconductor and AI infrastructure expansions elevate Taiwan's strategic profile on the global stage, mandates for a "green chip" supply chain are intensifying pressure on major manufacturers to scale up renewable energy adoption. An investigation by RE100 reveals that Taiwanese enterprises face prohibitive green power costs and severe supply constraints, leaving the island ill-equipped to satisfy its rapidly expanding industrial power demand.

CIOE 2026 opens in Shenzhen: 5,000 exhibitors chase the AI-driven optics boom

Willis Ke — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 04:06:03 GMT

The 27th China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE 2026) will run September 9-11 in Shenzhen, bringing together more than 5,000 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions as AI infrastructure, high-speed optical communications and AR/VR applications reshape the optoelectronics industry.

Samsung allocates more than half of 4nm foundry capacity to HBM4

DIGITIMES — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 03:56:38 GMT

Samsung Electronics is allocating more than half of its 4nm foundry capacity to base dies for sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) as it accelerates shipments to major AI chip customers. The share is estimated at 50–60% as of August, according to ZDNet Korea.

iPhone 18 Pro prices tipped to cross CNY10,000 as Apple faces China pricing test

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 03:54:12 GMT

Apple's fall product launch is approaching, and leaked pricing for the iPhone 18 lineup is beginning to circulate in China, pointing to higher prices for the company's next-generation flagship smartphones.

Tungsten hexafluoride supply chain alerts as Peric expands

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 03:48:52 GMT

Explosive capacity expansions by memory giants across South Korea, the United States, and China are driving surging demand for tungsten hexafluoride (WF6), a specialty electronic gas. Simultaneously, China's export controls on critical metals like tungsten powder have sent international tungsten prices skyrocketing.