DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Samsung, SK Hynix HBM4 hiring war drains South Korea's chip design talent

DIGITIMES — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:41:24 GMT

South Korea's semiconductor talent shortage is intensifying as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix recruit experienced chip designers for increasingly complex HBM4 products, drawing key engineers away from fabless companies and design houses while tighter restrictions complicate movement between the country's two memory giants.

Interview: Orbbec bridges physical AI data gaps with robot-free platform

DIGITIMES — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:41:14 GMT

As physical AI and robotics draw unprecedented market attention, a key bottleneck is clogging the deployment pipeline: quality, real-world physical data. To move applications from the lab to real-world deployment, companies are getting creative in overcoming this obstacle while balancing affordability, stability, and data volumes.

China's AI supernode build-out turns more chips into more computing power

DIGITIMES — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:41:04 GMT

China is accelerating construction of its national computing network, and a growing share of new capacity is likely to use supernodes. With domestic AI accelerators still trailing leading global chips in single-card performance, Chinese vendors are increasingly relying on larger card counts, high-speed interconnects and system-level optimisation to close the gap.

Taiwan Mobile launches tender offer for Systex, targeting majority control

DIGITIMES — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:40:54 GMT

Taiwan Mobile said on August 12 that its board approved a tender offer for Systex Corporation common shares through its wholly owned subsidiary Taiwan Cellular, with the goal of lifting its stake to more than 50%. The telecom operator already held 11.86% of Systex, and the tender offer seeks an additional stake of at least 39%, which would lift Taiwan Mobile's total ownership above 50%.

Nan Pao posts record second-quarter profit and July revenue as sales rise

DIGITIMES — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:39:33 GMT

Nan Pao Resins Chemical reported record second-quarter net profit attributable to the parent company of NT$877 million, with earnings per share of NT$7.27, as the Taiwan-based materials maker also said July revenue reached an all-time monthly high. The results reflected stronger sales of adhesives and building materials, along with customers placing orders early and building inventory ahead of anticipated price increases.

Edgecore pushes all-optical networking for distributed AI data centers

DIGITIMES — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:39:23 GMT

Edgecore Networks said distributed AI infrastructure will become more important as data centers run into limits on power, space, and cooling. Speaking at the 2026 OCP APAC Summit, the company outlined an all-optical networking approach designed to connect GPUs, servers, and storage across multiple sites and regions.

TV slowdown accelerates panel makers' shift to IT OLED, UBI Research found

Willis Ke — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:39:10 GMT

With global TV demand slowing and panel prices continuing to fall, display makers are facing intensifying profit pressure. Analysts say the industry's bottleneck extends beyond low-priced Chinese competition and reflects a broader reshaping of the consumer electronics value chain, with OLED's next growth phase likely to depend on lower manufacturing costs and wider adoption in IT devices.

Flytech posts record second-quarter profit on AI demand, margin gains

DIGITIMES — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:38:57 GMT

Industrial PC maker Flytech Technology reported another record quarterly profit in the second quarter of 2026, driven by deeper penetration into end-market applications, stronger demand for AI software and site computing upgrades, and continued operating leverage. The Americas delivered the largest regional contribution and became the main engine of sales growth.

AI reshapes semiconductor testing as KYEC pushes four-way model

Lily Hess — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:38:39 GMT

As AI chip value and integration complexity keep rising, King Yuan Electronics (KYEC) President Gauss Chang said semiconductor testing is shifting from being considered "part of the supply chain" to a "part of the process." He said the supply chain is also moving toward a new collaboration model built around four integrated elements: equipment, accessories, testing, and products.

AI product cycle lifts Chroma test demand

Lily Hess — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:38:21 GMT

AI is sharply increasing demand for test and measurement equipment, turning it from a cost-cutting support tool into a must-have, said Chroma president I-Shih Tseng. He said he expects the industry boom to outlast a short-term investment wave and that second-half 2026 operations will outperform the first half of the year.

HDRE reports first-half growth as Japan and Australia projects expand

DIGITIMES — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:37:57 GMT

HD Renewable Energy (HDRE) reported first-half 2026 consolidated revenue of NT$3.078 billion (approx. US$95.7 million), along with gross profit of NT$758 million, a gross margin of 24.63%, and operating profit of NT$112 million. The Taiwanese energy group said some second-quarter transactions were delayed, pushing recognition of several 2MW battery storage projects in Japan into the third quarter.

Gelsinger calls HBM 'lousy', SK Hynix says it's not memory's final answer

Lily Hess — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:53:33 GMT

High-bandwidth memory (HBM), a core component in AI semiconductors, has drawn fresh scrutiny after former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger called it "lousy" at a recent AI summit in Paris. SK Hynix, the market leader in this type of memory, also said it is not the final answer to AI memory bottlenecks, underscoring the industry's push to find a next-generation memory architecture beyond HBM.

Asia Vital Components sees stronger AI server demand and faster liquid cooling adoption

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:53:01 GMT

Asia Vital Components expects global AI server demand to strengthen in the second half, with liquid cooling adoption becoming more common — a shift carrying implications for data center operators and suppliers worldwide. The company sees higher shipments of ASIC chips and Nvidia's Vera Rubin platform driving growth, and estimates that liquid-cooling penetration in AI servers will reach 50% by 2027.

Taiwan Gold Card approvals for finance professionals top 1,000

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:52:41 GMT

Taiwan has approved more than 1,000 Employment Gold Cards for finance professionals as the government broadens its push to attract overseas talent and develop Taiwan into an Asian asset-management center.

Research Insight: Unitree IPO reveals humanoid robot commercialization still in early innings

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:50:18 GMT

Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics has drawn significant market attention with its IPO. Based on DIGITIMES' review of the company's three-hour IPO roadshow and Q&A session on August 7, chairman Xingxing Wang and the management team provided further details on humanoid robot commercialization, embodied intelligence, and its supply chain strategy.

J&V Energy lifts 1H revenue on storage and green power trading

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:49:45 GMT

J&V Energy Technology said its first-half 2026 results were lifted by growing energy storage projects and green power trading, with consolidated revenue reaching NT$3.498 billion (US$108.74 million). The Taiwan-based renewable energy group said gross profit rose 67% year over year to NT$570 million, while operating profit increased 195% to NT$109 million.

Lotes sees tight supply, says demand remains intact

Lily Hess — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:48:58 GMT

Connector maker Lotes is deepening its server business, with its server quick disconnect (QD) line set to enter mass production in July, and expansion is expected to accelerate at the same time. A new-generation server platform is expected to begin small-volume shipments in the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by a larger-scale ramp-up in early 2027, making both key growth drivers to watch in the coming quarters.

Century Group pivots beyond offshore wind with four-pronged energy strategy

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:48:29 GMT

Century Iron and Steel Industrial (CIS) and Century Wind Power (CWP) held a joint investor conference on August 13. Driven by a significant increase in the revenue contribution from offshore wind foundation engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects beginning in 2026, CWP said it expects revenue to reach new highs in both 2026 and 2027, with profit in 2026 also poised to set a record.

Tripod posts record second-quarter margins on strong server and memory demand

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:45:32 GMT

Tripod Technology said revenue and profit both hit record highs in the second quarter of 2026, driven by strong shipments of server and memory products and the continued effect of price increases implemented to pass on higher raw material costs. The PCB maker said gross margin rose above 30% for the first time as demand held up across its key business lines.

MicroIP sees second-half revenue lift as board approves cash raise

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:45:18 GMT

MICROIP, which focuses on AI software design services and ASIC design services, said its first-half 2026 financial report showed continued investment in core technologies and key IP. The company also disclosed that its board approved a cash capital increase to support working capital and ongoing development as more projects move into production and delivery.

Taiwan offshore wind lifts marine engineering and ocean industry output

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:43:52 GMT

Taiwan's ocean-related industries generated NT$1.5108 trillion in 2024, according to reports presented to the Cabinet on the 13th by the National Science and Technology Council and the Ocean Affairs Council. The latest figures showed how offshore wind and marine engineering helped drive growth in the country's blue economy.

Taiwan approves NT$8 billion ocean tech program for security and industry

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:41:19 GMT

Taiwan's government approved a four-year ocean technology and industry development program for 2027-2030 and will seek more than NT$8 billion in funding. The plan was designed to strengthen maritime security, expand scientific research, and improve industrial competitiveness as Taipei responds to growing pressure in its surrounding waters.

Interview: Acrab CEO Ken Phua on building agentic AI silicon in Singapore

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:58:00 GMT

Ken Phua, former Arm China co-CEO, spent 25 years abroad building someone else's business model. He came home to Singapore to build his own.

Acer COO Jerry Kao resigns; Chairman Jason Chen to fill role

Joseph(C) Chen — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:58:23 GMT

Acer announced a major management change on August 14, saying chief operating officer Jerry Kao has resigned with immediate effect. Chairman and CEO Jason Chen will take on the duties on an interim basis.

Research insight: Delta, Lite-on raise capex to 9% of revenue in AI data center power race

Levi Li — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:46:45 GMT

The speed of AI data center deployment is raising the bar for power and cooling suppliers. Chipmakers such as Nvidia and AMD are refreshing platforms annually, with each generation bringing sharp increases in power density and thermal requirements. Suppliers that cannot match that pace in R&D or capacity deployment risk missing the next design cycle.

Memory supply crunch pushes long-term contracts beyond the big three

Yunnie Cheng — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:55:15 GMT

The global memory supply shortage is intensifying, with long-term agreements (LTAs) rapidly expanding beyond the three major memory manufacturers—Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Micron Technology—to include Sandisk, Nanya Technology Corporation, and China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT).

AI server tracker: Demand drives July revenue gains across Taiwan infrastructure suppliers

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:47:26 GMT

Data center infrastructure providers reported revenue gains across baseboard management controllers (BMCs), optical modules, power supply components, and thermal management products. Some companies, such as LandMark Optoelectronics and Auras Technology, reported year-over-year July revenue growth exceeding 100%.

AI infrastructure enters multi-architecture fabric competition; Optical-copper interconnects and supply-chain coordination determine system performance

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:38:02 GMT

AI infrastructure enters multi-architecture fabric competition; Optical-copper interconnects and supply-chain coordination determine system performance

SK hynix scouts US memory fab sites as customers seek local supply

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:12:43 GMT

SK hynix has spent more than a month studying potential locations in the US and other regions for a front-end memory fab, as American customers press the company to expand wafer production closer to home.

South Korea chip cluster could expand to nine fabs as SK plans new investment

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:22:27 GMT

South Korea's planned southwestern semiconductor cluster could eventually expand from four fabs to as many as nine as the government accelerates land, power, and infrastructure work around Gwangju, while local officials say SK Group is expected to unveil a major investment in eastern Jeonnam.

China AI chip demand lifts Hygon revenue 67%, Sugon profit 34% as domestic computing expands

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Hygon Information posted a 66.5% increase in first-half 2026 revenue as accelerating artificial intelligence deployment and stronger demand for domestically developed computing chips lifted sales of its high-end processors.

Alibaba Cloud's 6-year evolution: five super data centers pivoting to AI compute

Yunnie Cheng — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:50:00 GMT

Alibaba Cloud's Lingjun Zhenwu M890 supernode has officially gone live, with its initial commercial deployment in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia—the same super data center launched six years ago. The site is now hosting next-generation AI supernode compute capabilities, bringing Alibaba Cloud's "Five Super Data Centers" back into the spotlight as the company positions itself for the AI era.

South Korea's memory-chip exports surge 277% as system chips slip

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:27:43 GMT

South Korea's semiconductor export boom was heavily concentrated in memory in July. Memory-chip export value surged 276.9% year over year, while system semiconductor exports slipped 0.7%, as server demand and higher memory prices created a sharp split between the two segments.

OCP APAC 2026: What if AI's next efficiency breakthrough is simply moving less?

DIGITIMES — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:55:00 GMT

For years, the logic of AI infrastructure has been straightforward: move more data, push more power, transmit more signals, remove more heat.

Alibaba Cloud races ahead with Ulanqab AI infrastructure

Yunnie Cheng — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:55:00 GMT

Since early 2026, AI upstarts such as DeepSeek have increasingly pivoted toward building or co-owning their own data centers. This reflects a broader shift across China's AI sector: moving away from asset-light models reliant on leasing server space to gaining deep control over computing infrastructure. AI firms are no longer merely buying GPUs; they are stockpiling strategic compute assets, with 10,000-to-100,000-card GPU clusters becoming the baseline requirement.

DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Samsung, SK Hynix HBM4 hiring war drains South Korea's chip design talent

Interview: Orbbec bridges physical AI data gaps with robot-free platform

China's AI supernode build-out turns more chips into more computing power

Taiwan Mobile launches tender offer for Systex, targeting majority control

Nan Pao posts record second-quarter profit and July revenue as sales rise

Edgecore pushes all-optical networking for distributed AI data centers

TV slowdown accelerates panel makers' shift to IT OLED, UBI Research found

Flytech posts record second-quarter profit on AI demand, margin gains

AI reshapes semiconductor testing as KYEC pushes four-way model

AI product cycle lifts Chroma test demand

HDRE reports first-half growth as Japan and Australia projects expand

Gelsinger calls HBM 'lousy', SK Hynix says it's not memory's final answer

Asia Vital Components sees stronger AI server demand and faster liquid cooling adoption

Taiwan Gold Card approvals for finance professionals top 1,000

Research Insight: Unitree IPO reveals humanoid robot commercialization still in early innings

J&amp;V Energy lifts 1H revenue on storage and green power trading

Lotes sees tight supply, says demand remains intact

Century Group pivots beyond offshore wind with four-pronged energy strategy

Tripod posts record second-quarter margins on strong server and memory demand

MicroIP sees second-half revenue lift as board approves cash raise

Taiwan offshore wind lifts marine engineering and ocean industry output

Taiwan approves NT$8 billion ocean tech program for security and industry

Interview: Acrab CEO Ken Phua on building agentic AI silicon in Singapore

Acer COO Jerry Kao resigns; Chairman Jason Chen to fill role

Research insight: Delta, Lite-on raise capex to 9% of revenue in AI data center power race

Memory supply crunch pushes long-term contracts beyond the big three

AI server tracker: Demand drives July revenue gains across Taiwan infrastructure suppliers

AI infrastructure enters multi-architecture fabric competition; Optical-copper interconnects and supply-chain coordination determine system performance

SK hynix scouts US memory fab sites as customers seek local supply

South Korea chip cluster could expand to nine fabs as SK plans new investment

China AI chip demand lifts Hygon revenue 67%, Sugon profit 34% as domestic computing expands

Alibaba Cloud's 6-year evolution: five super data centers pivoting to AI compute

South Korea's memory-chip exports surge 277% as system chips slip

OCP APAC 2026: What if AI's next efficiency breakthrough is simply moving less?

Alibaba Cloud races ahead with Ulanqab AI infrastructure

J&V Energy lifts 1H revenue on storage and green power trading