DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

'I tell myself every day it'll ease': Phison CEO sees years of memory shortage

Joseph Chen — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:09:51 GMT

Phison Electronics CEO Pua Khein-Seng says he tells himself every day that the memory shortage will ease tomorrow. In reality, he says, AI-driven demand has opened a gap between memory supply and demand that could take many years to close.

Gold Circuit turns Amazon into a shareholder for Trainium servers

Lily Hess — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:06:28 GMT

Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE) plans to bring in Amazon as a strategic investor through a private placement expected to raise NT$1.59 billion (US$49.88 million), lifting the two companies from a simple supply-chain relationship to a strategic partnership backed by equity. The deal would also turn a GCE customer into a shareholder of the printed circuit board (PCB) maker, while Amazon invests again in Taiwan's server supply chain after joining Alchip Technologies' private placement in 2024.

Apple A20 Pro ditches PoP memory packaging for WMCM

Lily Hess — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:13:40 GMT

Apple's A20 Pro chip has dropped traditional package-on-package (PoP) packaging in favor of Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM), with memory and processor dies laid out side by side to potentially improve packaging yield and thermal performance, according to a teardown analysis by TechInsights. The findings come as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Apple's A20 Pro draw comparisons around 2-nanometer chip manufacturing and memory packaging.

Taiwan backs TSMC's US push but insists core R&D stays home

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:04:47 GMT

Taiwan's semiconductor industry, which originated in the Hsinchu Science Park and later expanded to the Central and Southern Taiwan Science Parks, now encompasses manufacturing bases across three continents, Premier Jung-Tai Cho said in a policy report to Taiwan's legislature, the Legislative Yuan, as its 11th term convened for its sixth session. Beyond high-tech giants, hidden champions within Taiwan's traditional industries are also taking center stage internationally.

ASE Technology buys Singapore factory for AI chip testing expansion

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:03:17 GMT

ASE Technology Holding's Singapore unit has approved the purchase of a factory in Yishun Industrial Park from Dutch LED maker Lumileds Singapore for about US$68.44 million, or about NT$2.152 billion. The site is intended to support future capacity expansion.

Netlist challenges Micron, Nvidia, Broadcom, Google over alleged HBM patent use

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:42:54 GMT

Netlist has begun legal proceedings against Micron and downstream customers Nvidia, Broadcom, and Google to stop them from allegedly using the company's patented high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technology without authorization. The case arrives as AI applications are driving soaring demand for next-generation memory chips, and it is brought forward by a company with a track record of winning patent verdicts against memory makers.

Taiwan identifies electricity supply as national strength, with plans to expand gas and green energy

Rodney Chan — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:35:00 GMT

As power infrastructure is now widely regarded as the foundation of a nation's strength, Taiwan is accelerating investment in gas-fired generation, green energy and energy storage. Premier Cho Jung-tai has outlined a medium- to long-term electricity plan, which will extend Taiwan's offshore wind expansion timetable to 2039.

Leisure vehicles become Eurocharm's largest segment with capacity expanding in Vietnam, North America

Willis Ke — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:20:00 GMT

Taiwan's Eurocharm Holdings, an OEM automotive and motorcycle parts maker, said at an earnings call on September 29 that leisure vehicles had become its largest product segment, as it expands production capacity in Vietnam and North America to meet rising customer demand. The company reported strong year-over-year growth in revenue and profit for the first half of 2026.

DIGITIMES Insight: AI is emerging as the new growth anchor in the mobile communications industry

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:20:00 GMT

South Korea's leading telecommunications operator, SK Telecom (SKT), recently established SK Hyper and SK Horizon in quick succession. The moves mark a pivotal shift for telecommunications AI, signaling a transition from internal operational optimization toward full-scale infrastructure monetization.

China auto market cools as Taiwan suppliers brace for 2H26 inventory cuts

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:00:06 GMT

China's auto market is under pressure from high oil prices and shrinking subsidies, weakening domestic sales even as exports keep growing. Taiwanese supply-chain companies are responding by adjusting their product mix.

EOI lays out three growth engines, eyes AI optical communications

Charlene Chen — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Excellence Optoelectronics (EOI) is banking on stronger orders from its top five customers and new-car launches to drive a recovery in 2026, as the automotive optics and Mini LED module maker expands in Mexico, adds non-headlamp automotive electronics, and pushes into AI optical communications with a sample target in early 2027.

Chief Telecom, Google Cloud launch backup services to bolster cable resilience

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:34:48 GMT

Chief Telecom said on September 30 that it is working with Google Cloud to combine international submarine cable resources and deploy Cross-Site Interconnect (CSI) technology. The partnership is aimed at launching diversified cross-border submarine cable services to strengthen digital resilience as cable disruptions have increased worldwide and drawn attention to Taiwan's critical infrastructure.

SK Hynix resumes DDR4, DDR5 packaging orders with Winpac

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:33:30 GMT

SK Hynix has resumed outsourcing DRAM packaging to South Korean outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) provider Winpac, reviving a supplier relationship that ended in 2023 as the memory maker increases the volume of flip-chip packaging handled by external partners.

China's battery race enters post-scale era: Beijing shifts focus to solid-state and quality

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:24:24 GMT

One of the most pronounced factors behind China's ferocious rise in the global technology landscape has been its unparalleled strength in the EV sector, where fierce competition over power batteries and high-end battery materials has cemented the country's longstanding dominance in battery manufacturing.

Interview: iFLYTEK Medical sees clinical integration as key to healthcare AI expansion in South Korea

Levi Li — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:20:00 GMT

Xunfei Healthcare (iFLYTEK Medical), the healthcare AI arm of China's iFlytek, is using its Spark Medical Large Model to support diagnosis and medical record generation while tackling challenges including clinical workflow integration, differences in care settings, and model hallucinations. It also hopes to bring its experience from China to South Korea through local partnerships.

AI boom draws display makers into semiconductors with glass core substrates and Micro LED

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:20:00 GMT

AI is driving the semiconductor industry into a new growth cycle while creating opportunities for display companies traditionally centered on panels to move into semiconductors. These companies are extending their reach into emerging areas such as advanced packaging and optical communications, seeking to leverage core technologies such as glass substrates and Micro LED.

Samsung SDI targets AI data centers with cylindrical LFP batteries and fire-propagation safeguards

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:18:36 GMT

Samsung SDI is accelerating its push into the artificial intelligence (AI) data center battery market, unveiling, for the first time, a cylindrical lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery featuring its proprietary structural design at Data Centre World Asia (DCWA) 2026 in Singapore on September 29.

Murata begins mass production of world's smallest three-terminal MLCCs

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:17:28 GMT

Murata Manufacturing has started mass production of its LLD series, a new class of ultra-compact capacitors that could help device makers worldwide fit more power management into smaller electronics. The move underscores how component miniaturization is shaping smartphones, wearables, and other connected devices used by consumers across global markets.

Acer targets new niches in mature device markets with education tablets, e-paper displays

Levi Li — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:15:50 GMT

Acer's recent launches of tablets and e-paper displays have raised a broader question: how can the company carve out growth in mature markets already dominated by established brands? Acer sees education as a key opening for tablets, arguing that younger users are increasingly part of a "touch generation."

ByteDance makes up a fifth of China's AI data center capacity amid growing buildout

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:14:54 GMT

ByteDance occupies around a fifth of data center capacity in China, according to a recent report. This makes the company the largest customer for rented compute in the country at a time when its major AI developers are racing to accelerate infrastructure buildouts and pushing against capacity limits.

Tatung pivots to AI infrastructure integration

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 06:58:35 GMT

Amid continued debate over AI, demand for computing power keeps climbing. Tatung Co. on September 30 unveiled its AI infrastructure solution, "TTG AIDC CUBE," at a launch event titled "Power Ready for AI," aiming to bring computing capacity online within 180 days.

Tatung targets 180-day AI data center deployment

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 06:54:18 GMT

To showcase its competitiveness in AI infrastructure, Tatung Group on September 30 held the "Power Ready for AI" forum and unveiled a modular AI data center (AIDC) built around the "CUBE AI Data Center" concept. The TTG AIDC CUBE integrates power, cooling, monitoring, and compute into standardized modules, underscoring Tatung's push into a fast-growing market driven by high-density GPUs, rapid deployment, and power demand.

Jensen Huang, Lisa Su join Tsinghua University advisory board, putting AI chip leaders closer to Beijing

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 06:45:09 GMT

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chair and CEO Lisa Su have joined the advisory board of Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management (SEM), putting two of the global AI chip industry's most prominent executives on the Beijing-based body.

NSIG chair exit brings leadership succession into focus

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 06:34:02 GMT

National Silicon Industry Group (NSIG) chairman Haitao Jiang has resigned from all positions at the company, prompting the Shanghai-listed semiconductor materials supplier to begin a leadership transition.

China's generative AI user base tops 700 million, driving adoption into manufacturing and humanoid robots

Levi Li — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 06:20:00 GMT

Generative AI adoption in China continues to expand. The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) said in its 2026 Generative AI Application Development Report, released on September 29, that the country had more than 700 million generative AI users as of the first half of 2026, with a penetration rate exceeding 50%.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics' disclosed 2026 supply agreements total US$2.6 billion as server demand surges

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 05:50:54 GMT

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has signed another long-term supply agreement for server components, bringing the value of its disclosed supply agreements this year to about US$2.6 billion as demand for high-performance passive components continues to rise.

Column: Memory and logic collide as AI shifts the balance

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 05:42:24 GMT

As HBM approaches half the cost of a GPU-HBM CoWoS package, can memory still be viewed as merely a passive component of AI computing? The answer goes back to the "memory wall," a challenge that has shaped nearly half a century of semiconductor development.

Commentary: What risks does China's DRAM capacity face amid tightening market?

Charlene Chen — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:38:34 GMT

China's continued expansion of DRAM capacity has raised a key question for the global memory market: will supply and demand flip?

DeepSeek brings software tools to Huawei's Ascend 950 to take on Nvidia

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:38:32 GMT

DeepSeek is bringing more of the software used to develop its AI models to Huawei Technologies' Ascend 950 processors, deepening cooperation as Chinese technology companies seek to reduce reliance on Nvidia's hardware and CUDA software ecosystem.

Geely-NIO deal signals consolidation in China's fragmented EV battery-swapping market

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:26:32 GMT

A new partnership between Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and NIO in electric vehicle (EV) battery swapping is signaling potential consolidation in China's fragmented market. With multiple incompatible systems still competing for adoption, the deal could open a new path toward greater standardization and network integration.

US-China trade truce extension draws orders back to China, threatening Taiwanese booking volumes

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:20:07 GMT

Following US President Donald Trump's visit to China for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping from May 13 to 15, 2026, President Xi accepted an invitation to make a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25, 2026. The bilateral meetings culminated in an agreement to extend the current trade truce, a development that could redirect orders for non-sensitive goods back to mainland China and weigh on order volumes for Taiwanese manufacturers.

VSMC bets on value over cost as Singapore fab builds next-generation R&D and IP capabilities

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:18:05 GMT

VisionPower Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (VSMC), the joint venture between Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) and NXP Semiconductors, opened its 12-inch wafer fab in Tampines, Singapore, on September 28.

CXMT's US$5.2 billion buildout deepens China's push for domestic DRAM equipment

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:13:25 GMT

China's largest dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) maker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is accelerating a CNY34.9 billion (US$5.2 billion) expansion aimed at chipmaking equipment, in-house testing and tighter control of its memory supply chain.

Foxconn links motors, humanoids, smart factories into a vertically integrated robotics strategy

Levi Li — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:09:44 GMT

Foxconn has partnered with Chinese automotive design and engineering services provider IAT Automotive Technology to establish Beijing Futekang Intelligent Robot Technology, extending its push into embodied intelligence and robotics.

Magnesium prices fall below aluminum as EV makers look to cut weight

Sherri Wang — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:06:17 GMT

Automakers looking to cut the weight of electric vehicles (EVs) to extend driving range have another reason to consider magnesium alloys: magnesium ingots are now cheaper than aluminum ingots.

Jensen Huang rejects AI doomsday framing, calls safety an engineering problem

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:58:57 GMT

As warnings about catastrophic AI risks intensify, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is making a different case: AI safety should be treated as an engineering challenge, not a justification for regulatory exemptions.

Chinese EV tech is set to challenge US market barriers over time

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:54:42 GMT

The Washington summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping did not produce the speculated auto deal that would have allowed Chinese automakers to manufacture vehicles in the US. While that gave incumbent automakers in the US a temporary reprieve, analysts say Chinese cars entering the US is still only a matter of time.

Trump-Xi meeting, upcoming APEC summit put US-China-Russia diplomacy in focus

Kevin Wang — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:48:53 GMT

With the conclusion of the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, held in Washington, DC, from September 23 to 25, attention has turned to how changes in the US-China relationship will affect geopolitics, trade measures, and industrial export controls.

Inside Anthropic's multi-billion-dollar loop: how circular financing powers the AI boom

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:45:07 GMT

As Anthropic prepares to ask public markets to back its expansion, confidential IPO filing details seen by Reuters reveal how heavily the AI developer relies on a small group of tech giants. At the core of its business is an increasingly circular financial network in which companies like Amazon and Alphabet's Google act simultaneously as equity investors, cloud suppliers, distribution channels, and direct AI competitors.

Taiwan upgrades Circular Redesign Center as govt pushes top-down circular economy ecosystem

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:33:35 GMT

Taiwan's Resource Circulation Administration (RECA), under the Ministry of Environment, has launched an upgraded version of its Circular Redesign Center, with Environment Minister Peng Chi-Ming outlining plans to build a more comprehensive circular economy ecosystem through a top-down approach.

Foundry 2.0 revenue hits record as growth spreads beyond TSMC

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:29:34 GMT

Global Foundry 2.0 market revenue reached a record US$96.6 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 25% year-over-year and 11% sequentially, as semiconductor demand tied to data-center expansion spread beyond leading-edge processors into networking, power management, mature-node chips, packaging and test.

Linde secures Sanand land as global materials suppliers race to localize for India's first fabs

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:27:39 GMT

India's chip push is drawing the materials layer of the supply chain onshore. With Tata Electronics' Dholera fab and a cluster of packaging plants in Sanand under way, suppliers of industrial gases, wet chemicals, and photoresists from the US, Japan, and South Korea are moving to secure positions close to their future customers in Gujarat.

Tesla secures US$30B credit package to fuel AI and robot capex race

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:16:40 GMT

Tesla disclosed on September 29 that it has arranged US$30 billion in new loans and credit facilities as it ramps up investment in AI and robotics, according to a regulatory filing. The funding comes as the company prepares for a record 2026 spending surge across AI compute infrastructure, solar cell manufacturing, and a semiconductor wafer project with SpaceX.

CXMT expansion meets surging GigaDevice DRAM demand, sharpening China's memory supply-chain buildout

Levi Li — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:15:50 GMT

CXMT's continued DRAM capacity expansion is coinciding with stronger demand from China's domestic memory sector.

Samsung expects HPC to account for 66% of foundry business by 2029

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:10:07 GMT

Samsung Electronics expects high-performance computing (HPC) to account for 66% of its foundry business by 2029, up from 28% currently, as the company shifts its contract chipmaking portfolio beyond mobile products toward AI and HPC.

Nidec changes CEO as restructuring accelerates

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:08:17 GMT

Japanese motor maker Nidec has replaced president and CEO Mitsuya Kishida with chief technology officer Michio Kaida as the company moves to overhaul its business and governance following accounting irregularities and mounting losses.

AT&T and Corning strike more than US$3 billion fiber supply deal

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:06:57 GMT

AT&T and Corning have agreed to a multi-year deal worth more than US$3 billion to expand US fiber networks. The agreement underscores how rising internet use, streaming, and artificial intelligence (AI) are increasing demand for higher-capacity connectivity worldwide, as operators race to build faster, more resilient infrastructure for homes and businesses.

AI reshapes drone competition from flight to autonomy

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:02:45 GMT

AI is rapidly reshaping the unmanned vehicle industry, pushing drones beyond autonomous flight toward autonomous mission execution. Competition is shifting from individual vehicle performance to AI decision-making, multi-sensor fusion, swarm collaboration, cross-platform software, and modular hardware.

Googlebook, QwenBook bring agentic AI to the PC system layer, opening new chip opportunities

Levi Li — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:52:35 GMT

Qualcomm unveiled no new PC chips at Snapdragon Summit 2026, but its PC strategy remained firmly in focus.

India bars Semicon 2.0 chip plants from selling or mortgaging assets before full production

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:39:15 GMT

India has barred semiconductor projects approved under its Semicon 2.0 program from selling, disposing of, or mortgaging project assets until commercial production of the entire project is declared, according to guidelines issued on September 17, 2026. The rules attach lock-in conditions on assets, operations, and ownership to the INR1.27 trillion (US$13.22 billion) incentive scheme.

CATL starts cell trial production at Hungary plant

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:34:21 GMT

Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. (CATL) said its new battery plant in Debrecen, Hungary, began cell trial production on September 22, with the first two cell production lines entering test operation as the company prepares for mass production. The factory is designed for 100GW of annual capacity.

AMD's Lisa Su reportedly revisiting South Korea in October to deepen HBM4, NPU ties

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:33:12 GMT

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CEO Lisa Su is reportedly set to visit South Korea again in October 2026, after her March 2026 trip, which formally launched next-generation AI memory cooperation with Samsung Electronics. The planned visit is expected to broaden that push, with meetings lined up with South Korean AI chip companies and government officials as AMD deepens its AI semiconductor alliance in the country.

Taiwan-US drone production lines near launch

Lily Hess — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:25:24 GMT

Production lines and testing facilities are now in place for the Taiwan-US attack drone Mighty Hornet IV, which is being developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology (NCSIST). The drone is expected to move into mass production soon, with both the newly opened campus in Chiayi County and a US production site shaping up as manufacturing bases.

Vulcan wins US Army drone magnet contract as China decoupling drives selection

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:11:27 GMT

US rare-earth magnet startup Vulcan Elements has reportedly won a supply contract for the US Army's SkyFoundry drone program, underscoring Washington's push to localize drone production and reduce reliance on China's rare-earth supply chain. Vulcan will produce high-performance neodymium-iron-boron magnets for the brushless DC motors used in small drones.

TSMC reportedly evaluates Texas fabs as US regional competition intensifies

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:07:21 GMT

TSMC is reportedly evaluating whether to build a second US manufacturing hub in Texas, potentially housing up to 6 advanced wafer fabs, as its US footprint continues to expand. The move follows the company's establishment of a massive semiconductor cluster in Arizona, which encompasses 12 fabs, advanced packaging facilities, and an R&D center.

Florida seeks order to block OpenAI AI model launches

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:05:09 GMT

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on September 28 asked a court for a temporary injunction to prevent OpenAI from developing new models without third-party-approved safety safeguards during the lawsuit, and to restrict minors' use of ChatGPT.

TDK and Taiyo Yuden to explore alliance on AI-grade capacitors and inductors

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 01:36:54 GMT

TDK and Taiyo Yuden have signed a memorandum of understanding to begin discussions on a business alliance to develop electronic components, including MLCCs and inductors jointly, the two Japanese companies announced on September 29, 2026. The talks will also cover cooperation in manufacturing and procurement, and the companies will consider a future capital alliance.

AIDC conducts counter-drone system drill to expand airspace protection for critical infrastructure

Eifeh Strom — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 01:29:20 GMT

Taiwanese aerospace company Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) said that after completing production of its advanced jet trainers, it will focus on accelerating the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The company is developing complete UAV systems in-house and has also expanded into counter-UAV system development.

Grand Pacific Petrochemical, Air Water join forces to expand Taiwan semiconductor materials business

Eifeh Strom — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 01:28:09 GMT

Taiwan-based chemical manufacturer Grand Pacific Petrochemical (GPPC) is optimizing its core business while actively expanding into high-tech and semiconductor materials-related industries, amid high oil prices and the reshaping of global trade flows. Company president Chia-hsiung Tseng stated that its strategic partnership with Japan-based industrial gas company Air Water (AWI) is a key move to connect GPPC to the semiconductor materials supply chain.

Broadcom-Toppan venture opens Singapore's first high-end FC-BGA substrate plant

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:43:41 GMT

Advanced Substrate Technologies (AST), a joint venture between Japan's Toppan Holdings and Broadcom, officially opened a manufacturing facility in Singapore on September 29, 2026, the first in the country capable of producing high-end flip chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates. The approximately 95,000-square-meter plant in the Jurong Lake District is the Toppan Group's first such facility outside Japan and is targeting the start of high-value manufacturing by late 2026, the companies said.

OpenAI leans on cheaper models and always-on agents at DevDay as flagship upgrade is shelved

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:42:40 GMT

OpenAI used its DevDay 2026 conference to compete on price and autonomy rather than raw capability, launching a midrange model priced at one-fifth of its flagship and a family of always-on agents a day after abandoning its planned flagship upgrade. The shift moves its rivalry with Anthropic, Meta and Google toward cost per task and agent platforms at a time when safety lapses are constraining how fast frontier models can ship.

Trump opts for voluntary AI audits over new rules after White House summit with tech chiefs

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:41:59 GMT

US President Donald Trump has responded to mounting alarm over rogue AI agents with a voluntary industry pledge, two executive orders, and a new name for the technology rather than new regulation, signaling that Washington intends to leave frontier-AI safety largely in companies' hands at least until after the November 3 midterm elections.

Memory shortage pushes TV semiconductors above panel costs

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:41:15 GMT

A global memory shortage linked to rising AI infrastructure spending has upended TV manufacturing economics, with semiconductor costs now overtaking display panels in some models. The shift, reported by ET News, could squeeze profitability at major TV makers including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.

Qualcomm sees smart glasses leading AI wearables boom; AI pins, pendants follow

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:40:58 GMT

Among personal AI devices beyond smartphones, smart glasses remain the fastest-growing category, according to Ziad Asghar, senior vice president and general manager of XR, wearables, and personal AI at Qualcomm. Speaking during a media Q&A at Snapdragon Summit 2026, Asghar noted that while smart glasses are drawing intense market focus and a steady stream of new product launches, AI pins and pendants are emerging right behind them to cater to users who prefer not to wear eyewear.

Acer turns 50, marks it with a musical produced by its founder

Willis Ke — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:38:56 GMT

Acer marked its 50th anniversary on September 28, 2026, with the premiere of Smile for Half a Century, a commemorative musical that traces the company's journey from a small startup to a global technology brand while looking ahead to its next chapter.

Commentary: Garmin returns to OLED, putting Micro LED on notice

Lily Hess — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:38:43 GMT

Garmin's decision to offer OLED options but no Micro LED version in its new flagship smartwatches, the fenix 9 and fenix 9 Pro, has revived debate over whether the emerging display technology is ready for sustained commercial competition. The shift comes about a year after Garmin launched the world's first Micro LED smartwatch, the fenix 8 Pro Micro LED in September 2025.

GlobalFoundries Singapore capacity utilization tops 90% as silicon photonics expansion hits equipment lead-time bottleneck

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:38:31 GMT

GlobalFoundries (GF) is expanding its Singapore footprint following its acquisition of local silicon photonics foundry Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF), integrating 200mm and 300mm silicon photonics technologies while transferring its existing US 300mm capabilities to Singapore.

From EVs to AI humanoid robots: Tesla leans on Chinese manufacturing once again

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:38:12 GMT

Energy, AI robotics, and autonomous vehicle maker Tesla is reportedly replicating its electric vehicle (EV) playbook by turning to Chinese manufacturing to support the supply chain ramp-up for its Optimus humanoid robot. In addition to conducting factory audits at three auto parts manufacturers in East China, a Tesla delegation also inspected related suppliers in cities such as Hangzhou and Shanghai.

Micro LED smartwatches set back as costs remain a fatal hurdle

Lily Hess — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:37:58 GMT

Micro LED has reached mass production in several end-market applications in recent years, but it is still facing intense competition from OLED. Garmin's new fenix 9 smartwatch has returned to an OLED panel, instead of using Micro LED display technology.

Neocloud lifts OEM buying as ODM-direct share slips below 80% in 2026

Charlene Chen — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:37:46 GMT

Taiwan-based server original design manufacturers (ODMs) have long been key partners for cloud service providers (CSPs) through the ODM-direct model, but the model's share is declining as neocloud customers ramp up AI demand. DIGITIMES Intelligence expects the ODM-direct share of contract manufacturing to fall to 79.1% in 2026, dropping below 80% for the first time.

AI boom strains PCB supply chain as materials, equipment shortages persist into 2027

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:37:35 GMT

Rapid growth in AI server and high-speed networking demand since the second half of 2025 has tightened supply across printed circuit boards (PCBs), integrated circuit (IC) substrates, and critical materials.

Inside China's 3D DRAM push: from lab to fab, and the road ahead

Charlene Chen — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:37:20 GMT

China's push into 3D DRAM is moving from early-stage research into wafer processes and equipment, with efforts spanning the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMECAS), the Beijing Superstring Memory Research Institute (SAMT), CXMT, and equipment maker NAURA Technology Group. The coordinated advance highlights both the momentum behind 3D DRAM and the technical hurdles still blocking mass production.

Apple iPhone Duo revives UDC battle as Samsung weighs trade-offs

Charlene Chen — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:37:05 GMT

Apple has launched its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, adopting under-display camera (UDC) technology long used by Samsung Electronics. The move puts all-screen design back at the center of foldable-phone competition and could pressure Samsung to reconsider its technology roadmap.

Dat Bike challenges VinFast with simpler EV scooter strategy

Charlene Chen — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:36:51 GMT

Vietnamese electric scooter brand Dat Bike has launched its family-oriented ERA model with a starting price of VND29.9 million (US$1,151.22), pairing it with a self-developed "integrated charger" that builds the charger directly into the vehicle's power system. The launch comes as Vietnam's electric two-wheeler market accelerates and Dat Bike sets its sights on market leader VinFast.

Exclusive: Advantech Korea eyes smart surgery, nursing AI PoCs

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:32:56 GMT

While Advantech's healthcare business in South Korea remains predominantly hardware-focused—spanning ultrasound computing platforms and medical display partnerships—Charlie Chung, Managing Director of Advantech Korea, identifies smart operating rooms (ORs) and smart nursing care as pivotal growth drivers for healthcare AI. Looking forward, Chung aims to initiate proof-of-concept (PoC) collaborations with local South Korean hospitals and medical device makers.

Meta reaches agreements with Firmus on securing AI compute in Southeast Asia

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:32:40 GMT

Meta reached several agreements to source AI compute capacity from Firmus, an Australian neocloud, which will lease GPU compute capacity at its AI factories in Southeast Asia. The deal is said to support Meta's AI expansion across the Asia-Pacific region, while Firmus notches another order from a major customer in the run-up to a potential public listing.

Rare earths loom over US-China trade truce

DIGITIMES — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:32:24 GMT

The US-China trade truce was extended after last week's Trump-Xi summit, but China's dominance of rare-earth supply chains remains a key pressure point as Washington tries to stabilize economic ties while reducing its dependence on Chinese critical minerals.

Amazon buys NT$1.59 billion stake in one of its Taiwanese AI server suppliers

Joseph Chen — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:01:23 GMT

Amazon will take an equity stake in Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE), a Taiwanese maker of printed circuit boards (PCBs) for AI servers and network switches. GCE's board approved the pricing of a NT$1.589 billion private share placement on September 29, with Amazon as the buyer. According to industry observers, it is rare for a major cloud provider to invest directly in a Taiwanese PCB maker. The deal turns a customer-supplier relationship into one where the customer also owns part of the company.