DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Research Insight: Inside Tesla's bet on Optimus to offset slowing EV growth

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 03:29:14 GMT

Tesla's push into humanoid robots signals the company's effort to offset a cooling electric vehicle market and intensifying competition from Chinese automakers. The strategy could help reshape its growth outlook, but it also raises the stakes for execution, scale, and cost reduction.

Samsung, Hyundai expand AI push from chips to robotics

DIGITIMES — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 03:26:52 GMT

Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Group used the San Francisco AI Summit to outline separate artificial intelligence (AI) expansion plans spanning semiconductors, autonomous driving and robotics.

Apple reportedly seeks 20% iPhone 18 OLED price cut despite costlier M16 panels

DIGITIMES — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 03:18:28 GMT

Apple is pressing Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) for steep price reductions on OLED panels for the iPhone 18 series as rising memory and storage costs increase handset production expenses.

Weekly news roundup: Samsung and SK Hynix favor DDR5, Intel accelerates 18A, Alibaba deepens CXMT ties

DIGITIMES — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 03:14:53 GMT

AI infrastructure, memory and advanced chipmaking led this week's tech agenda, with Intel, Samsung, SK Hynix, CXMT, Alibaba and Foxconn reshaping capacity and supply chains. Below are the most-read DIGITIMES stories from the week of July 20-26, 2026.

CXMT's US$8.6 billion IPO sets off new spending cycle across China's DRAM supply chain

DIGITIMES — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 02:56:16 GMT

China's leading DRAM producer CXMT listed on Shanghai's STAR Market on July 27 after raising about CNY57.9 billion (approx. US$8.6 billion), the board's largest initial public offering to date. The deal gives the memory chipmaker fresh capital to expand capacity, develop advanced processes and accelerate new products, while creating a substantial demand pipeline for China's semiconductor equipment, materials, packaging and memory-module suppliers.

Jensen Huang backs open-weight AI as report says OpenAI, Anthropic lobby for tighter controls

DIGITIMES — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 02:02:34 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has backed open-weight artificial intelligence (AI) models in his first post on X, adding weight to a widening industry dispute over whether advanced AI should remain tightly controlled or be more broadly shared as competition with China accelerates.

India's HCLTech plans US$4.4B AI data center

DIGITIMES — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 01:26:23 GMT

HCLTech said it plans to establish its first AI data center at the upcoming Odisha Sovereign AI Park, marking a further step in its expansion into the full-stack artificial intelligence market through a partnership with AI startup Sarvam and the Government of Odisha.

DeepSeek reportedly pauses second funding round amid market and geopolitical scrutiny

DIGITIMES — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 01:23:09 GMT

Chinese artificial intelligence pioneer DeepSeek has verbally informed prospective investors that it is suspending its second fundraising round, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. The unexpected halt comes just days after leaked transcripts attributed to founder Liang Wenfeng sparked widespread online discussion about China's reliance on US hardware and its technological lag relative to American rivals.

IDMs target AI margins, boosting Taiwan power suppliers

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 01:10:43 GMT

International IDMs such as Texas Instruments (TI) and STMicroelectronics are leaning into AI data-center demand, while the market's shift toward 400V and 800V power architectures is creating a longer runway for power semiconductors. Industry sources said the move could benefit Taiwanese suppliers in midrange products, with pricing gains extending into the second half of 2025 and, in some cases, 2027.

AMD widens robotics push with Taiwan IPC partners as it targets Nvidia lead

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 01:10:32 GMT

AMD is deepening its robot and physical AI ambitions, and the move could matter far beyond Taiwan's industrial PC sector. By building a broader partner network in edge AI and robotics, the chipmaker aims to challenge Nvidia as global developers and manufacturers seek cheaper, faster paths to autonomous systems.

TIER says Taiwan exports and investment can help absorb geopolitical shocks

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:57:34 GMT

Taiwan's export and investment momentum remained strong enough to partly offset geopolitical shocks, according to the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER). The think tank said the island was facing rising volatility in energy and commodity prices, along with added pressure on global supply chains, financial markets and inflation.

TIER lifts Taiwan 2026 growth forecast and flags AI bubble risks

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:56:38 GMT

Taiwan Institute of Economic Research raised its forecast for Taiwan's 2026 gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 10.38% and said the artificial intelligence investment boom has become a major uncertainty for the global economy and financial markets. The revision followed upward updates from Academia Sinica and Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, while TIER said exports, investment and consumption have been extremely strong since 2026 began.

SK Telecom forms SK Hyper to build 15GW of AI data centers by 2035

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:55:47 GMT

SK Telecom has created a dedicated subsidiary, SK Hyper, to develop AI data center businesses and expand South Korea's domestic AI infrastructure. The move supports the government's "AI three major powers" strategy and gives the carrier a new vehicle for building and operating large-scale AI data center capacity.

GM China restructuring delivers seven straight profitable quarters

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:54:36 GMT

General Motors reported seven consecutive profitable quarters in China in its second quarter 2026 results, even as the market remains defined by an intense price war that has pressured European, US, Japanese and South Korean automakers. The results showed that GM's early restructuring in China helped it preserve earnings by shifting away from scale and toward a more defensive operating model.

German automakers cuts prices in China as EV rivals pressure luxury sales

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:53:49 GMT

Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi have been cutting prices in China since early 2026 as inventory rose and the premium market shifted toward new energy vehicles led by Chinese brands. The German luxury trio, often referred to as BBA, has faced increasing pressure to use discounts and dealer incentives to protect sales momentum through 2026.

Aluminum gains ground as high copper prices push substitution across industries

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:52:49 GMT

Aluminum substitution for copper gained momentum in 2026 as elevated raw material costs and cost-cutting pressure spread across the auto, power and appliance sectors. The shift was driven by geopolitical tensions and the view that copper prices had little room for a sharp decline.

Nokia says AI spending is driving optical networking demand

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:51:14 GMT

AI data center spending is pushing high-speed networking higher on enterprise procurement lists, and Nokia said its optical and IP networks have become major growth engines. The company linked the shift to rising demand for data center interconnect and optical interconnect products as large AI clusters expand.

Samsung bolsters energy team as chip projects test power supply

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:47:27 GMT

Samsung Group is recruiting current and former government energy officials for its in-house think tank as electricity infrastructure emerges as a key issue for its semiconductor expansion in Yongin and the proposed Honam chip cluster.

Column: Enterprise AI asset is learning loops, not models

Jingyue Hsiao — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:47:05 GMT

For the past two decades, enterprise information governance has focused on protecting data through classification, encryption, backups, and internal containment. That remains essential, but in the AI era, competitive advantage increasingly comes not from data itself, but from how effectively companies turn it into operational improvement.

GIGAIPC eyes retail, manufacturing and healthcare as edge AI adoption accelerates

Scarlett Yu — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:46:49 GMT

GIGAIPC, an edge AI and industrial computing subsidiary of Gigabyte Technology, is set to begin trading on Taiwan's Emerging Stock Market on July 27. The company plans to deepen its presence in smart retail and edge AI-enabled manufacturing while positioning healthcare as its next major growth market.

SDC and LGD showcase shift to IT OLED at K-Display 2026

Rodney Chan — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:46:14 GMT

South Korea's display giants, Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD), are showcasing a shift in their product focus at the K-Display 2026 exhibition from traditional TVs to IT and gaming applications, underscoring weak TV demand and the rising importance of OLED for monitors and notebooks. The trend has turned IT OLED applications into a key growth engine.

AI demand, aluminium foil costs trigger rare capacitor price rises across China, Japan and Taiwan

Levi Li — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:45:25 GMT

Rising raw material costs and tightening supply of high-end components for AI applications have triggered an unusual round of price increases across the aluminium capacitor industry, with major suppliers in Japan, China and Taiwan moving to protect margins.

Industrial PC orders rise on edge AI demand

Sherri Wang — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:45:09 GMT

Industrial PC vendors are seeing order momentum strengthen as edge AI and physical AI applications spread beyond data centers into factories and other physical environments, marking what vendors describe as a new growth cycle for the sector.

Commentary: Why are Chinese automakers finding it so hard to cut dependence on CATL?

Charlene Chen — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:44:46 GMT

China's new energy vehicle (NEV) supply chain has risen rapidly, with an operating model that differs sharply from the century-old mainstream automakers in Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea. A quality issue triggered by GAC Aion's use of CALB's LFP batteries has revived discussions of its past disputes with CATL. Across the industry, the long-running tug of war between Chinese automakers and dominant battery suppliers has continued to deepen the low-margin, even loss-making, dilemma facing carmakers.

Sovereign AI promises independence, but often deepens reliance on US vendors, Stanford report says

Jingyue Hsiao — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:44:23 GMT

Stanford researchers say the global push for sovereign AI is producing a paradox for governments seeking digital independence. The latest report from Stanford HAI argues that offerings from Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI often repackage dependence on US technology rather than reduce it, leaving countries with more control over location and jurisdiction, but not over the underlying stack.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics starts pilot production of camera modules for humanoid robots in Vietnam, report says

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:44:07 GMT

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) has begun pilot production of camera modules for humanoid robots at its manufacturing base in Vietnam, Maeil Business Newspaper reported, citing industry sources.

Apacer 2Q26 profit tops full-year record on memory shortage

Lily Hess — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:43:46 GMT

Memory module maker Apacer Technology posted record quarterly profit in the second quarter of 2026, lifted by the memory shortage and surging prices. Net profit reached NT$2.7 billion (approx. US$83.8 million), up 45.7% from the prior quarter, surpassing its full-year profit in any previous year, while the earnings per share (EPS) came to NT$20.9. First-half profit also jumped nearly 20-fold from the same period in 2025.

ZDT-led China PCB expansion tops US$10 billion on AI server and edge AI demand

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:43:29 GMT

China's printed circuit board (PCB) industry is entering a new investment cycle, with more than CNY70 billion (approx. US$10.3 billion) committed in 2026 as AI servers, high-speed optical modules and edge devices lift demand for advanced boards.

India roundup: India accelerates electronics and space ambitions as manufacturing and market shifts reshape its tech ecosystem

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:42:59 GMT

India expanded manufacturing incentives, entered private orbital launches, attracted new investment, and faced smartphone demand pressures amid rising component costs.

Samsung, LG Display chiefs talk 2H26 memory headwinds and OLED push

Lily Hess — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:42:25 GMT

Samsung Display's (SDC) and LG Display's (LGD) presidents told media at the K-Display 2026 show that memory-related cost pressure will persist into the second half of 2026, even as both companies step up OLED investment and technology development to defend competitiveness through differentiation and customer-focused strategies.

Taiwan's AIDC is turning a decade of AI manufacturing know-how into a business model

Lily Hess — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:42:09 GMT

Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has spent nearly a decade pushing AI adoption, moving from smart manufacturing in 2015 to full-scale generative AI deployment in 2024, and turning years of production experience into digital corporate assets. Information chief I-ting Fang said the company now hopes to transform its AI and smart manufacturing expertise into a business model that can help more suppliers and manufacturers accelerate AI transformation.

Disco lifts first-half profit forecast on steady AI equipment demand

DIGITIMES — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:41:25 GMT

Japanese semiconductor equipment maker Disco expects net profit for the six months ending September 30, 2026, to rise 32% year over year to JPY73.8 billion (approx. US$461 million), supported by continued demand for equipment and consumables used in AI-related semiconductor production.

AI agents reshape smart cars as auto industry shifts toward AIDV

Lily Hess — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:41:03 GMT

As the global electric vehicle (EV) market enters a growth adjustment phase, the auto industry is shifting from "electrification" toward "intelligence," while AI agents move rapidly from the cloud to end devices. Qualcomm says the end devices with which future AI agents will mainly interact include about 6 billion smartphones, 2 billion AI wearables, 2 billion PCs, and 500 million connected cars, underscoring how vehicles are becoming a key gateway to AI services.

AUO's Micro LED push signals a broader shift from displays to smart interfaces

Jingyue Hsiao — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 23:47:36 GMT

AUO says its Micro LED technology is moving beyond screens and into a broader smart interface platform, even as one high-profile automotive project was shelved. The company argues that years of development, a growing production base, and expanding use cases have strengthened its position in a market still shaped by slow vehicle approvals and shifting electric vehicle strategies.

Toshiba cuts Kioxia stake as memory maker's valuation swings

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 23:47:20 GMT

Toshiba reduced its holding in Kioxia Holdings to 15.1% as of July 15, according to filings reported by Nikkei and Reuters. The change report, submitted to Japan's Kanto Local Finance Bureau on July 23, showed the Japanese conglomerate's stake had fallen from 16.1% in the previous filing on May 11.