DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Xiaomi's AI strategy moves beyond models as MiMo becomes the intelligence layer across human-car-home ecosystem

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:20:57 GMT

As competition in artificial intelligence shifts from model development toward real-world deployment, Xiaomi is betting that its advantage will come not only from building foundation models, but from integrating those models across a broad hardware ecosystem spanning smartphones, smart homes, and electric vehicles.

Google's Marvell warrant vests through fiscal 2033 across five chip categories — TPU sourcing widens past one supplier

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:11:24 GMT

Marvell Technology has issued Google a warrant to purchase up to 58,970,907 shares of its common stock at US$206.58 per share, according to a Form 8-K signed on August 19, 2026, by Mark Casper, the company's executive vice president, chief legal officer, and secretary. The filing does more than register a financing detail. It puts a company signature under a set of supply-chain reports that have circulated since the spring, and it attaches a dollar meter to how far the relationship is expected to run.

WRC 2026: Unitree GD01 mecha, Ubtech bionic U1 headline China's humanoid robot showcase

Levi Li — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:06:10 GMT

The 2026 World Robot Conference (WRC) recently opened in Beijing, with humanoid robots remaining the event's biggest focus. With China continuing to lead global humanoid robot shipments and the conference reaching new highs in scale each year, WRC has become a key showcase for humanoid robot makers to demonstrate their latest capabilities.

Marvell-Google deal expands custom AI chip ambitions

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:59:58 GMT

Marvell Technology is set to deepen its role in Google's AI infrastructure through an expanded agreement to develop custom chips, in a deal that could generate roughly US$120 billion in revenue for the chipmaker through fiscal 2033 if Google meets purchasing targets tied to the warrant, according to Reuters.

Nvidia and AMD chase US open model lead as China shifts race

Charlene Chen — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:57:33 GMT

Hugging Face's latest summer 2026 open model report says Chinese labs have continued to lead in frontier open-model parameter scale since 2026, while the US center of competition has shifted from model labs such as Meta and Google to chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD.

InPsytech 1H26 revenue jumps over 50% on AI data center wins

Charlene Chen — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:57:21 GMT

InPsytech held its second-quarter 2026 earnings briefing and reported strong first-half results, with first-half revenue reaching NT$289 million (approx. US$9 million), up 50.4% from the same period in 2025. Net profit after tax came in at NT$89 million, underscoring the gradual impact of the company's core IP business and global expansion strategy.

Fudan Microelectronics profit jumps 339%, FPGA localisation gains traction

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:56:57 GMT

Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group reported a sharp first-half earnings increase in 2026, helped by stronger semiconductor demand, rising sales across its chip portfolio and investment gains, while tightening global FPGA supply is creating fresh opportunities for Chinese suppliers.

CXMT planned to use Samsung process data to develop DRAM, ex-engineer says

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:56:42 GMT

A former Samsung Electronics researcher has testified that ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) intended from its earliest days to develop DRAM using Samsung process data, an account that contrasts with the Chinese memory maker's description of its technology development in the prospectus for its recent Shanghai listing.

LG targets 100,000 hours of robot training data ahead of 2027 humanoid debut

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:56:24 GMT

LG Electronics is scaling up its robot training infrastructure with Nvidia, targeting 100,000 hours of real and synthetic data by the end of 2026 as it pushes its physical AI strategy toward commercialization. LG plans to use the data to improve its proprietary Robot Foundation Model (RFM) and unveil a bipedal humanoid in the first quarter of 2027, according to ETNews.

Robotics leaders present future of physical AI, but also deployment challenges

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:56:10 GMT

Tech leaders converged at the 2026 International Robotic Forum on August 19, where they laid out their visions for the evolution and next stages of physical AI. They noted that a robot's success does not lie simply in demonstrations or prototypes, but in whether it can function in real-world settings like factories, address safety concerns, and meet the needs of real customers.

Beyond Starlink: the LEO satellite market enters a multi-constellation race

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:55:51 GMT

For years, SpaceX's Starlink has defined the commercial low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite market, transforming satellite connectivity from a niche communications technology into a global broadband platform.

Solomon unveils AI vision tools for smart manufacturing at Automation Taipei 2026

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:55:44 GMT

AI vision company Solomon is presenting new factory automation tools at Automation Taipei 2026, including an agentic physical AI platform, AR smart wiring guidance, and a next-generation 3D vision camera. The demonstrations are aimed at smart manufacturing, autonomous robotics, and AI server assembly use cases.

Intel Malaysia packaging expansion draws HBM flows from Taiwan

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:55:42 GMT

South Korean export data showed a sharp shift in high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, shipments toward Malaysia and away from Taiwan, according to SemiAnalysis ChipBook. The shift suggested that some HBM shipments previously sent to Taiwan for TSMC's CoWoS packaging might be redirected to packaging plants in Malaysia.

LandSpace nails China's first private orbital booster landing, advancing reusable rocket race

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:55:39 GMT

Chinese commercial space startup LandSpace successfully launched its Zhuque-3 Y2 carrier rocket on August 19 from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone (part of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center), placing Hongqing Technology's independently developed Honghu-03 satellite into its designated orbit. The rocket's first stage then completed a soft landing at a recovery site in Minqin County, Gansu, marking a successful mission.

China dominates global robot shipments as World Robot Conference opens in Beijing

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:55:37 GMT

While robotics companies worldwide vie for business opportunities, Chinese vendors currently account for more than 90% of global humanoid robot shipments and occupy all five top positions by shipment volume, demonstrating China's strong position in humanoid robot development.

Gujarat's 12-hour shift approval for Micron shows how India is rewriting labour rules to court chipmakers

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:55:24 GMT

The Gujarat government's approval of 12-hour work shifts at Micron Technology's Sanand assembly and test plant is more than just a single-factory ruling. It is the clearest sign yet that Indian states are willing to reshape decades-old labor rules to fit the round-the-clock demands of semiconductor manufacturing, as they compete for a slice of a global chip supply chain shifting away from China.

Techman Robot lifts SI mix to 20% as server-heavier builds spur robot demand

Charlene Chen — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:18:51 GMT

Techman Robot said on August 19 at Automation Taipei 2026 that it remains cautiously optimistic about the second half of 2026, expecting business to outperform the first half on continued strength in semiconductors and system integration (SI). The company also said server manufacturing's shift toward larger, heavier builds is creating new demand for high-payload robots.

Samsung repays 20 trillion won SDC loan early as memory demand surges

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:17:36 GMT

Samsung Electronics fully repaid a KRW20 trillion unsecured loan from Samsung Display ahead of schedule in the second quarter of 2026, according to South Korean publication ZDNet Korea and filings in the Financial Supervisory Service's DART system. The early repayment came as AI-related demand lifted memory prices and strengthened the company's cash position.

AI server market CAGR nears 40%; rack power density surging 100-fold poses grid strain

Yunnie Cheng — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:16:30 GMT

Speaking at the 2026 Taiwan AI Academy Annual Conference held on August 18 at Academia Sinica's Social Sciences building, Neo Yao, CEO of Foxconn's Visionbay.ai, and Huang-Jen Chiu, CTO of Delta Power and Systems Business Group, delivered keynote addresses emphasizing a stark reality: AI server shipment growth is severely outstripping power supply capabilities. Both executives urged that sustainable industry growth cannot rely solely on hardware expansion, calling for a stronger focus on software ecosystems and application development to build a balanced value chain.

YMTC parent advances IPO as NAND share hits 14% and AI storage scales

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:15:42 GMT

Yangtze Memory Technologies Holding, the parent of Chinese NAND flash maker YMTC, has completed a key stage of its pre-IPO process just as the memory maker gains global market share, expands enterprise storage products and prepares another round of capacity growth.

Gamers pivot to high-margin peripherals as PC price pressures drive double-digit growth in gaming monitors

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:15:11 GMT

High PC hardware prices are pushing gamers to delay full-system replacements and redirect their budgets toward targeted upgrades, driving strong demand for high-margin peripherals and gaming monitors, according to the latest data from market intelligence firm CONTEXT.

Innolux turns panel fabs into FOPLP capacity, banking on sticky advanced packaging ties

Levi Li — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:14:40 GMT

Innolux is accelerating its dual-track transformation and asset-light strategy, with second-quarter 2026 earnings per share rising 185% sequentially to NT$0.57. After disposing of Fab 2, Fab 5, and a small module plant, chairman Jim Hung said the company had reached an optimal stage in external asset sales and would now focus on repurposing existing production space for semiconductor processes, particularly fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP).

WPG sees chip supply remaining tight into 2027, plans NT$15 billion convertible bond sale

Sherri Wang — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:14:11 GMT

Taiwan-based IC distributor WPG Holdings expects AI-driven semiconductor demand to remain strong into 2027, with capacity tight across both advanced and mature process nodes, even as rising memory prices weigh on smartphone and PC shipments.

High-end PCB supply tightens as CCL expansions face delays

Sherri Wang — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:13:42 GMT

As AI applications demand faster data transmission from PCBs, M8 and higher-grade copper-clad laminate (CCL) materials are becoming increasingly mainstream in server boards. The shift is creating a supply gap, prompting suppliers in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and China to race to add capacity for higher-margin materials.

Sunplus expects automotive orders to rise in 3Q26 as memory costs threaten demand

Sherri Wang — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:13:18 GMT

Taiwanese IC design house Sunplus Technology expects its automotive orders to strengthen further in the third quarter of 2026, but warned that rising memory and component costs could weigh on overall market demand and dampen customers' willingness to place orders.

Rising demand for CPO, SiPh reshapes semiconductor testing

Rodney Chan — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:12:57 GMT

As chip power consumption, transmission speed and architectural complexity increase, testing has shifted from being a final pre-shipment quality gate to an earlier stage in product development and ramp-to-volume, according to KPMG managing director Jesse Chen, who previously worked at IBM and in venture capital. That shift is making testing a critical factor in product verification, yield ramp and supply chain stability.

Xiaomi's AI-EV Pivot gains momentum as memory costs pressure Q226 smartphone business

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:12:34 GMT

Xiaomi is accelerating its transition from a smartphone-focused electronics manufacturer toward a broader technology ecosystem company, as artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles (EVs) and smart connected devices become increasingly important growth drivers while its core smartphone business faces rising component costs.

India's chipmaking push faces its real test after initial wafers: yield

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:11:15 GMT

India's semiconductor manufacturing drive will face one of its toughest tests after equipment is installed and production begins: whether new fabs can consistently produce enough working chips to compete with established plants.

AI chip strategies echo StarCraft factions as memory bottleneck reshapes the race

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:10:43 GMT

The global semiconductor ecosystem is facing an unprecedented shortage of memory chips, with hardware growth increasingly constrained by memory availability. At the same time, capacity at the world's leading advanced chipmakers has been fully booked, turning packaging capacity and memory allocation into major challenges for the broader AI market.

AI models show softer responses on authoritarian leaders, report finds

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:09:20 GMT

U.S.-based AI models were found to avoid direct criticism of authoritarian leaders more often than democratic ones, according to a July report from the Meta-funded Oversight Board. The findings raised concerns for enterprise users and AI developers because the pattern also appeared more often in Chinese-language prompts, where models were more likely to return pro-China responses.

Manz Asia targets PLP demand with three lines and three sizes

Charlene Chen — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:22:10 GMT

Manz Asia is broadening its push into panel-level packaging (PLP) as interest in the technology continues to rise. General manager Robert Lin said the company has shipped more than 50 panel-level electrochemical deposition (ECD) systems cumulatively from 2016 to 2026, covering sizes from 310mm to 700mm and spanning both R&D and production equipment.

SK Hynix to cancel record KRW40tn in shares, signalling confidence in a long AI memory cycle

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:09:40 GMT

SK hynix said on August 19 that its board had approved a plan to repurchase and cancel KRW40 trillion (roughly US$29 billion) of its own shares, the largest share buyback and cancellation ever undertaken by a company listed in South Korea.

China accelerates Microsoft Windows 10 exit from state systems

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:55:00 GMT

China is accelerating efforts to remove foreign technology from sensitive state-linked systems, ordering some government-affiliated entities to uninstall a customised version of Microsoft Windows 10 months ahead of schedule.

Nvidia H200 chips reach China as imports remain limited

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:03:51 GMT

ByteDance and Tencent have each received about 10,000 Nvidia H200 processors in mainland China in recent weeks, the Financial Times reported, marking the clearest sign yet that Beijing's import reviews are translating into meaningful deliveries after months of regulatory uncertainty.

Vietnam eyes city upgrades for Samsung hub Bac Ninh and Quang Ninh

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 06:40:24 GMT

Vietnam is considering plans to turn Bac Ninh, a major Samsung Electronics manufacturing hub, and Quang Ninh into centrally administered cities as the country builds out its northern electronics, semiconductor and logistics base.