DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

GlobalWafers to increase prices, targets 4Q26 shipments for square wafers, Asia capacity fully booked

Emily Kuo — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:53:20 GMT

GlobalWafers held its shareholders' meeting on May 25, where CEO Doris Hsu stated that the semiconductor market in 2026 has gradually moved beyond 2025's two extremes, when only AI and advanced process technologies dominated growth. In 2026, non-AI and traditional application markets began to recover, making market conditions thrive.

SK Hynix moves cooling directly to D2D PHY to tackle rising HBM heat challenges

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:50:49 GMT

Heat management has become a critical challenge as HBM technology advances, with higher stacking and faster speeds to meet surging global demand for AI data processing. Efficient control of power density in the die-to-die physical layer between HBM and GPUs is now central to next-generation HBM competitiveness and data center reliability.

China pushes homegrown AI stack with local chips, LLMs

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:36:18 GMT

Following the conclusion of the Trump-Xi meeting and amid continued delays in China approving imports of Nvidia H20 GPUs, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on May 22 sent a strong policy signal on artificial intelligence (AI) self-sufficiency, explicitly calling for greater efforts to pair domestic large language models with domestically developed computing chips.

Taiwan's quantum research enters second phase, eyeing Finland for HPQC collab

Rodney Chan — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:36:01 GMT

Taiwan's state-funded quantum technology research team will enter a second phase running from 2027 to 2031, with a focus on accelerating the transfer of research results to leading companies, according to Shangjr Gwo, who heads the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) quantum systems task force. Speaking at the 13th Taiwan-Finland Business Forum in Taipei on May 25, Gwo, convener of the Taiwan Quantum Program Office, said Finland is expected to be a key partner in advancing HPQC hybrid computing and integrating QPU, CPU, and GPU systems more effectively.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan Taiwan-bound for closed-door meetings ahead of Computex

Sherri Wang — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:32:54 GMT

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is set to arrive in Taiwan this weekend, joining AMD CEO Lisa Su and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in a high-stakes push by the world's top chip leaders to deepen ties with Taiwanese partners ahead of Computex 2026.

Taiwan MLCC makers plug into AI server demand

Charlene Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:18:58 GMT

AI servers are driving a surge in demand for high-end passive components, rapidly eating into multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) capacity and extending lead times to more than 16–20 weeks. As a result, some orders that once went to major Japanese and South Korean suppliers are gradually spilling over to Taiwan-based makers.

Wingtech sues Nexperia for US$1.2B as it fights delisting risk

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:18:17 GMT

Wingtech Technology, the Chinese tech company that owns Dutch semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia, has filed a civil lawsuit against Nexperia and five defendants for alleged damages worth CNY8 billion (approx. US$1.2 billion). The case is the latest development of the legal troubles between the Chinese company and its subsidiary following the Dutch government's seizure of the company in late 2025 for national security reasons.

Holy Stone Enterprise says AI power surge will deepen global MLCC shortages

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:59:10 GMT

Holy Stone Enterprise warns that AI-driven power upgrades are creating global shortages and record demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), with lead times beyond 20 weeks and tighter supply expected through 2027. The developments could reshape supply chains for servers, data centers, and high-power consumer electronics worldwide, and accelerate global investment in components.

TP-Link India begins local manufacturing of Wi‑Fi 7, aiming to boost global supply

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:52:04 GMT

TP-Link India has started local production of Wi‑Fi 7 devices, beginning with the Omada EAP770 enterprise access point, a move that could accelerate the adoption of next‑generation wireless worldwide. The decision follows India's delicensing of the lower 6 GHz band and positions the company to serve domestic and select international markets, according to The Times of India, AP7AM, and The Statesman.

Micron expands US DDR4 output as AI keeps global supply tight

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:48:35 GMT

As Micron Technology's decision to restart large-scale DDR4 production in the US grabs global attention, memory-chip executives and analysts say the move is less a revival of aging technology than a strategic reshuffling of supply aimed at safeguarding critical American industries.

Lightmatter joins TSMC on COUPE for 3D optical engines

Lily Hess — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:37:15 GMT

AI computing's massive demand for infrastructure is making interconnect and laser technologies key to overcoming power and bandwidth limits, prompting silicon photonics unicorn Lightmatter to unveil its latest laser product, Guide DR. To advance its 3D-stacked silicon photonics engine, Lightmatter is also working closely with TSMC using its Compact Universal Photonic Engine (COUPE) platform.

NTT updates tsuzumi 2 to read charts and boost numerical reasoning

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:23:31 GMT

NTT updated its lightweight Japanese large language model, tsuzumi 2, to better understand charts, graphs, and other visuals in business documents, thereby strengthening numerical and logical reasoning. The change is aimed at on-premises and private-cloud deployments that handle sensitive data, with implications for multinational firms and organizations that need secure, accurate Japanese document processing.

Advantech deepens partnerships in South Korea to push hybrid edge for manufacturing AI

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:19:50 GMT

Advantech has deepened partnerships with Nvidia, AMD, and South Korean startups to push a hybrid edge architecture for manufacturing AI, promising faster on-site inference and continuous cloud-driven model updates. Global manufacturers could use this approach to scale Physical AI across factories while managing compute, protocol, and sensor challenges for worldwide adoption.

Recharge Power to list and partner with J&V to pursue millisecond-response storage for AI data centers

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:17:37 GMT

J&V Energy Technology announced the launch of a subsidiary focused on supercomputing. It said its system-level energy storage unit, Recharge Power, will list on the emerging stock board on May 27 as the two firms target energy storage infrastructure for AI computing centers. The move responds to rising GPU power demands and aims to capture growth from the convergence of AI and energy in Taiwan and abroad.

Castrol moves into AI liquid-cooling testing and lifecycle services for data centers

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:13:06 GMT

Castrol is expanding from supplying cooling fluids to providing liquid-cooling testing and lifecycle services for AI data centers, the firm announced, as demand for faster deployment and reliable operation grows. The company said its Silicon Valley laboratory opened in 2026 to deliver load bank testing and simulation of power and liquid-cooling infrastructure before customer site deployment, targeting containerized data centers and hyperscale environments.

Chun Yuan Steel positions for growth as Toyota readies Taiwan production base

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:10:17 GMT

Chun Yuan Steel outlined strategic moves on May 25 as it pursues new growth opportunities tied to Toyota's plan to establish a Taiwan production base and to rising demand from China's southern low-altitude economy and robotics sectors. Executives said the company will prioritize automation and targeted investments rather than rapid capacity expansion, and flagged the second half of 2026 as a period when automotive materials demand should improve.

Samsung unveils industry-first 6K Odyssey gaming monitor as China ramps panel competition

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:08:11 GMT

Samsung Electronics announced a new 2026 gaming monitor lineup that includes the industry's first 6K (6,144×3,456) gaming display, positioning the company to defend high-end monitor share as China's display industry intensifies competition. The launch, disclosed in South Korean media reports and company statements, introduced four Odyssey models and highlighted partnerships and panel sourcing moves across the Korean display ecosystem.

Longwell joins Nvidia AI server supply chain and speeds Thailand expansion for AI and LEO demand

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:07:09 GMT

Longwell, a cable and connector supplier, said on May 25 that it has entered Nvidia's supply chain for the next-generation AI server platform after its high-power cables passed the latest chip platform certification and moved into market qualification and pilot production. Shipments were expected to begin in the second half of 2026, with volumes set to expand further in 2027, the company announced.

ADATA outlines cloud-to-edge AI ecosystem and cost-cutting AI Scaler at COMPUTEX 2026

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:05:36 GMT

ADATA Technology said it will present a cloud-to-edge artificial intelligence ecosystem at COMPUTEX 2026, bringing together its enterprise storage brand TRUSTA, ADATA Industrial, gaming brand XPG, and AIoT unit ATrack to showcase hardware and software integrations across data centers, PCs, and edge devices. The company announced partnerships and cross-domain integrations with Nvidia, Intel, Advantech, Asus ROG, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock, and Razer. It highlighted solutions aimed at reducing deployment costs and extending AI to smart living and mobility scenarios.

TECO completes Malaysia's Dynaciate acquisition to boost data center build capacity

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:03:33 GMT

TECO Electric & Machinery announced on the 25th that it signed an agreement to acquire about 78% of Malaysian engineering firm Dynaciate Engineering Sdn. Bhd. for roughly 200 million ringgit (about NT$1.6 billion). The closing was targeted by the end of August and the firm said the move is intended to expand TECO's data center infrastructure footprint in Southeast Asia to serve global cloud service provider customers.

Powerchip unveils 3D AI Foundry with 3D WoW DRAM stacking at COMPUTEX 2026

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 23:57:50 GMT

Powerchip announced it will present a "3D AI Foundry" showcase at COMPUTEX 2026 to demonstrate 3D wafer-on-wafer (WoW) DRAM stacking, interposers, and Si-cap integrated passive devices as part of an end-to-end offering for AI chips, addressing rising demand for GenAI and high-performance computing for memory capacity, bandwidth, and energy efficiency. The firm said it is leveraging its combined logic and memory processing capabilities, along with customer IP and product design services, to target AI workloads facing growing memory bandwidth and power constraints.

Samsung's silicon photonics push adds new layer to Korea-Dutch chip ties

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:44:43 GMT

South Korea and the Netherlands are looking to broaden their semiconductor partnership beyond ASML's EUV lithography machines, as silicon photonics (SiPh) emerges as a potential next field of cooperation amid rising power and bandwidth demands from AI data centers.

Inside China's humanoid robot boom: Price war, fractured supply chains

Levi Li — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:44:28 GMT

China's humanoid robot market is expanding rapidly, but intensifying price competition and growing concerns over product reliability are beginning to expose structural weaknesses across the supply chain.

Analysis: Nvidia's Vera CPU opens new front in data center chip race

Sherri Wang — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:44:10 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is pushing the company deeper into the CPU market, betting that the rise of agentic AI will create a new growth engine beyond the GPUs that made Nvidia the dominant supplier of AI computing hardware.

Japan's carmakers stopped fighting Chinese EVs — and started copying them

Elaine Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:43:58 GMT

As China's auto market races deeper into the electric-vehicle era, Japanese automakers that once dominated the country through powerful joint ventures are beginning to show signs of recovery after years of steep decline. Their turnaround, industry executives say, has come only after embracing a strategy once considered unthinkable: building cars that look, feel, and are priced much more like Chinese domestic brands.

Kioxia targets 2027 BiCS 10 NAND production as Samsung, SK Hynix hold back investment

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:43:41 GMT

Kioxia is targeting 2027 production of its 10th-generation BiCS 10 NAND, a move that could help the Japanese memory maker narrow its technology gap with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as the South Korean rivals delay investment in their own next-generation NAND technologies, according to ZDNet Korea.

TSMC promises faster bonus growth in 2026 after employees threaten Samsung-style strike

Eifeh Strom — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:42:56 GMT

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will reportedly cut employee bonuses by 15%, prompting some employees to voice dissatisfaction on social media. They argued that while TSMC's profits have soared, the share allocated to employee bonuses has decreased rather than increased, with some employees threatening to follow Samsung Electronics' union with a strike to fight for their rights.

Taiwan, China wafer foundry industry, 2Q 2026: Cross-strait revenues to surge over 25%

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 09:10:15 GMT

Taiwan and China's wafer foundry industry off-season was not slow, and the price hike effect will drive up cross-strait industry revenues in the second quarter of 2026 and full-year 2026.

Japan's Axelspace plans mid-2026 SpaceX launch for next-gen Earth observation constellation

Elaine Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 08:15:00 GMT

Japanese space startup Axelspace has formally announced plans to launch up to seven next-generation GRUS-3 Earth-observation microsatellites in as early as July 2026 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket operated by SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base, significantly expanding the company's commercial satellite constellation.

Beyond Silicon Valley: Lam Capital's startup contest goes global

Charlene Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Lam Research's Lam Capital recently held its fourth startup competition, drawing teams from the US, South Korea, Singapore, India, and Taiwan to vie for a sizeable prize pool. US startup Lightfinder won the top prize with a proposal centered on silicon photonics and intelligent software for a chip-scale spectrometer.

BYD and Chery lead China's advance into Europe's EV market

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:45:00 GMT

Chinese automakers are rapidly gaining ground in Europe's electric-vehicle market, underscoring a transformation from low-cost challengers into formidable global competitors.

Physical AI boosts edge demand, lifting IPC order visibility

Charlene Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:30:00 GMT

According to market research firms, the global edge AI market is forecast to post a compound annual growth rate of 26% through 2032, while the overall edge computing market is expected to expand from US$131 billion to US$440 billion between 2023 and 2033, highlighting explosive growth potential and drawing in a wave of investment.

Huawei reveals post-Moore semiconductor roadmap targeting 1.4nm-equivalent chip performance

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:27:43 GMT

As the global semiconductor industry confronts the limits of Moore's Law, Huawei has unveiled a new roadmap aimed at extending chip performance growth through architecture, interconnect, and system-level optimisation rather than pure transistor miniaturisation.

Zeng Hsing boosts robotics and smart manufacturing push to underpin midterm growth

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:18:18 GMT

Zeng Hsing Industrial held its annual general meeting on May 25. It approved the 2025 business report and financial statements, the earnings distribution plan, amendments to the articles of incorporation, and a private placement to issue new common shares. The firm reported 2025 consolidated revenue of NT$8.104 billion (US$257.7 million), down 2.8% from the prior year, with pre-tax profit of NT$864 million and earnings per share of NT$5.52.

Micron maps out HBM roadmap with 2027 HBM4E debut and custom AI memory designs

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:16:36 GMT

Micron Technology said persistent supply constraints and accelerating AI demand are shaping its long-term technology roadmap, with 1-gamma DRAM, G9 NAND, and next-generation HBM products driving growth through 2027. The company is expanding EUV adoption, deepening collaboration with customers and foundry partners, and using multi-year supply agreements to support future capacity investments.