DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Intel targets entry-level advanced packaging, draws interest from Google and Amazon

Levi Li — Wed, 6 May 2026 22:59:52 GMT

Over the past decade, market assessments of Intel have largely been confined to a single lens: execution in advanced process technology. By that metric, Intel has struggled, with delays in 10nm and setbacks at the 7nm node, leading to the loss of Apple's chip orders. This view assumes that semiconductor manufacturing advantage is determined primarily by transistor density, particularly in the system-on-chip era.

Gen5 SSD race shifts to power and AI: Micron, YMTC diverges

Levi Li — Wed, 6 May 2026 22:59:32 GMT

As demand for PCs and edge AI accelerates, the consumer SSD market is entering a transition to the PCIe 5.0 (Gen5) era. For notebooks — long a core OEM segment — power consumption and thermal limits have become the decisive barriers to large-scale adoption of next-generation SSDs.

Research Insight: AI memory boom squeezes automotive supply, driving costs higher

Levi Li — Wed, 6 May 2026 22:56:18 GMT

Autonomous driving and smart cockpit technologies are pushing vehicles to demand far more computing power and data processing. Memory has become a critical component in automotive system performance. But as demand surges, AI applications are reshaping the global memory supply chain — reallocating capacity and creating structural pressures that are tightening supply and driving up prices.

Nvidia, AMD expand in Taiwan as US touts strategic ties at SelectUSA Summit

Lily Hess — Wed, 6 May 2026 08:51:44 GMT

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said its A+ Industrial Innovation R&D Program has helped attract Nvidia to invest in Taiwan and set up an overseas headquarters in Taipei, while AMD has also received major ministry support to establish a research and development center in the southern city of Tainan.

'Chipflation' hits Samsung, boosts Apple results

Lily Hess — Wed, 6 May 2026 08:30:11 GMT

As soaring memory prices fuel "chipflation," Samsung Electronics and Apple are taking sharply different approaches. Samsung's Mobile eXperience (MX) division is trying to protect profitability by optimizing its product mix and expanding across more price points, while Apple is leaning on an ecosystem of 2.5 billion devices and high-margin services to offset rising component costs.

AI networking surge pushes Lumentum to record growth

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 08:09:18 GMT

The fiscal third quarter of 2026 results from Lumentum Holdings offered one of the clearest signals yet that a powerful new cycle in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is underway and that the bottleneck is no longer computing power, but the networks that connect it.

Hyundai's robot ecosystem strategy rejects all-purpose humanoids in favor of application-specific products

Kevin Wang — Wed, 6 May 2026 07:57:25 GMT

Robots have become a main focus for Hyundai Motor Group, with continued investments in research and development as part of its strategy for the future. However, rather than promoting the broad adoption of humanoid robots, Hyundai is instead pursuing robots tailored for specific industries, pushing a range of new technologies in a diverse range of solutions and ecosystems.

VIS joins CoWoS chain with TSMC-backed Singapore interposer foundry

Lily Hess — Wed, 6 May 2026 07:52:00 GMT

Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) said on May 5 that it has secured support from TSMC for a new interposer foundry line at its 12-inch Singapore fab, alongside a broader push into the CoWoS supply chain. The company said the move will accelerate capacity expansion and lower capital expenditure requirements as demand stabilizes after year-endinventory corrections.

Anthropic strikes massive cloud pact with Google, highlighting AI industry concentration

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 07:27:48 GMT

A sweeping new agreement between Anthropic and Google Cloud is throwing into sharp relief just how concentrated — and how enormous — the artificial intelligence boom has become.

Personal feud between Elon Musk and OpenAI cracks open in court as IPO plans loom

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 07:13:51 GMT

The bitter feud between Elon Musk and OpenAI's leadership continues to spill into the open since a trial between the two began last week. This legal fight pits two of the world's most prominent AI creators against each other in a case that could have large ramifications for OpenAI's future.

AEM CEO says AI upends semiconductor testing

Charlene Chen — Wed, 6 May 2026 07:00:23 GMT

Singapore semiconductor equipment and testing company AEM is facing a dual challenge of "physics and cost" as the AI era rewrites the limits and supply-chain logic of chip testing, CEO Samer Kabbani said. AI is also driving up to US$7 trillion in global infrastructure investment, he said, while forcing the industry to adapt to faster product cycles and far larger, more power-hungry packages.

SEMI president says SEA must build ecosystems, not just fabs, to capture trillion-dollar opportunity

Charlene Chen — Wed, 6 May 2026 06:34:16 GMT

At SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026, SEMI President and CEO Ajit Manocha delivered a clear message: the semiconductor industry is entering a "multi-trillion-dollar journey," but capturing that growth will depend less on ambition and more on coordination, ecosystems, and long-term strategy.

Taiwan researchers create non-toxic blue-light material that could enable glasses-free 3D displays

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 06:00:06 GMT

Researchers at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University announced a new non-toxic, metal-free light-emitting silicone that produces blue fluorescence when mechanically stressed, a development they said could advance glasses-free 3D displays and wearable imaging sensors. The research was published on May 6 in the journal JACS Au, and the work was carried out in collaboration with a team at Osaka Institute of Technology, the university stated.

Intel Capital leads QuantWare's US$178 million bet on hyperscale quantum computing ambitions

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 05:45:00 GMT

QuantWare's US$178 million Series B round aims to accelerate the global rollout of larger, industrial-scale quantum processors, promising hyperscale quantum compute through its VIO-40K architecture and KiloFab foundry — a development that could reshape supply chains, national technology capabilities, and industrial adoption for countries seeking scalable quantum computing.

GCS Holdings says InP export controls remain top supply risk despite capacity and sourcing moves

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 6 May 2026 04:45:10 GMT

Export controls on indium phosphide (InP) risk prolonging supply strains in the compound semiconductor market, GCS Holdings warned, affecting optical and RF component makers worldwide. The company said it has secured capacity and diversified sourcing ahead of the second half of 2026, signaling potential relief from first-half 2026 constraints for global customers and partners.

GlobalWafers reports weaker quarter as expansion weighs on margins

Elaine Chen — Wed, 6 May 2026 04:33:47 GMT

GlobalWafers said on May 4 that its first-quarter performance reflected a transitional period, as short-term cost pressures and capacity expansion weighed on margins even as demand tied to artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing began to strengthen.

VIS sees stronger growth in the AI boom and pricing power

Elaine Chen — Wed, 6 May 2026 04:27:06 GMT

Buoyed by robust demand for artificial intelligence and the early success of price increases, Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation (VIS) is projecting a stronger performance for the second quarter of 2026, with wafer shipments expected to rise by more than 10% from the previous quarter. Average selling prices are forecast to increase by 2% to 4%, while gross margins are likely to recover to above 30%.

GlobalWafers outlines 2026 recovery path, highlights tightening 12-inch wafer supply

Elaine Chen — Wed, 6 May 2026 04:14:04 GMT

GlobalWafers expects the current semiconductor cycle to bottom in the first quarter of 2026, with both the speed and breadth of recovery exceeding prior expectations, as artificial intelligence (AI) demand continues to drive growth across the industry.

Flex jumps on 2027 outlook beat, AI data-center unit spinoff plan

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 04:07:59 GMT

Flex shares rose 13% in after-hours trading on May 5 after the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider forecast fiscal 2027 results above Wall Street expectations and announced plans to spin off its Cloud and Power Infrastructure segment into a separate publicly traded company.

Memory supply gap stretches beyond 2028 as cloud capex tops US$725 billion

Sherri Wang — Wed, 6 May 2026 03:52:14 GMT

Global cloud service providers have recently raised capital spending to about US$725 billion, accelerating the shift of memory resources toward AI and prompting suppliers and customers to secure long-term agreements, or LTAs, three to five years in advance.

AMD earnings call: AI is turning CPUs back into the main event

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 03:31:06 GMT

AMD's fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings call was not just a victory lap for another data center beat. It was a strategic argument from management: AI infrastructure is no longer only an accelerator story. It is becoming a full compute-platform story, where CPUs, GPUs, memory, software, and rack-scale systems all have to move together.

GlobalFoundries pivots toward high-growth chips as mobile slowdown reshapes revenue mix

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 03:15:20 GMT

GlobalFoundries is reporting a stark divergence in its primary end-markets, as the company pivots its manufacturing focus toward high-growth sectors like automotive and data centers to counter a cooling smartphone market. While overall wafer shipments reached approximately 579,300 12-inch-equivalent units in the first quarter, the company is managing a transition in which two-thirds of its revenue now originates from markets outside smart mobile devices.

MediaTek unit Airoha targets AI networking surge with triple optical growth

Levi Li — Wed, 6 May 2026 03:13:08 GMT

MediaTek subsidiary Airoha Technology said its first-quarter 2026 performance met expectations, driven by continued improvement in product mix and accelerating demand across its optical communications, Ethernet, and fixed broadband businesses tied to AI infrastructure expansion.

India approves new semiconductor and Mini/Micro LED projects

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:57:55 GMT

India's latest approvals could expand global display and chip sourcing as the country adds Mini/Micro LED GaN fabrication and large-scale packaging capacity. Global manufacturers and buyers may see new sourcing options as India deepens its production capabilities for displays, power devices, and automotive components.

GlobalFoundries turns three-continent footprint into geopolitical hedge

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:56:05 GMT

In a recent assessment of the semiconductor landscape, GlobalFoundries emphasized the critical need for supply chain resilience amid a "fragmented geopolitical environment." The company is positioning its three-continent manufacturing presence—spanning the US, Germany, and Singapore—as a strategic solution for global customers seeking to mitigate the risks associated with concentrated production.

Eris Technology posts record April revenue on AI robot and server demand

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:55:10 GMT

Power semiconductor maker Eris Technology reported consolidated revenue of NT$250 million (US$7.9 million) in April 2026, a company record and up 19% from a year earlier, executives said, as demand tied to AI robots and AI servers began moving from sampling into volume ramp-up. The company said the April result followed 16 months of operational adjustment and signaled a return to a growth track driven by new AI and edge product lines.

Synnex posts record first-quarter revenue and profit as AI demand drives semiconductor and cloud sales

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:52:56 GMT

Synnex Technology International Corp. reported record consolidated results for the first quarter as accelerating AI commercialization drove triple-digit growth in data-center products and broad-based gains across its Asia-Pacific markets. The distributor said it is accelerating a shift toward an AI supply-chain integration platform and an MSP digital-intelligence offering to capture higher-value business as AI applications expand.

Winbond beats full-year 2025 profit in 1Q26 with memory capacity fully loaded

Eifeh Strom — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:50:34 GMT

Winbond Electronics posted strong first-quarter 2026 results, with consolidated revenue totaling NT$38.25 billion (approx. US$1.21 billion), up 43.7% from the previous quarter and 91.3% from the same period in 2025, driven by strong market demand and an improved product mix. Net profit reached NT$10.12 billion, surging 226.9% sequentially and turning from a loss a year earlier, while earnings per share (EPS) were NT$2.25, exceeding the company's full-year 2025 results in a single quarter.

GlobalWafers prepares inventory buffer as geopolitical factors push up gallium prices

Eifeh Strom — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:37:24 GMT

Semiconductor silicon wafer supplier GlobalWafers said during its May 5 earnings call that it is advancing its next-generation compound semiconductor strategy. In response to advanced packaging and thermal dissipation demand, the company is actively pursuing customer certification for 12-inch silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, while strong demand for gallium nitride (GaN) is driving plans to launch a second phase of capacity expansion.

Low-cost cruise missiles drive a new drone cost race

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:30:35 GMT

Rapid changes in battlefield tactics have made drones central to "economic attrition warfare," shifting the focus from technical performance to cost and scale. The implications are global: military planners, procurement budgets, and civilian supply chains are all under pressure as countries and manufacturers scramble to stockpile, ramp up production, and rethink manufacturing models.

RichWave sees Wi-Fi 7 growth outrunning memory price pressure

Lily Hess — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Radio frequency (RF) front-end chip maker RichWave said on May 4 that Wi-Fi 7 momentum will remain very strong in the first quarter of 2026, even as rising memory and component costs squeeze profitability and cloud order visibility. The company said memory-driven price increases are affecting the broader networking industry, but the impact on its 2026 growth will be limited.

Largan April revenue rises 24% annually; May pull-in remains strong

Lily Hess — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:15:00 GMT

Largan Precision on May 5 reported its self-calculated April consolidated revenue at NT$5.4 billion (US$169.7 million), down 1% from the previous month but up 24% from the same period in 2025. For the first four months of 2026, consolidated revenue reached NT$20.9 billion, an 11% increase from the same period in 2025.

Explainer: Why Supermicro's margins bounced back — one customer pulled back

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:11:31 GMT

Supermicro's third-quarter of fiscal 2026 gross margins snapped back to 10.1% non-GAAP, up from 6.4% in the second quarter of fiscal 2026. CEO Charles Liang attributed the recovery to product mix improvement and growth in the company's Data Center Building Block Solutions (DCBBS) business. The earnings call transcript, however, tells a simpler story. The single customer that drove 63% of revenue in the second quarter fell to 27% in the third quarter. That mix shift — toward higher-margin enterprise and neocloud buyers — did most of the work.

Taiwan drone makers expand into Eastern Europe as Ukraine cuts China supply risk

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:10:42 GMT

Ukraine is accelerating efforts to reduce its dependence on China's supply chain, while Taiwanese drone makers expand production in Poland and Lithuania, reshaping Eastern Europe's industrial map and affecting global defense supply chains, export controls, and battlefield logistics as European demand rises and Ukraine urgently seeks alternative sourcing channels abroad.

China's cloud providers raise AI prices as model usage surges

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 6 May 2026 02:01:06 GMT

Rising demand for generative AI is prompting major Chinese cloud providers to raise prices for large-scale services and data products, with implications for global AI users and developers, as usage-based billing and efficiency become central to costs and deployment decisions across international markets and could soon influence provider strategies worldwide.