DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Nvidia CEO says Huawei's Tau Scaling Law not a threat to TSMC

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:10:51 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang gave a media interview after the "trillion-dollar dinner" in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 28, commenting on topics including competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, cloud service providers (CSP) developing in-house application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), Huawei's technological progress, Taiwan's role as a center of the AI revolution, and energy demand.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hosts trillion-dollar dinner for Taiwan AI suppliers

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 28 May 2026 14:32:16 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hosted another "trillion-dollar dinner" at Juan Yau Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 28, with chairmen and presidents from multiple Taiwanese artificial intelligence (AI) server and semiconductor supply chain companies attending and posing for group photos.

Iteq sees AI data center demand lift M7+ CCL shipments

Lily Hess — Thu, 28 May 2026 08:30:35 GMT

Copper clad laminate (CCL) maker Iteq held its 2026 annual general meeting on Thursday, with Chairman Dennis Chen saying that the continued deepening of generative AI applications, faster cloud computing and data center expansion, and steady growth in demand from new energy-related industries are boosting demand for high-end electronic materials and high-frequency, high-speed printed circuit board (PCB) markets.

FuriosaAI and Broadcom partner on AI inference platform for agentic computing era

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 08:18:29 GMT

South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI has announced a partnership with Broadcom to develop a next-generation AI inference platform aimed at large-scale agentic AI deployments, as demand grows for infrastructure optimized for AI reasoning and high-volume inference workloads.

US kicks off non-semiconductor tariff relief for Taiwan under investment MOU

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 28 May 2026 08:16:22 GMT

The US has begun implementing non-semiconductor tariff relief under the Taiwan-US investment memorandum of understanding, a move that will lower duties on Taiwanese auto parts, wood products, and aircraft components. The change could strengthen Taiwan's exporters and reshape supply chains for global manufacturers and airlines that rely on these inputs.

Taiwan's Tmytek files for public listing, pushes millimeter-wave chips into satellites, defense, and 6G

Elaine Chen — Thu, 28 May 2026 07:57:41 GMT

Tmytek, a Taiwan-based specialist in millimeter-wave phased-array technology, has formally filed for listing on Taiwan's Innovation Board — a tech-focused public market for high-growth companies — becoming the first applicant for the exchange's 2026 intake. The move comes as the company pursues a broad expansion into satellite communications, defense systems, and next-generation wireless infrastructure.

Lenovo bets on on-device AI to lift business PC upgrades

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 28 May 2026 07:52:06 GMT

Lenovo is betting that rising cloud AI costs and privacy risks will drive enterprises toward on-device AI, reshaping corporate PC buying and upkeep globally. The vendor's 2026 AI agent system and ThinkPad hardware upgrades aim to cut costs, boost performance, and shape IT strategies across industries and regions.

ASE launches first automated PLP line, eyes 1H27 production

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 28 May 2026 07:51:07 GMT

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has unveiled its industry-first automated panel-level packaging (PLP) system, a development poised to reshape global artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing supply chains by significantly improving chip integration speeds and manufacturing efficiency for AI data centers and cloud infrastructure providers.

Taiwan's Thunder Tiger rejects China supply chain claims, advances to Phase II of US Drone Dominance Program

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 28 May 2026 07:40:40 GMT

Taiwanese drone manufacturer Thunder Tiger, the first company in Asia to obtain the US Department of Defense's (DoD) Blue UAS cybersecurity certification, has passed the first phase of evaluation for the US Drone Dominance Program (DDP) and has moved into the second phase.

Amazon and Snowflake expand alliance amid agentic AI race

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 07:36:03 GMT

Snowflake, the cloud data company at the center of the artificial intelligence boom, said on Wednesday that it would spend US$6 billion over the next five years on Amazon Web Services infrastructure, deepening a partnership aimed at helping corporations move from experimental AI projects to large-scale deployment of autonomous software agents.

Huawei chip chief says post-Moore race is no longer just about nanometers

Levi Li — Thu, 28 May 2026 07:28:21 GMT

As Moore's Law nears its limits, Huawei is promoting its "Tau (τ) Law" as a post-Moore chip framework that shifts the focus from nanometer process nodes to shorter signal transmission times across electronic systems.

Salesforce Taiwan targets double-digit growth on AI applications and services

Kevin Wang — Thu, 28 May 2026 06:54:01 GMT

Since opening its Taipei office in January 2026, customer relationship management (CRM) technology firm Salesforce has continued to expand its Taiwan-based team, shifting from remote support via its Singapore subsidiary to local operations. According to Salesforce Taiwan general manager Chia-shen Hsu, the company is aiming for double-digit growth in both revenue and headcount in 2026, as it devotes more resources toward the market in Taiwan.

Apple's entry-level push puts pressure on Windows notebook makers

Elaine Chen — Thu, 28 May 2026 06:41:36 GMT

Apple's introduction of the MacBook Neo has intensified competition in the low-end notebook market, putting pressure on Windows-based manufacturers across both education and consumer segments, according to industry executives and analysts.

CXMT cleared for IPO listing; could boost China's memory supply chain

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 06:20:13 GMT

ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China's top DRAM maker, has been cleared by China's securities regulator for its highly anticipated IPO, which could raise funds worth CNY29.5 billion (approx. US$4.4 billion) for the company. The Shanghai Stock Exchange said on May 27 that it had cleared a listing review for its STAR Board.

Solidigm appoints co-CEOs to split operations and growth responsibilities

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 05:48:36 GMT

Solidigm, the enterprise storage brand under SK Hynix, announced a leadership reshuffle this spring, naming two executives as co-chief executive officers to divide responsibilities between global operations and commercial growth. One co-CEO was appointed in March 2026, and the other took office on May 1, with leadership stating the change aims to accelerate product execution and business performance amid rising demand for storage driven by artificial intelligence.

Semiconductors and AI are pillars of Taiwan's global prosperity, says Taiwanese president

Emily Kuo — Thu, 28 May 2026 04:33:52 GMT

During the 2026 Europe Day Dinner, Taiwanese President Ching-te Lai referenced how coal and steel formed the foundation of peace in Europe, comparing that to how semiconductors and AI shape global prosperity and democratic security for Taiwan. He said Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem integrates critical technologies from leading European companies, praising the nature of like-minded partners working together toward shared goals.

Peking University's true-3D EDA tool gives Huawei's LogicFolding chip roadmap critical design link

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 04:27:33 GMT

Peking University researchers have unveiled a prototype electronic design automation (EDA) tool built for "true-3D" chip design, offering a potential missing link for Huawei's LogicFolding architecture and its broader Tau (τ) Scaling Law roadmap.

SK Hynix turns Big Tech's memory scramble into tougher supply terms

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 04:16:44 GMT

SK Hynix is using Big Tech's rush to secure artificial intelligence (AI) memory supply as leverage for tougher long-term contracts, while resisting funding structures that could give major customers influence over its fabs or equipment.

EU plans satellite spectrum shift that could open door to Starlink and Amazon

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 04:03:54 GMT

Brussels is preparing to redraw the competitive landscape for satellite communications in Europe. This move could reshape the balance of power between European space ambitions and the rapidly expanding networks of SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper.

TECO targets AI data center market with modular, North America and Southeast Asia push

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:58:01 GMT

TECO Electric & Machinery said it is making AI data center infrastructure its main growth focus, with expansion plans in North America and Southeast Asia that could affect global supply chains, energy systems, and digital infrastructure. The company is leaning on modular construction, power equipment, and energy management to win more hyperscale projects.

US cuts Section 232 tariffs to 15% boosting Taiwan auto parts competitiveness

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:52:29 GMT

The US reduced Section 232 tariffs on Taiwan auto parts from 27.5% to 15%, a move that Taiwan auto parts manufacturer Tong Yang Industry said would improve competitiveness and restore parity with rivals in Europe, Japan and South Korea. Tong Yang described the decision as positive for Taiwan's auto parts industry and said it should lower import costs for US customers and support future demand and orders.

Nvidia's Rubin CPX plans clouded as Groq gains bigger inference role

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:51:27 GMT

Nvidia's plan to launch Rubin CPX, an inference-focused graphics processing unit for its Vera Rubin platform, has become increasingly uncertain as supply-chain activity around the product appears to have stalled, according to The Elec.

ProLogium to list on Nasdaq via US$3.8 billion merger with TDAC

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:38:55 GMT

ProLogium, a leader in next-generation solid-state batteries, and Translational Development Acquisition Corp (TDAC), a special purpose acquisition company, have announced a definitive business combination agreement. Upon closing in the second half of 2026, ProLogium stated that the combined company will be named ProLogium Technology and is expected to trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "PRLG." The transaction values ProLogium at approximately US$3.8 billion on a pre-money, net cash-free basis.

Commentary: China's AI chip certification becomes new market gatekeeper

Levi Li — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:29:54 GMT

China has brought AI chips into its national security and reliability evaluation framework for the first time, turning what looks like a product certification process into something more consequential: an emerging gatekeeping system for AI computing infrastructure.

Synopsys flags mixed regional trends as China growth contrasts with weaker Western demand

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:26:07 GMT

Synopsys reported divergent regional performance in the second quarter, with China showing sequential growth while North America and Europe declined, as demand patterns for semiconductor design tools and simulation software remained uneven across end markets.

SAS succession complete as founder Mingguang Lu exits board amid diversified growth

Lily Hess — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:19:24 GMT

Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) held its shareholders meeting on May 26 and completed a full board overhaul, with founder Mingguang Lu stepping down as a director and Hsiu-lan Hsu being re-elected chairwoman. Lu will continue supporting the group as honorary chairman as SAS deepens its generational transition and diversified growth strategy.

Huawei Tau Law series 3: Global chip experts split over China's post-Moore push

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:19:07 GMT

Huawei's "Tau (τ) Scaling Law," unveiled at ISCAS 2026 on May 25, has become a global semiconductor flashpoint, drawing scrutiny from financial institutions, media outlets, chip analysts, and research firms.

Synopsys sees agentic AI and Ansys integration expanding long-term growth opportunities

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:17:18 GMT

Synopsys said the rise of agentic artificial intelligence and the integration of Ansys are creating new growth opportunities across electronic design automation (EDA) and simulation software, as semiconductor and industrial customers adopt more complex AI-driven engineering workflows.

Luxshare strengthens antitrust compliance after China imposes fine over Wingtech deal

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:16:28 GMT

Chinese electronics manufacturer Luxshare said it is strengthening its antitrust compliance system after China's market regulator imposed a fine related to its acquisition of part of Wingtech's business operations.

Wonik IPS secures Visionox XR display etcher order for Kunshan OLED line

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:14:54 GMT

Chinese display maker Visionox is moving ahead with a major extended reality display production project in Kunshan, strengthening China's push into high-pixel-density OLED panels for AR and VR devices.

China's LLM price war puts DeepSeek, Xiaomi on a collision course with OpenAI

Levi Li — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:08:47 GMT

China's large language model (LLM) market is coming under mounting pricing pressure, as domestic AI model developers cut fees closer to cost, while the gap with international model pricing widens to dozens of times.

China smartphone shipments rebound in April 2026 as Apple and foreign brands gain ground

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:00:56 GMT

China's smartphone market showed signs of stabilization in April 2026, with both overall handset shipments and smartphone shipments returning to year-over-year growth, according to new figures released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).

ByteDance's chip ambition grows with US$70 billion capex plan

DIGITIMES — Thu, 28 May 2026 02:49:17 GMT

ByteDance is considering a sharp increase in capital spending this year as the TikTok owner pushes deeper into artificial intelligence infrastructure — a move that could make it one of China's most aggressive investors in data centers, servers, and custom chips.

Qualcomm wins ASIC customers beyond ByteDance

Lily Hess — Thu, 28 May 2026 02:46:13 GMT

Qualcomm has reportedly landed more than one ASIC customer, with a separate project for a US cloud service provider also taking shape, according to industry sources. The development follows reports from Bloomberg and other media that ByteDance, the developer of TikTok, is Qualcomm's first major client for its custom chip push.

Formosa Chemicals maps turnaround through hydrogen, AI, and semiconductor materials

Elaine Chen — Thu, 28 May 2026 02:26:10 GMT

Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation said it is accelerating restructuring and diversification efforts after posting losses in 2025, as the petrochemical major pivots toward higher-value materials, including semiconductor-related products such as polyimide (PI) and silicon carbide (SiC), with early results expected by 2027.