DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Samsung sends yield engineers to Texas ahead of 2nm production ramp

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:53:29 GMT

Samsung Electronics has begun dispatching advanced-process yield engineers from South Korea to its Taylor, Texas, foundry ahead of planned 2nm chip volume production in 2027, South Korea's Financial News reported on October 12, citing industry sources.

Energy law overhaul drives Taiwan storage demand

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:35:00 GMT

Taiwan's Energy Management Act is undergoing its first major revision in nearly a decade, driving businesses to reassess self-generation and energy storage systems (ESS) as the market shifts from equipment installation alone toward returns, safety, and long-term operations.

AI substrate material shortages ease, but advanced equipment emerges as expansion bottleneck

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:30:00 GMT

As the customer base for AI accelerators expands rapidly and consumes IC substrate capacity, advanced packaging remains a critical industry bottleneck. Consequently, supply chain attention has shifted from upstream T-glass cloth used in copper-clad laminates (CCL) to the advanced manufacturing equipment required to expand IC substrate capacity.

SK Hynix unveils low-power processor design for SSDs

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:59:48 GMT

SK Hynix has unveiled a new processor architecture designed to reduce power consumption and chip area in solid-state drive (SSD) controllers, expanding its efforts to address storage bottlenecks as AI data centers demand faster and more efficient access to data.

Samsung's US$9B chip expansion faces funding, supply hurdles

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:40:00 GMT

Samsung affiliates plan to invest a combined KRW12.26 trillion (approx. US$9.18 billion) in semiconductor operations across South Korea and Vietnam, but the projects face different financial and supply-chain challenges. Samsung Electronics plans to finance about 63% of its Vietnamese memory testing investment through future profits, while Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO) faces potential equipment delivery delays and material supply constraints as it expands semiconductor substrate production.

ATE Energy revenue jumps 132% on Philippines energy projects

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:27:00 GMT

ATE Energy International Co. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of NT$6.667 billion (US$209.0 million) for the first three quarters of 2026, up 132.52% from a year earlier, driven by the continued progress of major energy engineering projects in the Philippines and steady recognition of engineering revenue.

ASML unveils Hyper NA EUV successor targeting 5nm single exposure

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:26:55 GMT

Engineers from ASML and its optical partner Zeiss have jointly published a research paper in the October issue of the academic journal Journal of Micro/Nanopatterning, Materials and Metrology, formally disclosing "Hyper NA EUV"—the next-generation successor to current high-numerical-aperture extreme ultraviolet (High-NA EUV) lithography systems.

Stellantis rejects brand split, urges EU to reward local carmaking

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:15:34 GMT

At the Paris Motor Show, Stellantis NV CEO Antonio Filosa rejected proposals to split the company's European and US brands and said the company would not sell Maserati. The automaker is pursuing a US$70 billion restructuring plan as it seeks to reverse a sharp decline in its share price.

Taiwan seeks to produce more Nobel laureates

Rodney Chan — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:13:24 GMT

Taiwan has not seen a locally born and educated Nobel Prize winner in the last 40 years since Yuan-Tseh Lee became a laureate in chemistry in 1986. Thus, Taiwan President Ching-te Lai on October 12 reiterated the goal of helping the country produce three more Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry or medicine within 30 years.

AMEC chairman warns of AI bubble risk, sees consolidation ahead for China's chip equipment industry

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:59:37 GMT

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) chairman and general manager Gerald Yin has warned of a potential AI investment bubble, cautioning that surging demand for chipmaking equipment does not shield the semiconductor industry from cyclical swings in capital expenditure.

Formosa Smart Energy draws interest from global cloud providers for AI data centers

Sherri Wang — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:59:00 GMT

Formosa Smart Energy, an energy affiliate of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group, said global cloud service providers have approached it about building AI data centers at the group's industrial sites, seeking to leverage existing power infrastructure, surplus electricity and available land.

AI demand squeezes capacitor, resistor capacity as Taiwan suppliers eye price hikes

Charlene Chen — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:50:53 GMT

Rising capital expenditures by global cloud service providers (CSPs) are accelerating orders for AI computing infrastructure, boosting both the specifications and volumes of passive components and driving strong third-quarter 2026 results for Taiwan suppliers including Yageo, Walsin Technology, Holystone Enterprise, Lelon Electronics, Tai-Tech, Apaq, Ta-I Technology, Viking, and Thinking. The capacity crunch is extending lead times for capacitors and resistors, while suppliers are preparing for another round of price increases as demand visibility stretches beyond 2027.

China's Blue Core Computing secures nearly US$300 million to challenge x86, Arm in AI servers

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:44:12 GMT

Shenzhen-based Blue Core Computing (Shenzhen) Technology has raised nearly CNY2 billion (≈ US$298.7 million) in Series B financing to accelerate production of its RISC-V server processors with integrated AI capabilities. The funding follows the deployment of its LX500 chip in Lenovo servers, advancing China's efforts to develop alternatives to x86 and Arm architectures.

Hua Hong deepens China chip equipment partnerships, targets stronger specialty foundry share by 2030

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:29:33 GMT

China's Hua Hong Group has signed strategic agreements with four domestic semiconductor equipment suppliers to accelerate the adoption of locally developed wafer fabrication tools, reinforcing China's chipmaking self-sufficiency efforts. The partnerships coincide with Hua Hong's ambitious 2030 market-share targets for specialty processes, including embedded flash memory, power management, and image sensors.

Omron to buy US industrial PC maker OnLogic for US$675 million

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:25:49 GMT

Japan's Omron has agreed to acquire US industrial computer (IPC) maker OnLogic and its parent company, Interlogic, at an enterprise value of US$675 million, seeking to expand its presence in Western markets and combine rugged edge computing with its factory automation and control technologies.

Huawei foldable phone shipments top 20 million, claims over 70% China market share in 1H26

Levi Li — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:23:00 GMT

Huawei's cumulative global foldable smartphone shipments have exceeded 20 million units, with the company capturing more than 70% of China's foldable phone market in the first half of 2026, according to Huawei Terminal BG CTO Li Xiaolong.

Taiwan seeks new grid, renewable energy solutions as AI computing hubs hit power constraints

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:20:41 GMT

As the global AI industry and AI data centers (AIDCs) experience explosive growth, developing compute hubs presents severe power supply challenges alongside stringent international supply chain mandates for carbon reduction and renewable energy usage. Amid grid transition friction and resilience tests, state utility Taipower, alongside Taiwan's renewable energy, energy storage, and domestic lithium battery cell sectors, is pursuing a two-track strategy combining decarbonization with grid resilience via novel dispatch mechanisms and a localized supply chain.

Nvidia and Cisco unveil new optics design to help scale AI factories

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:15:00 GMT

Nvidia and Cisco have introduced a new pluggable optics form factor to expand AI infrastructure without sharply increasing power use or network complexity. For global cloud operators, enterprises, and sovereign AI projects, the design could support denser, more efficient data center builds as demand for AI computing continues to rise.

Column: From 3D NAND to 3D DRAM — how vertical stacking is reshaping memory chip manufacturing

Levi Li — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:06:44 GMT

After 2013, planar NAND flash memory began reaching its scaling limits at the 15–16nm process node. Capacitive coupling between the floating gates of adjacent memory cells increasingly disrupted their threshold voltages, making stored data harder to read reliably. The problem became particularly acute with the adoption of triple-level cell (TLC) NAND, which requires precise threshold-voltage detection. Changes in the charge stored by neighbouring cells could alter those voltages, making further planar scaling increasingly difficult.

Taiwan optical suppliers post record sales as Lumentum warns of shortages

Sherri Wang — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:56:33 GMT

Taiwanese optical networking suppliers reported strong September and third-quarter 2026 revenue growth, with EZconn and LuxNet posting record monthly sales as demand for high-speed connectivity in AI data centers continued to rise. The results come as US optical component maker Lumentum warns that its production capacity is booked into early 2029, with significant supply shortages expected to persist for several years.

Malaysian states team up to back homegrown chip firms

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:50:00 GMT

The Selangor state government has committed MYR50 million (US$12.24 million) to the National Strategic Investment Fund, joining Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Penang government in a MYR150 million vehicle to accelerate the growth of Malaysian semiconductor and advanced technology companies, Bernama reported on October 10, 2026.

AI server tracker: Taiwan's CCL, PCB and IC substrate suppliers see widening growth gap despite AI boom

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:47:03 GMT

Taiwan's copper-clad laminate (CCL), printed circuit board (PCB) and IC substrate suppliers are seeing uneven returns from AI infrastructure spending. All 10 tracked companies recorded nine-month year-over-year revenue growth, and seven generated more revenue by September 2026 than in all of 2025, although their momentum differed markedly.

Foxconn's Vietnam unit Fukang Technology more than doubles registered capital to US$710.4 million

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:45:00 GMT

Fukang Technology, a northern Vietnam subsidiary of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), has raised its registered capital by more than 109% to nearly VND17.47 trillion (US$710.4 million), according to business registration records reported by The Investor on October 12, 2026. The update, issued in late September, lifts the capital base from VND8.35 trillion and brings the registration in line with a capital injection Hon Hai disclosed in Taiwan in August.

Global PC shipments plunge 20% in 3Q26

Lily Hess — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:42:37 GMT

Global PC shipments, including desktops, notebooks, and workstations, fell more than 20% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2026 as inventory pressure and weak demand hit the market. The decline reflects how the AI infrastructure boom is squeezing component supplies for consumer electronics while driving up prices.

AI server tracker: Supply, not demand, caps BMC growth as Aspeed's 2027 orders top this year's revenue

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:29:18 GMT

Taiwan-based server management chip supplier Aspeed Technology reported consolidated revenue of NT$1.636 billion (approx. US$51.16 million) for September 2026, up 100.93% year-over-year and 0.64% from August. It was the company's 11th consecutive month of record revenue.

South Korea's YMT targets fivefold rise in glass-substrate plating capacity

Sherri Wang — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:29:12 GMT

South Korean electronic materials supplier YMT is accelerating its expansion into glass-substrate electroplating. The company plans to increase related capacity to roughly four times its current level by the end of 2026 to meet customer demand for through-glass via (TGV) development.

NSTC abolishes KPI system to encourage high-risk research

Kevin Wang — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:23:21 GMT

Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has abolished its research KPI system, noting that failed projects will not affect professors' future applications for funding. The aim is to encourage academic researchers to pursue research with lower success rates and greater potential impact.

Intel CEO warns AI hardware shortages could last up to 3 years

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:20:00 GMT

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan warned in Singapore that demand for AI infrastructure continues to outpace supply, with hardware shortages unlikely to ease significantly over the next 2–3 years as capacity constraints persist across memory, wafers and advanced packaging.

OpenAI reportedly in talks with startup to bring Sora back to life

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:16:38 GMT

Sora, the AI video generation model created by OpenAI, may someday be revived after its services were shut down this year. A startup is reportedly in talks with OpenAI over access to the tool, with the aim of possibly modifying it and selling software or other services based on it.

Wistron expands Taiwan capacity with NT$8 billion investment

Eifeh Strom — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:07:43 GMT

Wistron announced plans to invest roughly NT$8 billion (approx. US$250.67 million) to expand its production capacity in Taiwan. On October 12, the board approved an additional capital expenditure of around NT$7.05 billion to renovate buildings and purchase equipment for its Kaohsiung and Hsinchu facilities, while also approving spending of no more than NT$1 billion to acquire Coretronic's factory and ancillary facilities in the Tainan Science Park.

Taiwan telecom leaders post stellar September results on iPhone upgrades, AI service growth

Willis Ke — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:05:33 GMT

Taiwan's three leading telecom operators reported strong revenue and earnings growth in September 2026, driven by replacement demand following the launch of Apple's iPhone 18 Pro series and continued expansion in enterprise services, including AI data centers (AIDC), cloud computing, and information and communications technology (ICT) projects.

Meta's Muse Wonder challenges OpenAI, Anthropic, but frontier AI comes at a higher price

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:01:24 GMT

Meta Platforms unveiled Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full on October 12, 2026, marking its strongest challenge yet to OpenAI and Anthropic in frontier AI. Developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), the proprietary models target complex coding, professional workflows, and autonomous agents, although the most capable version remains restricted to subscribers.

Huawei car brands face trust test: Maextro brakes draw scrutiny, AITO's Europe bid uncertain

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:01:07 GMT

Huawei's automotive partnerships are accelerating their overseas expansion while facing growing scrutiny over product safety and brand trust. AITO is reportedly planning to enter the European market in 2027 and has initiated the European Union's Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA) process.

Korea Alcohol Group speeds up pivot into semiconductors

Kevin Wang — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:57:49 GMT

Korea Alcohol Group is accelerating its shift toward semiconductor materials with a KRW450 billion (US$337 million) production base at Yesan County in South Korea's South Chungcheong Province, which will also link up its operations in raw-material supply, high-purity solvents, process chemicals, and recycling.

DeepSeek expands into embodied AI with early bet on robotics startup Winverse

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:50:59 GMT

DeepSeek is expanding its reach beyond digital chatbots into the physical world, agreeing to lead a seed financing round for Winverse AI. According to sources familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg, the investment would value the Chinese robotics startup at approximately US$400 million.

Wistron, Wiwynn spotlight liquid-cooled AI compute, storage at OCP

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:48:50 GMT

Wistron and Wiwynn are showcasing next-generation AI compute and storage systems for AI factories at the 2026 Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit in San Jose, California, with all-liquid-cooled platforms and Nvidia's latest rack-scale systems taking center stage.

Ecosia drops Mistral AI models for Chinese open-weight alternatives

Charlene Chen — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:45:21 GMT

Europe's drive for sovereign AI faces a new test as German search engine Ecosia abandons France's Mistral AI models in favor of open-source AI, including models from China. Ecosia CEO Christian Kroll said Mistral's models performed poorly and frequently overloaded its servers, while the company's new approach has cut costs in half and improved quality and performance.

TSMC power plant funding talks still conceptual, says Taipower

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:44:16 GMT

Electricity demand from semiconductor manufacturing, memory production, advanced packaging, and server assembly is rising rapidly, fueling reports that Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) is seeking financial contributions from major industrial customers, including TSMC, to support dedicated power plant development.

U-Best Innovative posts record September, third-quarter, nine-month revenue

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:42:33 GMT

U-Best Innovative posted record revenue for September, the third quarter, and the first nine months of 2026, as demand for footwear materials strengthened and the company pursued emerging display applications. The results suggest shifting opportunities in global supply chains, from sportswear to foldable devices, that may influence materials suppliers and end markets worldwide.

Grenergy sees orders through 1H27 as low-speed EV demand grows

Eifeh Strom — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:39:07 GMT

Grenergy Enterprise reported consolidated revenue of NT$34.83 million (approx. US$1.09 million) for September 2026, up 66% from the previous month and 38% from a year earlier. Growth was primarily driven by rising demand for low-speed electric vehicles (LSEV), which boosted shipments of battery modules for tow tractors, as well as shipments of battery packs for garbage truck compactors.

India's Kaynes Semicon seeks foreign partners as its Gujarat chip plant ramps up

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:36:50 GMT

Kaynes Semicon, the chip packaging arm of Indian electronics maker Kaynes Technology, is calling for foreign semiconductor companies to form joint ventures in India, as its executives point to India's lack of expertise in key packaging materials just as output at its first plant begins to scale.

HCLTech signs Anthropic premier partnership as both firms deepen India AI bets

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:24:28 GMT

HCLTech has signed a Global Premier Partnership with Anthropic, tying one of India's largest IT services companies more closely to an AI developer that has spent 2026 building out its India presence, even as HCLTech separately moves to own AI computing capacity at home.

Fujitsu, New Mexico plan quantum research center with global industry implications

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:19:15 GMT

Fujitsu's plan to open a quantum computing research center in New Mexico could have implications well beyond the US. The collaboration aims to accelerate research, train workers, and support hybrid computing advances that may eventually affect industries worldwide, including healthcare, energy, manufacturing, finance, and logistics.

E-Life Mall expands Digital City stores, surpassing 80 locations without chasing density

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:12:20 GMT

E-Life Mall is upgrading its physical stores, deepening digital membership management, and adopting generative AI (GenAI) and data analytics as consumer habits change. Physical retail remains its core operating foundation, with its large-format Digital City (DC) stores now exceeding 80 locations, accounting for more than one-quarter of its 318 stores across Taiwan.

Broadcom, Intel CEOs warn capital could become AI's biggest bottleneck

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:07:02 GMT

The AI boom could face a new constraint as financing costs and questions over returns threaten to slow infrastructure investment, even as demand for computing hardware remains strong.

Solidigm adds first dedicated US govt relations exec

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:04:35 GMT

Solidigm, the SK Hynix subsidiary, has reportedly created its first senior post dedicated to US government relations, a move that could matter for chip investors, regulators, and customers worldwide. The company is said to be preparing for a possible listing, deeper US investment, and closer engagement with Washington as scrutiny over foreign technology ties grows.

Hamada Labs targets Taiwan, Japan manufacturing with AI platform

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:02:37 GMT

South Korean AI startup Hamada Labs is targeting traditional manufacturers and distributors in Taiwan and Japan with its WindyFlo platform, which connects enterprise data and workflows to extend AI applications to inventory, order, and logistics management. The company, which has accumulated experience in South Korea in areas including medical devices and established a Japanese subsidiary, is also seeking proof-of-concept (PoC) opportunities with Taiwanese businesses.

SmartSens targets automotive CIS, robot vision growth with US$478M funding

Levi Li — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:00:35 GMT

Chinese CMOS image sensor (CIS) maker SmartSens completed a CNY3.2 billion (approx. US$478 million) capital increase in September 2026 to expand into automotive electronics and AI vision. The investment targets high-performance imaging, intelligent driving and on-device AI computing, extending its sensing technology into image processing and edge applications as demand for environmental perception grows in vehicles and robots.

AMD Helion aims to reshape data center design for agentic AI

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:55:28 GMT

AMD has introduced Helion, an open rack architecture designed for agentic AI workloads that could change how data centers allocate compute, power, and cooling. The system targets hyperscale and enterprise customers building AI agents that need continuous execution, tool use, and workflow coordination.

Unexpected Claude test behavior prompts US govt to mandate AI incident reporting

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:54:03 GMT

Unexpected behavior during Anthropic model testing—including models mistakenly submitting visa applications and sending false murder-case leads to police—has prompted the Trump administration to require AI companies to fulfill "national security obligations" by reporting related incidents to the government.

Applied Materials opens R&D center to speed chipmaking for the AI era

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:48:12 GMT

Applied Materials has opened its Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization (EPIC) Center in Sunnyvale, California, positioning the Silicon Valley site as a new hub for semiconductor research and manufacturing development. The company expects spending at the facility to rise over time to about US$5 billion as customer projects ramp up, underscoring how AI demand is reshaping the chip equipment industry.

Microsoft's 2nm Maia 300 completes cloud AI ASIC lineup, setting up 2027 server supply-chain boom

Levi Li — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:43:49 GMT

Microsoft has unveiled its latest in-house AI application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), Maia 300, and accompanying server rack, with its compute chiplets manufactured using TSMC's advanced N2P process (an enhanced, extended version of the company's baseline 2nm, or N2). Supply-chain sources indicate that Lenovo, rather than Taiwanese manufacturers, will assemble the Maia 300 server racks.

Nanya Technology's LTAs cover up to 70% of capacity as Pingtung 3D IC plant targets 2H28 production

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:36:50 GMT

Nanya Technology reported record profits in the third quarter of 2026, with president Pei-Ing Lee saying long-term agreements (LTAs) now cover approximately 50–70% of the company's production capacity. Some customers are seeking to extend contracts to three years or longer.

Nvidia reportedly may halt RTX 5090 production to favor RTX PRO cards, leakers claim

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:28:32 GMT

Nvidia may be preparing to stop making its flagship GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card and reserve the GB202 chip inside it for professional RTX PRO products, according to unconfirmed claims by two hardware leakers. Nvidia has not confirmed the plan or announced an end-of-production date, VideoCardz reported. If accurate, the move would be consistent with gaming card capacity being squeezed by demand for artificial intelligence.

AI Server tracker: Taiwan's AI server chain grew 55% in September, but the growth narrowed to fewer suppliers

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:24:21 GMT

The AI buildout is still lifting Taiwan's server supply chain faster than almost any other industry, yet September's filings show the lift concentrating into fewer hands. The 49 listed Taiwanese companies tracked across the AI server chain reported combined September revenue of NT$2.95 trillion (US$92.35 billion), up 55.0% from a year earlier and 3.8% from August. Strip out Hon Hai Precision Industry, and the same group's September revenue fell 6.8% from August. For the first nine months, the group has booked NT$21.39 trillion, up 53.9% year-on-year.

China's rare-earth concentrate prices stay 48% higher, but downstream demand remains weak

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:16:56 GMT

China's rare-earth concentrate prices remain nearly 50% above year-earlier levels despite a marginal fourth-quarter increase, underscoring persistent raw material cost pressures even as downstream buyers resist higher prices.

Podcast highlights: Is Elon Musk using TSMC talks as leverage against Intel and Samsung?

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:14:30 GMT

Elon Musk's recent confirmation that his "TeraFab" initiative is in talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) signals that a project originally framed as a challenge to the established foundry model is pivoting toward a more pragmatic industrial path, according to DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin.

Terafab and beyond: Musk's push to fuse silicon, robotics, space into one AI system

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:10:55 GMT

As plans for the Terafab project begin to take shape, the emergence of a scaled chipmaking initiative increasingly reflects Elon Musk's broader ambition to push vertical AI integration across his expanding industrial stack.

Foxconn partners on Taiwan-made battery storage systems for 2027 rollout

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:09:58 GMT

Tun Green Power partnered with Foxconn, Billion Watts, NoonSpare Energy Technology, and Rich Electric to develop behind-the-meter energy storage systems (ESS) using Taiwan-made lithium battery cells. The companies signed a cooperation agreement in Taiwan on October 12, 2026, targeting mass production and deliveries in the first half of 2027, with a deployment goal of 100 megawatt-hours (MWh) as corporate customers seek more options for localized storage equipment.

AUO enters next chapter as David Chang takes president role to reshape group operating model

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:09:00 GMT

Amid ongoing shifts in panel market cycles and end-market demand, AUO continues to press forward with its strategic corporate transformation. Marking its 30th anniversary in 2026, the company will host its "30 Years of Excellence, Co-Creating the Future" sports day on October 17. chairman and CEO Paul Peng and newly appointed president David Chang will meet with the media, drawing keen market attention to AUO's next-phase transformation roadmap.

Samsung, SK Hynix NAND profits seen surging on enterprise SSD demand

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:08:27 GMT

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are expected to see a sharp increase in NAND flash profits in 2026 as surging demand for enterprise solid-state drives (SSDs) drives up memory prices and improves profitability, adding another earnings boost beyond high-bandwidth memory (HBM).

Toyota rewires China JV structure as GAC takes control of FAW Toyota stake

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:07:56 GMT

As the push toward smarter vehicle systems and full electrification intensifies alongside China's strengthening position in the EV market, these trends are increasingly prompting overseas automakers to enter a new phase of operational restructuring.

China's AI revenue gap with US exposes deeper monetisation divide

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:06:48 GMT

China's leading artificial intelligence companies are gaining users and global recognition, but their commercial returns remain far behind those of US rivals. The growing disparity raises a question for China's AI industry: can low-cost, open-weight models generate sustainable profits, or will the greatest financial rewards flow to the platforms distributing them?

Samsung to pay chip workers special bonuses in stock, pending shareholder approval

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:06:09 GMT

Samsung Electronics plans to pay its semiconductor employees special bonuses entirely in company shares in late March or early April 2027, with two-thirds of the stock subject to selling restrictions for up to two years. The payments, funded by 10.5% of the chip division's operating profit, remain subject to shareholder approval.

Samsung, LG Display reportedly supply OLED panels for seven Nvidia RTX Spark laptops

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:05:19 GMT

Samsung Display and LG Display are supplying OLED panels for seven laptops built on Nvidia's RTX Spark platform, securing positions in the premium PC market as global shipments plunge and Chinese display manufacturers expand production capacity.

BTL sees AI testing surge, schedules extend to 1Q27

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:04:52 GMT

Electronic testing laboratory BTL reported September 2026 revenue of NT$87 million (US$2.73 million), up 10.2% year-over-year, as AI server testing projects at its second Guishan plant continued to drive growth. Revenue for the first three quarters reached NT$752 million, a 12.3% year-over-year increase, extending the company's double-digit growth trend since the start of 2026.

AI growth outlook stays strong as risk-free returns come under pressure

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:04:23 GMT

Capital expenditure by the top four US cloud service providers (CSPs) is projected to expand further in 2027. Meanwhile, nations such as France and Saudi Arabia are aggressively constructing sovereign AI infrastructure, ensuring that demand for AI hardware remains on a firm upward trajectory. In addition, shipments of next-generation AI servers powered by more capable Nvidia Vera Rubin chips will further fuel earnings growth across Taiwan's advanced semiconductor process nodes and advanced packaging sectors.

China's Jinai Tech backed by state, targets 2027 advanced process pilot-line launch with ambition laid upon SEA

Charlene Chen — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:03:13 GMT

China's 15th Five-Year Plan and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's strong chip project are accelerating the domestic replacement of semiconductor equipment and materials amid intensifying US-China competition. Xiamen-based Jinai Tech, which integrates resources from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, is leveraging plasma, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and atomic layer deposition (ALD) technologies to enter the advanced process equipment market, with its pilot production line scheduled to begin operations in mid-2027.

Taiwan's ICT sector enjoys 3-year boom as US debt swells

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:02:39 GMT

Driven by robust demand for AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and cloud data services, Taiwan's information and communications technology (ICT) production momentum has soared for three consecutive years. Meanwhile, mounting US and global debt levels are driving up real financing costs and tightening international financial conditions.

Geothermal power too costly for chipmakers? Taiwan's semiconductor industry sees value beyond electricity prices

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:02:18 GMT

As geothermal energy prepares to enter Taiwan's semiconductor renewable electricity market, the most immediate question is how much each kilowatt-hour (kWh) will cost compared with solar, wind, and conventional power generation.

Nan Pao sees breakthroughs in adhesives for semiconductors, foldable displays

Rodney Chan — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:01:17 GMT

Nan Pao Resins Chemical reported September revenue of NT$2.308 billion (US$72.35 million), up 16.5% year-over-year and a record for the same period, as it continued to develop new products and applications, win new customers, and raise its market share. Revenue for the first nine months of 2026 reached NT$19.345 billion, up 12.0% from the same period in 2025 and also a record for the period.

Interview: Microsoft's Maia GM on Maia 300, Taiwan and HBM supply

DIGITIMES — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:05:00 GMT

Microsoft's in-house Azure Maia chips will become the main platform for its own AI services, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Foundry. However, the company will keep using GPUs from Nvidia and AMD, Andrew Wall, general manager of the Azure Maia program, told DIGITIMES.

Microsoft to scale Maia AI chips to multi-gigawatt deployments, unveils TSMC N2P-based Maia 300

DIGITIMES — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:05:00 GMT

Microsoft will scale its in-house Azure Maia AI accelerators to multi-gigawatt deployments starting in 2027, making Maia the primary AI inference system for its products and services. The company also unveiled Maia 300, the third generation of the chip family, which it says will start production deployments next year.