DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

At OCP's Taiwan summit, servers take a back seat to optics and advanced packaging

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:57:00 GMT

When the agenda for this year's OCP APAC Summit landed, seasoned observers noticed something unusual. TSMC, Applied Materials, Advantest, and ASE are sharing the stage with Microsoft, Nvidia, and Google.

Lite-On expands InP optical push with US$34.3 million stake in Singapore's DenseLight

Joseph(C) Chen — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:35:00 GMT

Lite-On Technology is extending its optical core competencies into system-level optical communications for AI data centers, announcing a US$34.3 million investment for a 21% stake in Singapore-based indium phosphide (InP) optical component maker DenseLight Photonics, along with a seat on its board.

Powerchip founder Frank Huang dies at 76; vice chair steps in as acting chief

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 10:41:58 GMT

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC, TWSE: 6770) said in a material-information filing on July 31 that its chairman, Frank Huang, died peacefully in his sleep at his home around midday that day of cardiopulmonary failure. He was 76.

Analysis: The AI buildout stopped being a demand story

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:22:38 GMT

For three years, the constraint on artificial intelligence was how much compute the hyperscalers wanted to buy. The June-quarter filings of seven companies say the constraint has moved. It is now about who sets the price — and on that question the past five quarters have already taught a lesson from which most readers drew the wrong conclusion.

MJ Taiwan names Maverick Shih chair, prioritizes AI, cybersecurity and space technologies

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:55:00 GMT

The Monte Jade Science and Technology Association of Taiwan (MJ Taiwan) elected Maverick Shih, chairman of Acer Cyber Security (ACSI), as its 13th chairman during the association's first board meeting of its new term on July 30.

Delta Electronics eyes HVDC shipments in 4Q26, scale-up in 2027

Charlene Chen — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:25:00 GMT

Delta Electronics expects capital spending to rise to roughly NT$70 billion(US$2.17 billion) in 2026 from NT$46.1 billion(US$1.43 billion) in 2025, driven by growing demand from AI data centers and energy infrastructure projects.

Elon Musk denies rumored Tesla China contingency plans; discussions on supply chain localization shifts persist

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has denied a Wall Street Journal report on an internal plan within Tesla to prepare for a possible separation of its China operations. Despite his rebuttal, the report has still drawn attention to a wider transformation underway across the technology industry,

Exclusive: Asian chipmakers' shift to US helium raises concentration risk

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:11:15 GMT

Chipmakers in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have avoided broad helium-related production disruptions so far, but their rapid shift toward US supply is creating a new concentration risk.

Exclusive Interview: Helium shock threatens advanced chipmaking as Asia shifts dependence to the US

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 06:55:00 GMT

As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to intensify, shifting export conditions and a broader realignment of supply from Qatar to the United States are reshaping global access to one of semiconductor manufacturing's most fundamental materials: helium.

ASE lifts 2026 capex to record US$10.5 billion, expects LEAP revenue to double in 2027

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 06:36:30 GMT

Driven by robust AI-related demand for advanced packaging and testing, ASE Technology Holding has raised its 2026 capital expenditure budget for a second time this year to a record US$10.5 billion, up from its original plan of US$8.5 billion.

Research Insight: CXMT reaches 7.67% DRAM share with US$4.4B IPO, 2028 tech roadmap

Levi Li — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:46:49 GMT

CXMT's IPO marks a shift in China's DRAM strategy from capacity building towards mainstream products, process upgrades, and global competition, according to DIGITIMES Intelligence.

Amazon's Zoox receives US approval for commercial deployment of robotaxis

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:00:01 GMT

US transportation authorities have allowed Amazon's Zoox to operate commercially on a limited basis, making it the first paid robotaxi service approved in the country. This follows efforts by Trump administration officials to relax certain rules in an effort to encourage development in autonomous driving technology.

Pegatron chair says AI outlook remains strong, calls for Taiwan application push

Eifeh Strom — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Pegatron chairman Tzu-hsien Tung said that although he is not an investment expert, from an industry perspective he remains optimistic about the long-term outlook for artificial intelligence (AI), despite recent volatility in the capital markets sparking debate over whether the AI boom has begun to fade. While short-term markets are inevitably subject to intense fluctuations driven by international events, what matters more is the strength of Taiwan's industrial base, with AI driving growth across upstream, midstream, and downstream supply chains and gradually expanding from a single "silicon shield" into a broader "mountain range" of strategic industries.

Thunder Tiger calls for budget clarity as Taiwan pushes uncrewed surface vessel development

Eifeh Strom — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Taiwanese drone manufacturer Thunder Tiger demonstrated an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) equipped with mission autonomy software in collaboration with US-based defense technology startup Shield AI at Dapeng Bay, Taiwan, on July 29. While Taiwanese companies are actively pushing for greater autonomy in unmanned vehicle technologies, unclear policy direction at this stage has added to industry uncertainty.

ByteDance merges Lark with Doubao after AI revenue hits US$4B run rate

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT

ByteDance is reorganising Doubao, Lark and Volcengine around a more unified enterprise AI strategy, combining product development, cloud commercialisation and workplace software as its large-model business reaches an annualised revenue run rate of US$4 billion.

US CSP leaders keep capex growth as AI monetization deepens

Charlene Chen — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:03:49 GMT

Concerns over whether AI is a bubble hinge on two key questions: can related investments be monetized, and will cloud service providers (CSPs) keep expanding capital spending? Based on Google, Microsoft, and Meta, the answer to both remains yes, underscoring the strength of AI fundamentals.

Jensen Huang's open-source push signals a fight over who controls the AI market

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:03:07 GMT

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has used a rare public intervention to argue that the US should back open-source artificial intelligence, not just the largest closed systems. His message comes as Silicon Valley debates whether AI's next phase will reward broad adoption and customization, or concentrated control and pricing power.

Anthropic discloses AI testing breach days after OpenAI incident, raising scrutiny of autonomous agents

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:00:11 GMT

Anthropic said three of its Claude models unintentionally accessed the systems of three organizations after a testing environment was misconfigured and connected to the public internet. The incidents were identified after the company reviewed 141,006 test sessions and found that the breaches had occurred since April 2026.

Samsung chip engineers eye SK hynix as AI-driven bonus gap fuels talent war

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:59:11 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently appeared alongside SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong at a high-profile AI gathering in San Francisco, highlighting the deepening ties among the companies driving the global AI supply chain.

AWS backlog reaches US$496 billion; Amazon to double power capacity by end-2027

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:29:23 GMT

Amazon disclosed a US$496 billion AWS backlog growing at triple-digit rates in the second quarter, and CEO Andy Jassy used the call to lay out unusually specific unit economics defending the capital behind it.

Analysis: Behind Microsoft's AI strategy to sharpen platform edge

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:28:12 GMT

Microsoft is no longer framing artificial intelligence as a race to build the single best model. Instead, it is positioning itself as the platform where customers can choose among many models. This shift could broaden its enterprise reach while reducing dependence on any one AI leader.

Tokyo Electron raises outlook as AI data center spending lifts memory demand

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:25:51 GMT

Tokyo Electron lifted its operating profit outlook for April-September 2026 on July 30, citing continued investment in AI data centers and stronger semiconductor capital spending. The Japanese equipment maker said demand for memory chips and advanced-process tools remained solid as major customers expanded capacity.

Powertech bets on AMD FOPLP mass production in 2027

Charlene Chen — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:23:03 GMT

Powertech Technology is pressing ahead with new growth drivers, with chairman DK Tsai saying its FOPLP project with AMD for AI advanced packaging is on schedule and is expected to enter mass production by mid-2027. The company also said it has teamed with Broadcom in Singapore on FOPLP RDL development and is moving into optical communications, with μ-Bump-based optical engine samples expected to enter small-scale production by year-end.

Amazon Leo nears 400 satellites, initial service to begin this year

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:22:28 GMT

Amazon's low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite network is approaching 400 satellites in orbit, enough to begin initial commercial internet service before the end of 2026, CEO Andy Jassy said on the company's second-quarter earnings call.

Auto chip demand recovers, but restocking remains elusive

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:15:00 GMT

Automotive chip sales are improving across Europe and the US, but major suppliers say global carmakers and their suppliers are still buying largely for immediate needs. A fuller inventory rebuild — one that could affect prices and supply globally — has yet to begin, leaving the recovery more cautious than expected.

EU launches AI Gigafactories call to boost Europe's computing capacity

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:05:18 GMT

The EU has opened a tender to build up to seven AI Gigafactories, a move that could reshape access to advanced computing for companies, researchers, and governments worldwide. The plan aims to expand Europe's AI capacity, attract private capital, and set standards for the development and use of frontier AI systems.

Rising smartphone prices are reshaping purchase plans in India

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:03:39 GMT

Rising smartphone prices in India are changing how consumers plan purchases, with wider implications for brands, retailers, and buyers worldwide. Counterpoint said many shoppers are willing to adjust budgets, delay upgrades, or seek financing as component and manufacturing costs push up device prices.

Memory shortages deepen as prices climb into the second half of 2026

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 03:00:00 GMT

Memory shortages are tightening across the supply chain, and higher contract prices are set to ripple through global electronics markets. With DRAM lead times stretching and suppliers holding firm, buyers of servers, PCs, and mobile devices may face more cost pressure, even as end-market demand remains uneven worldwide.

Amazon lifts 2026 capex to US$220 billion, pins the increase on memory prices

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 02:49:25 GMT

Amazon has raised its 2026 capital expenditure plan by roughly US$20 billion and attributed the increase to a single input cost: memory.

Shanghai rises as China's lithography hub, powered by SMEE, Huawei and rising DUV rivals

Levi Li — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 02:43:04 GMT

China's lithography equipment sector has returned to the global semiconductor spotlight following reports that a domestically developed immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) system has entered mass production.

Kioxia begins sampling 1TB 3D flash memory for AI devices

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 02:38:57 GMT

Kioxia has begun shipping samples of 1TB triple-level cell memory devices built with its 9th-generation BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory technology. The move signals faster, lower-cost storage options for AI-enabled PCs and smartphones, while also underscoring broader supply-chain developments that may shape device performance for users worldwide.

TSMC reportedly develops EMIB-like packaging to counter Intel

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 02:31:56 GMT

TSMC is reportedly developing a new advanced chip-packaging technology modeled on Intel's Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB), signaling that competition in AI semiconductor packaging is becoming as critical as chip manufacturing itself. The project, internally described as "EMIB-like," is being developed with Taiwanese substrate supplier Kinsus Interconnect Technology as TSMC seeks to broaden its packaging portfolio and address growing customer demand.

AIT reassures Taiwan-US auto ties remain strong amid ongoing tariff debate

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 02:22:02 GMT

Taiwan and the US are deepening auto trade ties that could influence consumer choice, supply-chain resilience, and tariff policy beyond the island's borders. The latest comments from the American Institute in Taiwan come as Taiwan weighs lower car import duties, a move that could affect prices, jobs, tax revenue, and trade dynamics worldwide.

India's first telecom manufacturing zone to land in Madhya Pradesh

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 02:17:14 GMT

India has moved to build a major telecom manufacturing hub in Gwalior, a step that could reshape supply chains, investment flows, and technology production for global markets. The project aims to reduce import dependence, support exports, and build an integrated base for telecom hardware, research, and development.

Microsoft Windows price hikes add to PC cost pressure in 2026

DIGITIMES — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 02:15:30 GMT

PC makers are facing higher costs in 2026 as memory and processor prices rise and Microsoft lifts Windows operating system prices. Vendors said the latest Windows increase averaged in the double digits, depending on the processor, making it one of the larger annual adjustments in years.