DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Quanta posts second-highest monthly revenue as notebook shipments plunge 38%

Sherri Wang — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:06:54 GMT

Quanta Computer posted its second-highest monthly revenue on record in July, as strong AI server demand sustained growth even as notebook shipments fell nearly 38% from June.

Compeq says satellite and data center orders will drive second-half growth

DIGITIMES — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:06:42 GMT

Compeq Manufacturing said on August 6 that satellite and data center demand helped lift second-quarter performance, with revenue reaching a record for the period and management expecting further gains through the rest of 2026. The high-density interconnect (HDI) printed circuit board (PCB) maker cited stable shipments of high-end smartphone and low-Earth-orbit satellite products, along with rapidly rising data center sales.

TSMC, ASE, WPG: the white-knight battles that built Taiwan's chip empire

Charlene Chen — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:06:29 GMT

Powerchip chairman Frank Huang, who spent much of his career mirroring the trajectory of Taiwan's memory and foundry industries and was set to ride the AI boom into profitability in 2026, has passed away. His passing has revived memories of a 1999 attempt to block UMC's aggressive bid for Powerchip, when Huang sought help from TSMC founder Morris Chang and eventually saw Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) invest in Powerchip to counter UMC.

Interview: Lightmatter maps CPO future with Nvidia NVLink, Taiwan supply chain

Levi Li — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:06:18 GMT

The 2026 OCP APAC Summit will take place in Taipei on August 11-12. Ahead of the event, Lightmatter founder and CEO Nicholas Harris spoke exclusively with DIGITIMES about the company's advantages after joining the Nvidia NVLink ecosystem, its technology roadmap and the importance of close collaboration with Taiwan's supply chain.

Taiwan team builds high-performance MoS2 transistor to ease 2D semiconductor limits

DIGITIMES — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:06:09 GMT

Taiwan researchers announced on August 6 that they had developed a high-performance monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) top-gate transistor designed to address a long-standing interface problem in two-dimensional semiconductors. The work brought together teams from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Academia Sinica’s Research Center for Applied Sciences, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., according to Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council.

Analysis: Memory makers hold US$38 billion that isn't theirs to keep

DIGITIMES — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:05:46 GMT

Suppliers locked supply and price floors through 2030. The collateral protecting them runs out first — and that is when procurement leverage comes back.

Clevo bets on differentiated design for 2H26 notebook growth

Charlene Chen — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:05:24 GMT

Clevo president Simon Tsai said AI is extending from infrastructure to consumers, boosting not only the PC industry but also traffic at IT malls. At Clevo's Buynow retail chain, humanoid robots from Unitree Robotics have become hot attractions, helping reshape the product mix in IT retail.

IT panel demand cools as August prices hold steady

Lily Hess — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:05:11 GMT

IT panel demand weakened in the third quarter, with both monitors and notebook panels facing a demand correction after early restocking in the first half of the year. But with chip and other component costs remaining high and panel makers seeing limited room for profit, suppliers are showing little willingness to cut prices, while brand customers have not intensified pricing pressure, leaving August IT panel prices likely to stay flat.

Elan warns CPU and DRAM shortages will strain 2H26 PC demand

Charlene Chen — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:04:56 GMT

Taiwanese touch controller maker Elan held an earnings call on August 5 and said overall operations in the second quarter of 2026 were still solid, but the PC market in the third quarter and second half could be tougher than in the first half. The company said component shortages are disrupting customer shipments because of imbalances in parts supply, though it will stay in close contact with customers and remain ready to handle rush and urgent orders.

Interview: SailPoint says Taiwan hardware leads but identity governance lags

Charlene Chen — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:04:42 GMT

Taiwan's hardware manufacturing sector leads globally, but the country's level of investment in cybersecurity software and identity governance still ranks in the back half of the Asia-Pacific region, SailPoint Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau managing director Simon Tai told DIGITIMES in an interview. As the tech industry speeds up digital transformation, remote collaboration, outsourced workflows, and AI agents are increasingly common in enterprise operations, shifting the focus of corporate cybersecurity defenses.

Commentary: China IC design rules reshape patent battles

Charlene Chen — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:04:26 GMT

China's State Council has released a revised version of the regulations on the protection of IC layout designs, set to take effect on October 15, 2026. It is the first full overhaul since the rules were issued in 2001, adding protection for photonic and quantum IC designs, increasing punitive damages for intentional infringement, and improving systems for layout design registration, licensing, and rights enforcement.

Highpoint Service Network posts record first-half profit on India expansion

DIGITIMES — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:03:00 GMT

Highpoint Service Network approved its second-quarter 2026 financial report on August 5, posting record revenue for both the quarter and the first half as it expanded in the Asia-Pacific and launched operations in India. The Taiwan-based service provider reported consolidated revenue of NT$375 million, net profit after tax of NT$8.38 million, and earnings per share (EPS) of NT$0.46 for the quarter.

Sercomm July revenue rises 51% on Wi-Fi upgrade demand

DIGITIMES — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:02:44 GMT

Sercomm Corporation reported July revenue of NT$7.98 billion, up 51% from a year earlier and a new monthly high, as rising AI adoption continued to drive network traffic and equipment upgrade demand. Revenue for the first seven months reached NT$45.24 billion, also a record and up 57% year-over-year.

Chenbro revenue climbs in the second quarter as July shipments hit a record

DIGITIMES — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:02:34 GMT

Chenbro Micom reported consolidated revenue of NT$7.82 billion (US$242.4 million) in the second quarter of 2026, up 10% quarter-over-quarter and 43.7% year-over-year. The server chassis maker also posted gross profit of NT$2.55 billion, operating profit of NT$1.93 billion, and net profit attributable to the parent company of NT$1.38 billion, with earnings per share of NT$11.1.

Accton revenue jumps on AI switch demand as 1.6T shipments expand

DIGITIMES — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:02:08 GMT

Accton Technology Corporation said demand for high-end networking gear remained strong as AI data center buildouts continued, lifting July consolidated revenue to NT$39.473 billion, up 71.69% year-on-year. The networking equipment maker said cumulative revenue for the first seven months reached NT$205.131 billion, up 62.36% year-on-year, and it kept a cautiously optimistic outlook for full-year 2026 operations.

Ching Chan Optical profit jumps on high-end optical sorter demand

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 23:58:24 GMT

Ching Chan Optical Technology said second-quarter 2026 earnings per share reached NT$0.96, up 12-fold year-on-year, as shipments of high-end optical sorting machines for passive components and LEDs lifted results. Gross margin climbed to 53%, up 6 percentage points year-on-year.

iST reports higher gross margin in the second quarter as validation demand rises

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 23:57:55 GMT

Integrated Service Technology (iST) reported consolidated revenue of about NT$1.184 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 9.24% quarter-over-quarter but down 1.7% from a year earlier. The Taiwan-based validation and analysis services provider said gross margin improved to 26.13%, while net profit after tax fell to NT$89 million and earnings per share declined to about NT$1.03.

Nova Technology posts record second-quarter and first-half profit on strong order recognition

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 23:57:42 GMT

Nova Technology posted record second-quarter and first-half 2026 profit as orders from semiconductor, memory, and advanced packaging customers continued to drive revenue recognition. The Taiwan-based supplier of semiconductor and panel process systems said the trend should keep supporting order intake and revenue recognition from its backlog in the coming months.

WinWay revenue jumps as AI test socket orders drive growth

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 09:11:31 GMT

WinWay Technologies said orders from AI customers and stronger demand for advanced testing products lifted shipments in the second quarter of 2026, with revenue rising for a fourth straight quarter on a sequential basis. The semiconductor test interface maker said it expects momentum to continue into the third quarter of 2026 as order visibility improves and new capacity comes online.

Analysis: TSMC expands Japan footprint with 3nm fab, advanced packaging push

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 09:00:21 GMT

TSMC is expanding Japan's role in its global network as it prepares to add 3nm production in Kumamoto and deepens local capabilities in advanced packaging, chip design and next-generation image sensors.

Wistron sees AI server growth accelerate in August; new HPE, Lenovo and Oracle orders add 4Q26 lift

Levi Li — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:41:38 GMT

Wistron expects stronger AI server growth in August 2026 after reporting July revenue of NT$308.22 billion (approx. US$9.53 billion), down 4.2% month-over-month but up 60.8% year-over-year. Revenue for the first seven months reached NT$2.05 trillion, up 88.2% from a year earlier. The company expects AI server shipments to grow sequentially throughout the second half of 2026.

VisEra Technologies sees stronger 2H26 on recovering demand across three end markets

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:35:00 GMT

TSMC-affiliated optical sensing chipmaker VisEra Technologies said at its earnings conference on August 6 that business momentum rebounded significantly in the second quarter of 2026, driven by stable shipments of smartphone CMOS image sensors (CIS).

NCSIST and Shield AI complete autonomous drone mission

Charlene Chen — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:34:40 GMT

Shield AI and Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) said on August 6, 2026, that they have successfully completed a live demonstration of a multi-drone cooperative autonomous search mission, using three Mighty Hornet III drones developed by NCSIST. The two sides said they will continue working together to expand the use of Shield AI's Hivemind autonomous system across NCSIST research and development programs.

Chunghwa Telecom to launch dedicated Astranis satellite, Matsu cable in September

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:30:00 GMT

As geopolitical tensions and natural disasters continue to highlight the importance of resilient communications infrastructure, Chunghwa Telecom is accelerating investments in both satellite and subsea cable networks to strengthen Taiwan's network redundancy.

Taiwan advances efforts to become global drone hub with non-China supply chain edge

Kevin Wang — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:30:00 GMT

Amid the escalation of geopolitical tensions and extreme weather events, Taiwan has stepped up efforts to become a global hub for drone manufacturing as countries around the world accelerate buildouts of non-red supply chains. Drones have now evolved from tools for aerial photography into crucial elements of national defense, disaster response, and the rising low-altitude economy.

Ibiden raises full-year profit forecast as AI server and substrate demand strengthens

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:15:00 GMT

Ibiden said on August 4 that it raised its fiscal 2026 outlook after stronger-than-expected demand from generative AI and a recovery in the general-purpose server market lifted results in the first quarter. The Japan-based IC substrate maker now expects full-year net profit to rise, reversing an earlier forecast for a decline.

Integrated ecosystems become focus of AI-driven smart vehicle development

Kevin Wang — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:07:31 GMT

The global automobile industry has been at the cusp of a critical transition into electrification and smart technologies, and the focus of future competition in the industry will move beyond mere performance to software-hardware integration, smart applications, and the building of cross-industry ecosystems, according to Larry Chang, director of planning and research and head of automobile electrification outreach at the Mechanical and Mechatronics Systems Research Labs (MMSL) of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala weighs US$6.3B investment in Japan AI data center

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:04:06 GMT

The United Arab Emirates is considering investing as much as JPY1 trillion (approx. US$6.3 billion) in a 500MW artificial intelligence data center in Akita Prefecture, according to Bloomberg. Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment is expected to lead the investment in a project that could become Japan's largest data center.

Raydium sees slower third-quarter momentum after smartphone OLED DDI pull-ins

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Raydium Semiconductor said its third-quarter 2026 momentum is likely to ease after customers pulled in orders for smartphone OLED display driver ICs in the second quarter. The Taiwan-based display driver IC maker reported second-quarter revenue of NT$6.82 billion, up 25.4% quarter-over-quarter and 16.6% year-over-year, as early stocking helped lift sales across its three main product lines.

Eris Technology posts record July revenue as subsidiary YS Tech plans listing

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Power semiconductor group Eris Technology said its July 2026 consolidated revenue reached NT$291 million, up 29.78% year-on-year and setting a new monthly high. The company also reported that cumulative revenue for January through July totaled NT$1.776 billion, an increase of 19.02% from the same period in 2025.

Malaysia weighs loosening rare earth export limits as global supply chase intensifies

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 07:50:26 GMT

Malaysia is reviewing limits on unprocessed rare earth exports as investors seek access and governments worldwide race to secure strategic minerals. Any policy shift could affect supply chains far beyond Southeast Asia, shaping how global manufacturers, defense industries, and clean-energy firms source critical materials in an increasingly geopoliticized market.

Wah Hong speeds AI cooling and semiconductor materials push with Taoyuan pilot line

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 07:49:16 GMT

Wah Hong Industrial Co. said that in the first half of 2026, it accelerated development of high-value-added products, new technologies and new application markets while continuing to protect its core businesses. The Taiwan-based materials maker also reported that net profit rose nearly 12% year over year, while earnings per share increased 16.83% during the period.

SK Hynix commits US$39 billion to new Yongin and Cheongju fabs as AI memory demand builds

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 07:42:19 GMT

SK Hynix has approved roughly KRW54 trillion (approx. US$39 billion) in new fab construction across two domestic sites, allocating KRW35.2 trillion to a second Yongin fab and KRW19.1 trillion to a new Cheongju NAND plant, in a move the company frames as securing supply capacity rather than chasing a cycle.

China launches review of Palo Alto Networks as trade tensions with US escalate

DIGITIMES — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 07:34:26 GMT

China's cyberspace authority said it has begun to scrutinize products sold by US cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks within the country, citing risks to national security and critical infrastructure in its decision. This takes place during a time of heightened tensions between the US and China over technology supply chains and AI advancements.

Zhen Ding Tech hits July revenue record on AI and consumer electronics demand

Levi Li — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 06:52:25 GMT

Zhen Ding Tech (ZDT) said July revenue reached its highest level so far in 2026, supported by strong momentum across mobile communications, servers, optical modules and IC substrates. Its mobile communications business maintained double-digit year-on-year growth, while combined revenue from servers, optical modules and IC substrates sustained triple-digit growth, accelerated from the previous month and reached another monthly record. The gains were mainly driven by customers moving high-end AI products into adoption and mass production as planned, lifting ZDT's related shipments.