DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Apple's iPhone growth meets a tougher test on costs

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 23:33:39 GMT

Apple enters the holiday selling season with stronger demand for its core products, but its latest results show that expanding sales do not automatically translate into faster operating profit growth. Record September-quarter iPhone revenue and an all-time high for Services supported the business as research spending increased and tariff refunds helped reported margins.

Marvell pays up for Lumentum, 33 times forward earnings, to match Broadcom on lasers

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 23:32:48 GMT

Marvell Technology's agreement to buy Lumentum Holdings would give the custom chip designer its own supply of indium phosphide (InP) lasers, one of the scarcest components in AI data center networking, and make it one of the few suppliers spanning both the electrical and optical sides of the link. The deal positions Marvell more directly against Broadcom as connections inside AI clusters move from copper toward optics packaged alongside processors and switches.

SK Hynix ramps up SOCAMM2 as material shortages push up PCB prices

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 23:31:04 GMT

SK Hynix is increasing orders for small outline compression attached memory module 2 (SOCAMM2) printed circuit boards (PCBs) as production ramps up for Nvidia's Vera Rubin AI platform, while shortages of copper-clad laminate (CCL) and other materials are pushing up substrate prices, South Korea's Dealsite reported on October 30.

Beyond the robots: Three companies to watch at FIX 2026

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 23:30:53 GMT

Humanoid robots and self-driving cars were hard to miss at South Korea's Future Innovation Tech Expo (FIX 2026) in Daegu. But some of the less flashy technologies on display were just as interesting.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics starts mass production of ADAS MLCCs

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 23:30:41 GMT

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) has begun mass production of a miniature, ultra-high-capacitance multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), as increasingly powerful automotive processors drive demand for smaller components capable of maintaining stable power supplies.

Samsung reportedly in talks with Nidec to develop robot motors

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 23:30:24 GMT

Samsung Electronics is reportedly in talks with Japanese motor maker Nidec to jointly develop robot motors as the South Korean company expands its humanoid robotics business and pushes to automate its factories.

Nuvoton expects BMC shipments to expand in 2027 as CSPs, startups join

Lily Hess — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 23:30:07 GMT

Nuvoton expects its baseboard management controller (BMC) business to grow faster in 2027 than in 2026, driven by strong AI demand, higher orders from existing customers, and new customers entering mass production. The company said new customers, including cloud service providers (CSPs) and startups, will expand its BMC shipment base.

DIGITIMES Insight: Intel's retreat from low-margin industrial chips opens edge AI market to AMD and Arm rivals

Scarlett Yu — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 23:29:49 GMT

As edge AI applications and AI agents move toward real-world deployment, industrial control and embedded processors are undergoing a structural upgrade in computing capabilities.

Powerchip Investment Holding files suit over NT$13.6B share-buying bid

Lily Hess — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 10:14:42 GMT

Powerchip Investment Holding has filed a complaint over an alleged plan by unidentified buyers to acquire a 20% stake through coordinated share sales for more than NT$13.6 billion (US$417.4 million), raising concerns over the legality of the offer and the source of the funds.

China's self-improving AI advances towards AGI, but Z.ai founder warns of limits and risks

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 09:29:04 GMT

Z.ai co-founder Tang Jie has identified recursive self-improvement (RSI) as a critical pathway towards artificial general intelligence (AGI), arguing that AI systems capable of improving their own development processes could transform research while creating new risks for human oversight.

Taiwan aims to train 60,000 IC specialists by 2030

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 09:13:23 GMT

Taiwan is aggressively pursuing a core strategy of "Team Taiwan to Team Global," according to Cheng-Wen Wu, Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). Wu noted that when AI chips are manufactured in Taiwan, local tech companies are the first to understand their application scenarios and strengths—giving domestic industries a head start in integrating advanced AI into their own manufacturing processes.

AI, geopolitics make Taiwan Thailand's third-largest trade partner in 1H26

Charlene Chen — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 08:47:46 GMT

Taiwan became Thailand's third-largest trade partner in the first half of 2026 as AI growth and geopolitical shifts accelerate Taiwanese investment in the country, Taiwan Representative to Thailand Peter Lan said. Around 200,000 Taiwanese businesspeople are now based in Thailand, with the pace accelerating under the China+1 trend.

US backs Anderon, GF quantum foundries as Intel targets QPUs with 18A process

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 08:31:17 GMT

The US Department of Commerce is leveraging federal funding and policy initiatives to bolster America's global competitiveness in quantum technology. Its core strategy centers on consolidating fragmented industry demand by backing shared manufacturing platforms through public subsidies and government equity stakes. The Trump administration maintains that developing the domestic quantum sector requires more than just algorithms, chip design, and system-level R&D—it also demands dedicated manufacturing infrastructure capable of serving diverse market players.

Jinpao taps robotics contest to deepen Thailand ties, develop AI talent

Lily Hess — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 08:12:43 GMT

JPP Holding's Thai operating arm, Jinpao Precision Industry, joined Praksa subdistrict authorities in Samut Prakan Province, Thailand, on October 31 to hold the finals of the Jinpao–Praksa automation and robotics innovation competition, strengthening its efforts to develop AI and smart-manufacturing talent locally. Chairman Chung Kuo-sung said corporate philanthropy should involve long-term engagement with local communities rather than one-time donations.

Murata to invest JPY1 trillion in expanding MLCC capacity across Asia plants

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Murata Manufacturing announced plans to invest around JPY1 trillion (US$6.3 billion) in expanding multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) capacity by 2030. Booming demand from data centers and AI applications has pushed up orders for MLCC makers. MLCCs are a crucial component in managing power demand.

Denso sees profits hit by memory costs, seeks price pass-through

Charlene Chen — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 07:45:00 GMT

Denso, Japan's largest auto parts maker, reported falling profits for the first half of fiscal 2026 as surging memory and other component costs, driven partly by the AI boom, offset revenue growth. The company said it will pass some costs on to customers when necessary while securing supplies through long-term contracts.

TEL sees 90% profit surge as AI chip demand stays strong

Charlene Chen — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 07:39:10 GMT

Tokyo Electron (TEL) forecasts nearly 90% annual operating-profit growth as chipmakers accelerate capital spending to meet demand for AI hardware, despite mounting concerns over an AI bubble. The company also announced a JPY150 billion share buyback program.

AMOLED advances, hitting IT LCD panels

Charlene Chen — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 07:24:00 GMT

DIGITIMES forecasts that global large-size TFT LCD shipments will reach 910 million units by 2031 as supply expansion slows and panel capacity continues to be restructured. While TV demand remains relatively stable, IT applications face growing substitution pressure from AMOLED, with TV and IT products expected to account for 27.1% and 50.1% of shipments, respectively.

AI data center demand fuels THEIL's optical communications rebound, 4Q26 to buck seasonal downtrend

Eifeh Strom — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Tong Hsing Electronic Industries (THEIL) outlined the latest developments and market trends across its four major product lines of optical communications, ceramic substrates, new semiconductor materials, and image sensors, during an earnings call on October 30.

BenQ Materials targets premium displays and medical growth, seeks semiconductor materials breakthrough

Levi Li — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 07:00:00 GMT

BenQ Materials is targeting higher-value, faster-growing segments across its display, medical and semiconductor materials businesses. Chairman ZC Chen said the company's transformation centres on identifying stronger growth opportunities, with medical products expanding steadily and semiconductor materials expected to make progress in customer qualification during the fourth quarter.

Macronix wins IEEE Milestone — chair reveals how sNOVA transformed Taiwan's chipmaking

Levi Li — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 06:20:04 GMT

Memory chipmaker Macronix International Co. has become Taiwan's first semiconductor company to receive an IEEE Milestone, in recognition of its pioneering sNOVA engineering data analysis system and its contribution to semiconductor manufacturing automation.

AI data center boom in Taiwan faces power, high-voltage line hurdles

Rodney Chan — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 06:06:10 GMT

As AI data centers expand, Taiwan is facing challenges in securing power supply, battery backup, and cooling systems, with the state-run Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) requiring about two years to build dedicated 161 kV high-voltage lines. The island's limited land and growing industrial and population demand in northern Taiwan are raising concerns over whether electricity availability will keep pace with the expansion of AI computing capacity.

Samsung to buy TCL CSOT stake from its own display unit for US$960 million

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 05:47:20 GMT

Samsung Electronics plans to acquire Samsung Display's entire 10.16% stake in China's TCL CSOT for KRW1.2718 trillion (approx. US$960 million), moving the investment from its OLED-focused subsidiary to the parent company, whose TV business continues to rely on Chinese LCD panel suppliers.

South Korea builds SMR ecosystem as SK Innovation advances Natrium tech, Samsung C&T pushes modular construction

Willis Ke — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 05:32:40 GMT

South Korean energy and engineering companies are positioning themselves for the emerging small modular reactor (SMR) market, with SK Innovation (SKI) seeking to build expertise through US demonstration and early commercial projects before pursuing domestic deployment, while Samsung C&T is focusing on modular construction to shorten project timelines, reduce costs, and accelerate commercialization.

Iluvatar CoreX Tiangai 300 tops Nvidia H200 in select AI inference tests, with long-context and MoE gains

Levi Li — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 04:45:10 GMT

Chinese AI chipmaker Iluvatar CoreX has released benchmarks showing its next-generation Tiangai 300 general-purpose GPU outperforming Nvidia's H200 in selected large language model (LLM) inference, long-context processing and multimodal generation workloads.

RichWave sees Wi-Fi 7 reaching 50% share in 2027

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 04:41:48 GMT

Radio frequency (RF) IC design house RichWave Technology stated at its recent investor conference that memory supply constraints, rather than end demand, are curbing networking equipment shipments despite resilient overall market demand. The company expects Wi-Fi 7 to capture half of its Wi-Fi market share in 2027 as telecom operators and retail router customers accelerate upgrade cycles.

Schneider and Foxconn accelerate modular AI factory deployment as token usage surges 60-Fold

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 04:33:42 GMT

The boom in generative AI is rapidly driving demand for data center construction, making power supply, cooling, and energy management central challenges for AI infrastructure. Speaking at Hon Hai Tech Day 2026 (HHTD 26), Himanshu Prasad, Senior Vice President at Schneider Electric, projected that global data center capacity will reach 300 GW over the next four to five years, with roughly 65% of all new capacity dedicated to AI workloads.

Foxconn takes AI beyond clinical software with hospital partnerships and medical robotics

Levi Li — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 04:31:59 GMT

Foxconn is expanding its AI capabilities into clinical workflows, medical robotics and healthcare manufacturing, working with hospitals, equipment makers and technology partners to build an integrated smart healthcare ecosystem. Its strategy follows an ecosystem-to-clinical deployment framework spanning products, edge-cloud computing and software-hardware integration, reflecting Nvidia's five-layer AI architecture.

MediaTek pins second ASIC project and customer to 2028

Charlene Chen — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 04:23:12 GMT

MediaTek's latest earnings call focused heavily on its data-center ASIC business, as CEO Rick Tsai and CFO David Ku addressed market rumors about delays to its second AI accelerator ASIC project, EMIB packaging yields, and the identity of its second customer. The company said its major customer's second-generation project remains on track for mass production in the first quarter of 2028, while the second customer will also begin contributing revenue in 2028.

Samsung partners with PXPay to bolster Samsung Wallet in Taiwan

Kevin Wang — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 04:10:18 GMT

Samsung Electronics Taiwan is partnering with local mobile payment platform PXPay as part of its expansion of Samsung Wallet applications. The move, announced on October 30 with services beginning on November 1, follows the earlier integration of tap-and-pay EasyCard functions into Samsung Wallet and aims to strengthen Samsung's competitiveness in Taiwan's mobile payment market. It forms part of a key strategy focused on the value of the company's proprietary applications as surging memory prices continue to impact smartphone sales numbers.

Samsung's Lee bets on Japan for AI chip packaging edge

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 04:09:11 GMT

Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the company's Advanced Package Lab (APL) in Yokohama, Japan, on November 1, as the chipmaker looks to Japan's semiconductor materials and equipment industry to strengthen its advanced packaging capabilities for AI processors.

DIGITIMES chairman: Taiwan-South Korea cooperation beats competition in AI race

Lily Hess — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 04:06:24 GMT

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly expanding global semiconductor demand, prompting Taiwan and South Korea to shift from straightforward competition toward cooperation as the AI chip supply chain grows more complex. Colley Hwang, chairman and CEO of DIGITIMES, said Taiwan's semiconductor success stems not only from TSMC, but also from an ecosystem built on specialization, industrial clusters, talent, and capital markets.

Exclusive: How Germany's fast-follower economy reshapes the AI PC race as local AI awaits killer app

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 04:06:01 GMT

As AI PC configurations reach new technological heights amid a broader push toward higher-spec machines, the market is moving steadily toward wider adoption of AI-capable hardware.

Lite-On boosts 2027 capex as AI race raises stakes for CSPs

Lily Hess — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 03:55:22 GMT

Lite-On Technology will continue increasing capital expenditure in 2027 as cloud service providers (CSPs) pour money into the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure race, president Anson Chiu said. He warned that CSPs that stop investing to secure market share will pay an even higher price for falling behind in the irreversible AI era.

Sam Altman meets with Samsung, SK as memory crunch deepens

DIGITIMES — Mon, 2 Nov 2026 03:53:42 GMT

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with executives from Samsung Group and SK Group during a brief visit to South Korea on October 31, as tightening memory supplies and growing commitments to major AI customers raise the stakes for the company's semiconductor and data center partnerships.