DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

China places 10 US entities on export control list, restricts dual-use exports

DIGITIMES — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 01:58:43 GMT

According to an announcement published by China's Ministry of Commerce on June 22, China has added 10 US entities to its export control list, prohibiting the export of dual-use items to these companies and banning any organization or individual from transferring China-origin dual-use items to them.

Analysis: BYD's robotics ambitions ignite new battleground with startups

Scarlett Yu — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 01:56:19 GMT

As competition intensifies and profitability declines in China's new-energy vehicle (NEV) market, automakers are increasingly turning to humanoid robots in search of a new growth engine. Over the past two years, however, many of these companies have also been key customers of humanoid robotics startups. As automakers begin developing robots of their own, the competition that has defined the NEV market may increasingly spill over into the humanoid robotics sector.

India roundup: Apple's India manufacturing bet faces reminder of operational risks after Tata probe closure

DIGITIMES — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:45:43 GMT

India is accelerating its electronics manufacturing ambitions through AI infrastructure, semiconductor packaging, rare earth development, and foreign investment, even as regulatory compliance, traceability, and supply chain resilience remain key challenges.

Interview: MetaComp on its KYA framework and the agentic future of finance

DIGITIMES — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:45:03 GMT

Agentic AI is entering the financial sector, and a future where agents make purchases and manage wealth on people's behalf is appearing on the horizon – but is the financial system ready for this?

MSScorps expands Taiwan investment again for silicon photonics

Lily Hess — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:44:38 GMT

Taiwan's investment office, InvesTaiwan, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, has approved expanded Taiwan investment plans from four companies, led by MSScorps, which will invest NT$1.5 billion (US$47.4 million) and is filing for the third time. The company plans to add production lines and adopt AI technology at its Hsinchu, Tai Yuen Hi-Tech Industrial Park, and Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) facilities.

Qatari LNG could reach Taiwan by September — if the Strait of Hormuz reopens in time

Sherri Wang — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:44:21 GMT

Taiwan's CPC Corporation said Qatari liquefied natural gas shipments could begin arriving in Taiwan from early September 2026, as the US and Iran move toward an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though key details of the arrangement remain unclear.

Hongkang ramps silicon photonics testing investment with first system due in August

Scarlett Yu — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:44:08 GMT

Semiconductor testing and analysis service provider Hongkang held its annual shareholders' meeting on June 18. Chairperson Hsieh Yung-fen said the company has begun investing in a silicon photonics wafer-and-chip optoelectronic analysis platform in anticipation of growing demand for silicon photonics. The first system is expected to be installed before August 2026, followed by a second and third system by the end of 2026 and early 2027, respectively.

Taiwan AI delegation pivots to end-to-end solutions at VivaTech to tap European demand

DIGITIMES — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:43:40 GMT

The National Science Council organized a Taiwan Tech Arena delegation of 95 companies to attend the VivaTech conference in France, presenting an "AI Taiwan" showcase to promote Taiwan’s AI technologies and applications to European buyers and partners. The delegation departed this year to align with VivaTech’s 10th anniversary and its theme "A New Dimension for a New Decade," aiming to highlight how AI can be integrated into daily life and industry settings.

Robot batteries diverge from EVs as A-PRO backs swap systems

Lily Hess — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:43:18 GMT

South Korean battery equipment maker A-PRO says robot battery design differs sharply from electric vehicles (EVs), with hot-swap battery replacement, dual-battery setups, and autonomous energy management emerging as key solutions for keeping machines running longer and reducing downtime. The company outlined its strategy at the Korean Institute of Electric Vehicles (KIEV) 2026 summer seminar.

Tongtai expands aerospace, AI and semiconductor push under new board

Willis Ke — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:42:55 GMT

Taiwan-based Tongtai Machine & Tool is accelerating its transformation toward high-value manufacturing, leveraging growing opportunities in AI servers, semiconductors and aerospace. At its annual general meeting on June 17, shareholders approved all proposals and elected a new board that includes several aerospace industry veterans, underscoring the company's commitment to expanding into advanced manufacturing sectors despite a challenging operating environment.

FineMat pivots beyond metal masks with AI cooling, semiconductor, and drone push

Scarlett Yu — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:42:29 GMT

Amid growing localization efforts across China's supply chain, FineMat Applied Materials has seen its metal mask business continue to shrink and is accelerating its transition into AI cooling, semiconductors, and drones. The company's liquid-cooling cold plates for AI applications have already been sampled by end customers and are expected to begin shipping in the second half of 2026. Once volume production ramps in 2027, cooling products could account for more than 50% of total revenue, becoming a key growth driver.

Google co-founder says AGI's missing piece is the physical world, not language

Emily Kuo — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:42:12 GMT

Two years after returning to Google, co-founder Sergey Brin recently made his first public appearance and participated in an open Q&A session at the AGI House event in Silicon Valley. During the discussion, Brin addressed Google's current development status, explained the company's technological direction, and revealed that a debate over the definition of artificial general intelligence (AGI) is beginning to emerge. The outcome of this debate could directly influence the future development path of AGI.

ASMedia launches second transformation plan, targets revenue doubling, AI server market expansion

Eifeh Strom — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:41:51 GMT

High-speed transmission IC design company ASMedia Technology held its annual shareholders meeting on June 17, completing a full board reshuffle. ASMedia president Che-Wei Lin stated that 2025 revenue surpassed NT$10 billion (approx. US$316.5 million) for the first time, while earnings per share (EPS) reached NT$72.7. However, amid structural changes in the industry driven by the continued expansion in artificial intelligence (AI) server demand, the PC and motherboard sectors have faced severe crowding-out effects.

Taiwan memory chip designers set for 245% revenue jump on AI storage demand

Sherri Wang — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 23:51:56 GMT

Taiwan's memory chip designers are heading into a sharply stronger 2026 as rising memory prices and a wave of AI-driven demand push the industry away from consumer electronics and toward higher-value data center and AI applications.

US raises alarm over possible EUV machine in China, putting ASML on the defensive

DIGITIMES — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:41:13 GMT

The Trump administration has confronted ASML with concerns that one of the Dutch company's most advanced chip-making machines may have made its way into China in violation of US-led export restrictions, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Samsung weighs Boston Dynamics stake as humanoid AI race heats up

Scarlett Yu — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:18:27 GMT

Samsung Electronics is reportedly reviewing the possibility of investing in Boston Dynamics, the US robotics company controlled by Hyundai Motor Group.

Google DeepMind maps four paths from AGI to ASI

Scarlett Yu — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:18:17 GMT

Over the past decade, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have repeatedly exceeded market expectations. Artificial general intelligence (AGI), once largely confined to the realms of science fiction, has become an explicit long-term objective for many leading AI organizations.

Taiwan LED makers look beyond lighting to AI optical communication

Levi Li — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:18:08 GMT

Taiwan's LED industry is moving beyond lighting components into AI optical communication, Micro LED, sensing, and high-end optoelectronic semiconductor applications. After years of oversupply, price wars, and restructuring, local LED makers are seeking a new role in the global supply chain as AI data centers accelerate demand for high-speed optical transmission.

Surging AI power demand pushes data centers toward higher-voltage designs

Sherri Wang — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:18:00 GMT

As AI computing continues to scale, power systems are facing sharper load swings, along with rising requirements for power density and reliability.

Foreign drone certification rules push Taiwan firms toward JVs

Lily Hess — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:17:50 GMT

Taiwan's drone exports continue to gain momentum, driving local manufacturers to expand overseas more aggressively. But as they enter foreign markets, Taiwan companies face long local certification timelines and other regulatory hurdles, pushing their overseas strategies away from simple exports and toward localized production and joint ventures.

Techman Robot pushes lightweight cobots with built-in AI vision into Southeast Asia

DIGITIMES — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:17:39 GMT

Techman Robot brought a lineup of collaborative robots and AI vision automation systems to the ME Assembly & Automation 2026 trade show in Bangkok this week, targeting manufacturers in Thailand's automotive, electronics, and food processing sectors as the region accelerates factory automation amid supply chain realignment.

FPGA firm Efinix lines up TSMC Japan fab as edge AI business grows

DIGITIMES — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:16:20 GMT

Efinix, a Cupertino-based FPGA startup founded in 2012, is making a push into edge AI with its newly launched Titanium Edge series — a family of chips the company says addresses longstanding power and security limitations in programmable logic devices.

EU fast-tracks US tariff deal, adds three Trump safeguards

Lily Hess — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:23:02 GMT

The European Union has rushed through a US-EU tariff agreement after US President Donald Trump demanded that Brussels complete the deal by July 4, the 250th anniversary of US independence, or face higher 25% tariffs on auto and auto parts imports. According to media reports, the European Parliament recently held an emergency vote to approve the agreement, while the EU simultaneously added three safeguards to guard against the risk of renewed tariff hikes.

SK Hynix reportedly held U.S. talks on HBM supply and local investment plans

DIGITIMES — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 03:23:13 GMT

SK Hynix is reported to have held a private meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Allison Hooker, with industry sources speculating the discussions covered high-bandwidth memory cooperation with major U.S. technology firms and potential semiconductor investment expansion.

GBC returns to capital markets with three technology platforms

Lily Hess — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 03:22:44 GMT

General Biologicals (GBC) held its shareholders' meeting on the 17th, saying the group is moving from restructuring into scaled, international growth. The precision medicine company is betting on clear long-term demand in global precision medicine, smart healthcare, and regenerative medicine as it expands its CLIA/AIO systems, circulating tumor cell (CTC) testing technology, Oh care brand, and overseas footprint.

Cornelis-powered Lynx supercomputer enters service at LLNL, expanding NNSA computing capacity

DIGITIMES — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:54:27 GMT

Cornelis Networks has announced the successful deployment of the Lynx supercomputing cluster at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, marking a significant milestone for the company's CN5000 Omni-Path networking platform and the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Commodity Technology Systems (CTS-2) program.

China chip supply chain feels squeeze from AI server MLCCs to 8-bit MCUs

DIGITIMES — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:54:04 GMT

China's semiconductor supply chain is showing fresh signs of pricing strain, with microcontroller unit (MCU) makers and passive component suppliers facing rising costs, tighter capacity, and surging demand from AI servers.

Singapore becomes a startup melting pot— who's coming, who's staying, and why

DIGITIMES — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:53:50 GMT

Plug and Play's Wayne Soh on the shifting flows of Chinese, Indian, and Taiwanese founders through the city-state.

Commentary: G7 AI fight moves to who controls frontier model access

DIGITIMES — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:53:31 GMT

The G7 debate over AI has moved beyond regulation and safety pledges into a harder fight over frontier model access: who can use the most powerful systems, under what conditions, and whether governments can switch that access off.

Samsung Foundry to make Claros power-management chips for AI data centers

DIGITIMES — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:52:53 GMT

Samsung Electronics' foundry business has signed a strategic manufacturing collaboration with Claros, a US power-management startup, to produce semiconductors designed to cut energy waste inside AI data centers, according to a Claros announcement and a report by ZDNet Korea.

Apple to work with Intel on US chip design and manufacturing, Trump says

DIGITIMES — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:52:39 GMT

US President Donald Trump said on June 18 that Apple has agreed to work with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the US, a claim he made in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Nvidia leads China assisted-driving chip market; Horizon Robotics rises to second

DIGITIMES — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:52:23 GMT

China's assisted-driving chip market is becoming more concentrated, with Nvidia leading in assisted-driving domain controller chip installations and Horizon Robotics emerging as the strongest domestic supplier, according to April 2026 passenger-vehicle data.

Kioxia keeps NAND capex in check as AI inference reshapes SSD demand

DIGITIMES — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:51:24 GMT

Kioxia, one of the world's major NAND flash memory suppliers, is prioritizing long-term agreements (LTAs), BiCS migration, and domestic fab efficiency over aggressive capacity expansion, signaling a more disciplined approach to the AI storage cycle.

Research Insight: Fukuta expands small power modules as drones and robot dogs drive growth

Charlene Chen — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:51:03 GMT

As global EV market growth slows, motor makers that once relied on EV power systems are moving faster to find new growth engines. Fukuta has extended its accumulated design, integration, and manufacturing capabilities in automotive all-in-one power systems into miniaturized power module applications such as drones and quadruped robot dogs, reflecting a broader shift in resource allocation amid cooling EV growth.

Interview: Oppstar grows ASIC design ties with Japan, South Korea clientele, plans Taiwan office

Charlene Chen — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:50:46 GMT

Founded in 2014, Oppstar is one of the few Malaysian companies operating at the front end of the semiconductor value chain as an IC design house. The company was established by three founders with extensive experience in the IC design industry: Meng Thai Ng, Hun Wah Cheah, and Chun Chiat Tan. Headquartered in Bayan Lepas, Penang, Oppstar opened an office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2022. From its inception, the company positioned itself as a one-stop IC design service provider, initially focusing on 16nm design nodes.