DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Anthropic's Sonnet 5 delivers near-Opus performance at 60% lower cost as export ban lifts

DIGITIMES — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 02:11:29 GMT

The US Commerce Department on June 30 removed export restrictions on two of Anthropic's most advanced AI models, ending a roughly three-week freeze that had disrupted enterprise and government users in allied countries.

AI fuels OSAT pricing power as chip packaging orders fill through 2027

Levi Li — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 01:49:28 GMT

Cloud AI demand is reshaping the seasonal cycle of the semiconductor industry, with capacity tightness spreading from front-end manufacturing to back-end packaging and testing. Since late 2025, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test, or OSAT, capacity has tightened steadily. New capacity added in 2026 has also been filled quickly, prompting multiple IC design houses to lock in capacity and pushing order visibility beyond 2027.

The price behind India's investment boom

Rodney Chan — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 01:45:00 GMT

India, the world's most populous democracy, is pushing hard to expand transport and power infrastructure to support manufacturing and technology growth. However, EY said unclear demand definitions, poor contractor management, and regulatory differences often lead to cost overruns and project delays for companies investing in India.

Interview: Qnity races to secure advanced materials capacity

Charlene Chen — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 01:30:00 GMT

As the AI wave drives rapid growth across the global semiconductor industry, the upstream electronic materials supply chain has become a key bottleneck for AI-related shipments. To keep pace with AI investment, Qnity was spun off from US chemical giant DuPont and listed independently in November 2025.

Naphtha supply risk adds pressure to semiconductor materials

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 01:18:29 GMT

A crude oil shortage tied to the US-Iran war is raising concern about naphtha, a refinery byproduct used deep in industrial supply chains. While a direct semiconductor shortage is not yet seen, higher input costs are already spreading, and global manufacturers may face longer-term pressure if disruptions persist worldwide.

Taiwan sends defense drone bills to committee review as supply chain ramps up

DIGITIMES — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 01:05:45 GMT

Taiwan's legislature moved defense drone proposals to committee review on July 3 after heated debate, advancing plans to fund a domestic autonomous unmanned vehicles program and prompting a near-term boost in activity across the local drone supply chain. The Executive Yuan had approved a draft special act backed by a special budget of NT$210 billion (US$6.6 billion) for procurement of autonomous defense unmanned vehicles, and rival bills from the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party were also sent to committee review.

Global auto supply chain braces for fiercer 3Q26 profit battle

Kevin Wang — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:33:21 GMT

The global automotive supply chain remained in turmoil in the first half of 2026 due primarily to geopolitical challenges and subsidy adjustments in Europe, the US, and China, as well as external factors including inflation, armed conflicts, and swings in consumer spending.

Taiwan's connector makers head into 2H26 on AI demand, but face rising costs and supply constraints

Willis Ke — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:33:13 GMT

AI-driven demand is expected to keep Taiwan's connector industry on a growth trajectory in the second half of 2026, with AI servers, data centers and high-speed interconnects continuing to underpin investment. Yet a combination of component shortages, elevated raw material prices and product transition costs is making the outlook less straightforward, raising questions over margins and the pace of shipments.

LCD TV panel makers face a softer peak season as demand weakens and costs climb

Lily Hess — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:33:03 GMT

Liquid-crystal-display (LCD) TV panel makers face a muted peak season in the second half of 2026, as weaker demand, rising material costs, and looser supply-demand conditions put pressure on prices. Although early stocking tied to sports events, plus shortages and price hikes in components such as memory, lifted global TV panel shipments in the first half of 2026, the market is now entering the traditional busy season with little sign of a strong rebound.

Taiwan auto market levels as easing US tariff uncertainty boosts parts exporters

DIGITIMES — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:32:53 GMT

Taiwan's auto industry has begun to recover as recent clarity around US tariff policy eased months of pressure on manufacturers, dealers and aftermarket parts exporters, executives said. The shift, reported in late June, allowed delayed parts imports and new-car assembly schedules to resume, enabling factories and dealers to reconfigure production and prepare for the traditional sales peak in the second half of the year.

H2U eyes AI health data opportunity with July Innovation Board listing

AI bot — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:32:42 GMT

Growing demand for health data, AI applications and corporate wellness management is driving Taiwan's digital health industry. H2U, the country's largest digital health technology platform, announced that it will list on the Taiwan Innovation Board (TIB) at the end of July 2026.

Industry 4.0 demand keeps TADC on track for double-digit growth in 2H26

Eifeh Strom — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:32:32 GMT

Computer-aided engineering (CAE) solutions provider Taiwan Auto Design (TADC) held an earnings call on June 29, stating that, with collaborative product commerce (CPC) personnel now in place and Industry 4.0 projects entering a phase of intensive customer acceptance, the company is expected to see further growth in the second half of 2026.

South Korea's southwest chip hub grows from memory fabs into full semiconductor and AI ecosystem

DIGITIMES — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:32:02 GMT

South Korea's government laid out a detailed plan on June 30 for building its southwest region into a major new semiconductor production base, with SK, Samsung Electronics and Amkor outlining a combined KRW896 trillion (approx. US$581 billion) in investment covering memory chip fabs, AI data centers and advanced packaging.

SK Hynix talent hunt targets HBM's next frontiers while drawing Samsung employees' attention

Lily Hess — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:30:09 GMT

SK Hynix's latest senior hiring drive has reignited debate in South Korea's semiconductor industry, with the move seen as more than routine R&D reinforcement and as a sign that competition in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market has entered a new stage. As AI chips demand more from memory, logic design, advanced process nodes, and packaging integration, talent with system semiconductor and foundry experience has become a strategic asset.

Why South Korea may struggle to replicate Taiwan's semiconductor success

Levi Li — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:29:54 GMT

South Korea is moving to build a complete semiconductor supply chain modeled on Taiwan's technology corridor, but Gudeng chairman Bill Chiu said the hardest part to replicate is not science parks or fabrication plants, but Taiwan's deeply rooted supply chain culture.

TASA upgrades TRITON weather satellite data with NOAA collaboration

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:29:36 GMT

The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) announced on June 30 that the wind data product generated by TRITON, Taiwan's first domestically developed weather satellite, has been upgraded to Version 2.1. The update significantly increases the volume of wind observation data and shortens processing time through an expanded ground station network and improvements to the data processing pipeline.

China's private rocket makers chase SpaceX model as satellite demand strains launch capacity

DIGITIMES — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:29:22 GMT

China's private rocket industry is entering a make-or-break decade, as low-Earth orbit satellite demand, reusable launch technology, and STAR Market reforms drive the race to build a "China SpaceX."

South Korea's AI memory push draws scrutiny from both Taiwan and China

DIGITIMES — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:28:18 GMT

South Korea's plan to send Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix into a new memory hub in Gwangju and South Jeolla is drawing scrutiny from Taiwan and China, as Seoul defends the project against political criticism at home and questions over whether another major memory buildout could test the industry cycle.

China ADAS chipmaker Horizon Robotics faces BYD test after No. 2 climb

DIGITIMES — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:28:03 GMT

Horizon Robotics has become China's No. 2 supplier of intelligent-driving domain controller chips, but its next test is harder: deepening BYD ties, fending off automakers' in-house chip plans, and turning its software ecosystem into profit.

Walmart signs first nuclear power agreement to secure 176 MW of zero-emission supply

DIGITIMES — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:06:43 GMT

Walmart and Constellation Energy announced on June 23 that the retailer signed its first nuclear power purchase agreement, securing about 176 MW of zero-emission electricity from the Dresden Clean Energy Center in Illinois. The deal comprises two 15-year contracts that include 30 MW of new generation capacity and are scheduled to begin in 2029 and 2030.

Asia Neo Tech and Brooks sign 15-year FOUP deal

Charlene Chen — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:56:10 GMT

Asia Neo Tech has announced a 15-year technology licensing agreement with US-based Brooks Automation to cooperate on FOUP (front-opening unified pod) cleaning equipment and expand its reach into global markets. The two companies held a signing ceremony on June 30, 2026.

Ability Opto-Electronics targets CPO growth with V-groove and MT lines

Lily Hess — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:25:16 GMT

Ability Opto-Electronics Technology, an optics maker, said on June 29 that its V-groove and mechanical transfer (MT) products for co-packaged optics (CPO) are likely to become its second-largest product line after notebook camera modules, as the company pushes to expand into new growth drivers. Chairman Weiya Gao said the expected 10% to 20% cut in 2026 shipments by notebook brands would have a relatively limited impact, since the company mainly supplies high-end business notebook cameras.

TSMC fast-tracks CoPoS—whole supply chain under gag order

Joseph(C) Chen — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:18:09 GMT

TSMC is accelerating CoWoS capacity expansion while also pushing ahead with next-generation panel-level packaging, CoPoS, aiming to use a new "round-to-square" architecture to break through cost and capacity bottlenecks in large AI chip packaging and build its next competitive moat.

TSMC 2nm, CoWoS, and CoPoS broadly lift Taiwan's equipment, materials, and packaging suppliers

Charlene Chen — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:09:58 GMT

As AI demand continues to fuel global semiconductor investment, customers are keeping wafer starts strong, and TSMC is accelerating its push into 2nm-and-below nodes as well as advanced packaging technologies such as CoWoS. Industry sources said the AI-driven investment wave is now spreading beyond foundries into the equipment, materials, factory engineering, and inspection supply chains.

Lenovo warns elevated memory prices could become the new norm beyond 2030

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:04:31 GMT

Memory price inflation has emerged as one of the biggest challenges facing the consumer electronics industry, with Apple, Microsoft, and Nintendo all having signaled product price increases as widening supply-demand gaps continue to drive up memory costs.

Fulltech Fiber Glass to lift cloth prices as much as 30% from July

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:56:02 GMT

Fulltech Fiber Glass is raising prices for its glass fiber cloth lines amid higher raw material, energy, transportation, and manufacturing costs that are squeezing margins. The move underscores broader pressure across global electronics supply chains, where demand for advanced materials tied to AI servers, satellites, and high-speed networking continues to reshape pricing and capacity.

Local backlash led to more than 300 US data center bans and moratoriums since 2023

DIGITIMES — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:53:55 GMT

Local opposition to AI data center development surged in 2026, driving more than 300 temporary and permanent bans or moratoriums across the US since 2023, according to The Information. The wave of restrictions was concentrated in the Midwest and South, with the vast majority enacted in 2026 as communities paused projects to reassess policy and negotiate benefits.

Huawei OpenHarmony targets China's humanoid robot race with 1.3 billion-device ecosystem

DIGITIMES — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:30:00 GMT

Huawei's OpenHarmony is becoming a key variable in China's consumer humanoid robot race, pushing the sector beyond hardware demos toward connected use across smartphones, smart homes, and education devices.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics targets AI server growth with MLCC talks, substrate push

DIGITIMES — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Samsung Electro-Mechanics is in final-stage talks to supply multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) to a major US cloud provider for AI servers, while also expanding substrate production capacity and securing a separate silicon capacitor contract, according to Korean media reports and company statements.

TBI Motion taps humanoid robot demand with small-batch shipments

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:35:00 GMT

TBI Motion has begun shipping parts for humanoid robots as the global race to commercialize the technology gathers pace. The move highlights how suppliers, from Asia to Europe, are positioning for new industrial demand while also seeking growth in automotive and medical markets amid intense price pressure and competition.

Interview: Why DuPont spinoff Qnity is betting its Taiwan growth on packaging, not process nodes

Charlene Chen — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:15:00 GMT

As Taiwan becomes the core of the global AI hardware supply chain, Qnity — the century-old company spun off from US chemicals giant DuPont and separately listed — is likewise expanding its production capacity investment in Taiwan. Asia-Pacific president Dennis Chen said in an interview with DIGITIMES that future investment will center closely on three main battlegrounds: advanced processes, advanced packaging, and thermal management.

China unveils national AI agent standards to accelerate interoperable AI ecosystem

DIGITIMES — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:05:00 GMT

China has released seven national standards for AI agent interconnection, establishing a unified framework for how AI agents identify themselves, discover one another, collaborate, and invoke external tools as artificial intelligence advances from content generation toward autonomous decision-making and execution.

Corning's East Coast edge: IP, manufacturing depth, and AI-era return of optical fiber

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:02:59 GMT

Protecting patents around the world is a core value for any R&D-driven company. It is also a commitment to partnering with customers. In 2025, glass giant Corning filed nearly 400 patent applications and close to 1,000 international applications. Its active patent portfolio now totals around 11,400 patents worldwide.

Taiwan's Chief Telecom says raid over alleged AI server smuggling has no financial impact

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:55:57 GMT

Chief Telecom Inc. said a June 29 search by prosecutors and investigators over an alleged illegal smuggling case involving high-end AI servers bound for Hong Kong, Macau, and China has not materially affected its finances or operations. The case highlights growing global scrutiny of AI hardware supply chains and data center controls.

Samsung commits KRW2,655 trillion to future industries, anchoring new Gwangju fab

DIGITIMES — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:40:46 GMT

Samsung said on June 29 it will invest a combined KRW2,655 trillion (approx. US$1.72 trillion as of June 30, 2026) across its domestic operations, splitting the figure between continued buildout of its existing Pyeongtaek and Yongin semiconductor clusters and a fresh push into Korea's southwestern Honam region, where the bulk of the new money is aimed at memory capacity.