DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Engineering salaries deepen Taiwan's doctoral talent shortage

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:55:00 GMT

Taiwan's semiconductor and information and communications technology industries are drawing engineering graduates into high-paying jobs, intensifying a shortage of doctoral students and raising concerns about the country's basic research capacity. National Taiwan University (NTU) leadership and Taiwan's Ministry of Education highlighted the issue on October 12, saying universities and the government were expanding efforts to keep more research talent in academia.

OpenAI to add 200 Dublin jobs and launch applied AI laboratory

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 14:22:00 GMT

OpenAI will add 200 jobs at its European headquarters in Dublin and establish an applied AI laboratory, expanding its planned Irish workforce to 450 positions. The investment, announced in October 2026, is intended to strengthen the company's European operations, support AI adoption by businesses, and expand applied AI research and commercialization in Ireland.

Hong Kong and Japan expand air cargo capacity through multimodal logistics

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Hong Kong International Airport and Japan Airlines (JAL) Group are expanding sea-air and rail-air logistics networks to increase passenger and cargo flows, address transport bottlenecks and improve supply-chain efficiency without building additional runways. According to Aviation Week, the initiatives are extending airport connectivity into surrounding road, maritime and rail systems as airlines and logistics providers seek new ways to support regional trade.

TikTok says AI's long-term impact will outpace near-term gains

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:21:00 GMT

TikTok said artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to deliver greater long-term transformation than its current benefits suggest, while the rapid adoption of AI agents is increasing cybersecurity and authorization risks. Speaking at the DBS Asia Future Forward Conference, the company said businesses and users must understand both the technology's capabilities and the permissions granted to automated systems.

Uber consolidates Taiwan, HK and Macau operations under one GM

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:20:00 GMT

Uber Technologies appointed a single general manager for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau on October 13, combining leadership across the three markets as the ride-hailing company seeks to expand regional operations and partnerships. The appointment places responsibility for strategy, operations and market development across the three markets under one regional leader.

Charts: ASE tops NT$200B revenue in 3Q26 on AI OSAT demand

Charlene Chen — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:02:27 GMT

ASE reported September revenue of NT$88.13 billion (US$2.7 billion), up 7.15% month-over-month and 45.52% year-over-year, marking a record high for the third consecutive month. Third-quarter consolidated revenue reached NT$244.161 billion, rising 27.79% quarter-over-quarter and 44.84% year-over-year to set a new quarterly record.

CXMT's server DRAM push raises margin concerns for Samsung, SK Hynix

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:24:49 GMT

China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is raising concerns over the future pricing power of Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron as its plans for next-generation server DRAM prompt renewed scrutiny of competition in 2027 and 2028. South Korean industry observers caution, however, that CXMT has yet to demonstrate the production yields and reliability needed to challenge established suppliers at scale.

Grab plays up Singapore roots, rules out Huawei maps in Taiwan as Foodpanda deal nears decision

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:22:03 GMT

Southeast Asian super-app Grab is trying to ease concerns in Taiwan about its ties to China as regulators near a decision on its proposed acquisition of Foodpanda's Taiwan business.

Taiwan panel makers enter semiconductor fight as structural challenges persist

Lily Hess — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:20:00 GMT

Entering the fourth quarter of 2026, panel makers face pressure from rising component costs and weakening demand. However, price hikes and production cuts led by Chinese panel manufacturers are expected to prevent panel prices from falling further, while weak third-quarter revenue at AUO and Innolux highlights the need for Taiwanese manufacturers to accelerate their transformation.

Taisic Materials expands SiC capacity for AI data centers, 8-inch markets

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:10:00 GMT

Taisic Materials, a Foxconn-backed company under Kenmec Group, operates 65 crystal-growth furnaces as it expands silicon carbide (SiC) ingot and substrate production for AI data centers, advanced packaging, and high-frequency communications. The Taiwan-based materials supplier said the investment is intended to improve crystal quality, production stability, and yield while supporting growing demand for high-efficiency power and advanced thermal architectures.

Samsung sends yield engineers to Texas ahead of 2nm production ramp

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:53:29 GMT

Samsung Electronics has begun dispatching advanced-process yield engineers from South Korea to its Taylor, Texas, foundry ahead of planned 2nm chip volume production in 2027, South Korea's Financial News reported on October 12, citing industry sources.

Energy law overhaul drives Taiwan storage demand

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:35:00 GMT

Taiwan's Energy Management Act is undergoing its first major revision in nearly a decade, driving businesses to reassess self-generation and energy storage systems (ESS) as the market shifts from equipment installation alone toward returns, safety, and long-term operations.

AI substrate material shortages ease, but advanced equipment emerges as expansion bottleneck

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:30:00 GMT

As the customer base for AI accelerators expands rapidly and consumes IC substrate capacity, advanced packaging remains a critical industry bottleneck. Consequently, supply chain attention has shifted from upstream T-glass cloth used in copper-clad laminates (CCL) to the advanced manufacturing equipment required to expand IC substrate capacity.

SK Hynix unveils low-power processor design for SSDs

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:59:48 GMT

SK Hynix has unveiled a new processor architecture designed to reduce power consumption and chip area in solid-state drive (SSD) controllers, expanding its efforts to address storage bottlenecks as AI data centers demand faster and more efficient access to data.

Samsung's US$9B chip expansion faces funding, supply hurdles

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:40:00 GMT

Samsung affiliates plan to invest a combined KRW12.26 trillion (approx. US$9.18 billion) in semiconductor operations across South Korea and Vietnam, but the projects face different financial and supply-chain challenges. Samsung Electronics plans to finance about 63% of its Vietnamese memory testing investment through future profits, while Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO) faces potential equipment delivery delays and material supply constraints as it expands semiconductor substrate production.

ATE Energy revenue jumps 132% on Philippines energy projects

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:27:00 GMT

ATE Energy International Co. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of NT$6.667 billion (US$209.0 million) for the first three quarters of 2026, up 132.52% from a year earlier, driven by the continued progress of major energy engineering projects in the Philippines and steady recognition of engineering revenue.

ASML unveils Hyper NA EUV successor targeting 5nm single exposure

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:26:55 GMT

Engineers from ASML and its optical partner Zeiss have jointly published a research paper in the October issue of the academic journal Journal of Micro/Nanopatterning, Materials and Metrology, formally disclosing "Hyper NA EUV"—the next-generation successor to current high-numerical-aperture extreme ultraviolet (High-NA EUV) lithography systems.

Stellantis rejects brand split, urges EU to reward local carmaking

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:15:34 GMT

At the Paris Motor Show, Stellantis NV CEO Antonio Filosa rejected proposals to split the company's European and US brands and said the company would not sell Maserati. The automaker is pursuing a US$70 billion restructuring plan as it seeks to reverse a sharp decline in its share price.

Taiwan seeks to produce more Nobel laureates

Rodney Chan — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:13:24 GMT

Taiwan has not seen a locally born and educated Nobel Prize winner in the last 40 years since Yuan-Tseh Lee became a laureate in chemistry in 1986. Thus, Taiwan President Ching-te Lai on October 12 reiterated the goal of helping the country produce three more Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry or medicine within 30 years.

AMEC chairman warns of AI bubble risk, sees consolidation ahead for China's chip equipment industry

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:59:37 GMT

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) chairman and general manager Gerald Yin has warned of a potential AI investment bubble, cautioning that surging demand for chipmaking equipment does not shield the semiconductor industry from cyclical swings in capital expenditure.

Formosa Smart Energy draws interest from global cloud providers for AI data centers

Sherri Wang — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:59:00 GMT

Formosa Smart Energy, an energy affiliate of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group, said global cloud service providers have approached it about building AI data centers at the group's industrial sites, seeking to leverage existing power infrastructure, surplus electricity and available land.

AI demand squeezes capacitor, resistor capacity as Taiwan suppliers eye price hikes

Charlene Chen — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:50:53 GMT

Rising capital expenditures by global cloud service providers (CSPs) are accelerating orders for AI computing infrastructure, boosting both the specifications and volumes of passive components and driving strong third-quarter 2026 results for Taiwan suppliers including Yageo, Walsin Technology, Holystone Enterprise, Lelon Electronics, Tai-Tech, Apaq, Ta-I Technology, Viking, and Thinking. The capacity crunch is extending lead times for capacitors and resistors, while suppliers are preparing for another round of price increases as demand visibility stretches beyond 2027.

China's Blue Core Computing secures nearly US$300 million to challenge x86, Arm in AI servers

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:44:12 GMT

Shenzhen-based Blue Core Computing (Shenzhen) Technology has raised nearly CNY2 billion (≈ US$298.7 million) in Series B financing to accelerate production of its RISC-V server processors with integrated AI capabilities. The funding follows the deployment of its LX500 chip in Lenovo servers, advancing China's efforts to develop alternatives to x86 and Arm architectures.

Hua Hong deepens China chip equipment partnerships, targets stronger specialty foundry share by 2030

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:29:33 GMT

China's Hua Hong Group has signed strategic agreements with four domestic semiconductor equipment suppliers to accelerate the adoption of locally developed wafer fabrication tools, reinforcing China's chipmaking self-sufficiency efforts. The partnerships coincide with Hua Hong's ambitious 2030 market-share targets for specialty processes, including embedded flash memory, power management, and image sensors.

Omron to buy US industrial PC maker OnLogic for US$675 million

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:25:49 GMT

Japan's Omron has agreed to acquire US industrial computer (IPC) maker OnLogic and its parent company, Interlogic, at an enterprise value of US$675 million, seeking to expand its presence in Western markets and combine rugged edge computing with its factory automation and control technologies.

Huawei foldable phone shipments top 20 million, claims over 70% China market share in 1H26

Levi Li — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:23:00 GMT

Huawei's cumulative global foldable smartphone shipments have exceeded 20 million units, with the company capturing more than 70% of China's foldable phone market in the first half of 2026, according to Huawei Terminal BG CTO Li Xiaolong.

Taiwan seeks new grid, renewable energy solutions as AI computing hubs hit power constraints

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:20:41 GMT

As the global AI industry and AI data centers (AIDCs) experience explosive growth, developing compute hubs presents severe power supply challenges alongside stringent international supply chain mandates for carbon reduction and renewable energy usage. Amid grid transition friction and resilience tests, state utility Taipower, alongside Taiwan's renewable energy, energy storage, and domestic lithium battery cell sectors, is pursuing a two-track strategy combining decarbonization with grid resilience via novel dispatch mechanisms and a localized supply chain.

Nvidia and Cisco unveil new optics design to help scale AI factories

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:15:00 GMT

Nvidia and Cisco have introduced a new pluggable optics form factor to expand AI infrastructure without sharply increasing power use or network complexity. For global cloud operators, enterprises, and sovereign AI projects, the design could support denser, more efficient data center builds as demand for AI computing continues to rise.

Column: From 3D NAND to 3D DRAM — how vertical stacking is reshaping memory chip manufacturing

Levi Li — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:06:44 GMT

After 2013, planar NAND flash memory began reaching its scaling limits at the 15–16nm process node. Capacitive coupling between the floating gates of adjacent memory cells increasingly disrupted their threshold voltages, making stored data harder to read reliably. The problem became particularly acute with the adoption of triple-level cell (TLC) NAND, which requires precise threshold-voltage detection. Changes in the charge stored by neighbouring cells could alter those voltages, making further planar scaling increasingly difficult.

Taiwan optical suppliers post record sales as Lumentum warns of shortages

Sherri Wang — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:56:33 GMT

Taiwanese optical networking suppliers reported strong September and third-quarter 2026 revenue growth, with EZconn and LuxNet posting record monthly sales as demand for high-speed connectivity in AI data centers continued to rise. The results come as US optical component maker Lumentum warns that its production capacity is booked into early 2029, with significant supply shortages expected to persist for several years.

Malaysian states team up to back homegrown chip firms

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:50:00 GMT

The Selangor state government has committed MYR50 million (US$12.24 million) to the National Strategic Investment Fund, joining Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Penang government in a MYR150 million vehicle to accelerate the growth of Malaysian semiconductor and advanced technology companies, Bernama reported on October 10, 2026.

AI server tracker: Taiwan's CCL, PCB and IC substrate suppliers see widening growth gap despite AI boom

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:47:03 GMT

Taiwan's copper-clad laminate (CCL), printed circuit board (PCB) and IC substrate suppliers are seeing uneven returns from AI infrastructure spending. All 10 tracked companies recorded nine-month year-over-year revenue growth, and seven generated more revenue by September 2026 than in all of 2025, although their momentum differed markedly.

Foxconn's Vietnam unit Fukang Technology more than doubles registered capital to US$710.4 million

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:45:00 GMT

Fukang Technology, a northern Vietnam subsidiary of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), has raised its registered capital by more than 109% to nearly VND17.47 trillion (US$710.4 million), according to business registration records reported by The Investor on October 12, 2026. The update, issued in late September, lifts the capital base from VND8.35 trillion and brings the registration in line with a capital injection Hon Hai disclosed in Taiwan in August.

Global PC shipments plunge 20% in 3Q26

Lily Hess — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:42:37 GMT

Global PC shipments, including desktops, notebooks, and workstations, fell more than 20% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2026 as inventory pressure and weak demand hit the market. The decline reflects how the AI infrastructure boom is squeezing component supplies for consumer electronics while driving up prices.

AI server tracker: Supply, not demand, caps BMC growth as Aspeed's 2027 orders top this year's revenue

DIGITIMES — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:29:18 GMT

Taiwan-based server management chip supplier Aspeed Technology reported consolidated revenue of NT$1.636 billion (approx. US$51.16 million) for September 2026, up 100.93% year-over-year and 0.64% from August. It was the company's 11th consecutive month of record revenue.