DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Taiwan carbon fee joins UK CBAM qualifying list

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 08:56:00 GMT

Taiwan's carbon fee has been formally included in the UK government's list of Qualifying Carbon Pricing Schemes (QCPS) under its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), alongside major carbon pricing systems in the EU, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The Ministry of Environment said the move shows Taiwan's carbon pricing framework is now aligned with international systems and will help export industries respond to global carbon border measures while maintaining competitiveness.

Taoyuan eyes northern AIDC hub, touts Tatan and LNG cooling edge

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 08:55:00 GMT

Taiwan's limited land and heavy dependence on imported energy have made power a scarce and strategic resource in the compute era, putting AI data center (AIDC) site selection on the radar of industry and government. Taoyuan's Department of Economic Development chief Chang Cheng said on August 31 that the city is positioning itself as a northern AIDC demonstration base, with Tatan Power Plant and CPC Corp.'s Third Liquefied Natural Gas Receiving Terminal serving as key advantages.

SK Hynix touts up to 5.15x inference gains with custom HBM

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 08:53:42 GMT

SK Hynix is pushing computation deeper into high-bandwidth memory (HBM), saying a custom HBM architecture that places compute functions in the base die could improve large language model inference performance by up to 5.15 times as data movement becomes a growing constraint on computing performance.

Samsung eyes early 2027 LPDDR5X-PIM production, touts 3.8x performance gain

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 08:18:56 GMT

Samsung Electronics is targeting mass production of its LPDDR5X processing-in-memory (PIM) solution in late 2026 or early 2027, moving the technology closer to commercialization as the memory giant broadens its portfolio beyond HBM.

Safety rewired: AI, robots on the front line at K-Safety Expo 2026

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Hard hats and fire extinguishers will certainly have their place at K-Safety Expo 2026, but visitors arriving at BEXCO in Busan from September 2–4 may find that the modern safety industry increasingly speaks the language of AI, robots, sensors and connected infrastructure.

Autonomous driving expands into Physical AI, creating new openings for Taiwan firms

Willis Ke — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 07:55:00 GMT

The autonomous driving industry is gaining momentum as advances in AI, sensing and semiconductor technologies expand opportunities in vehicle computing, machine vision and Physical AI. At Taiwan-based Turing Drive's eighth-anniversary press event, longtime partners Vecow and oToBrite shared their perspectives on the evolution of autonomous vehicles, in-vehicle computing and robotics.

Japan's chip materials makers reportedly deepen Taiwan ties as AI reshapes supply chains

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Japanese semiconductor materials suppliers Ajinomoto and Daikin Industries are expanding their presence in Taiwan as the AI boom fuels demand for advanced chip materials and encourages closer cooperation between suppliers and manufacturers.

Taiwan chip equipment maker Skytech opens advanced process lab with TSMC backing

Levi Li — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Skytech and TSMC have opened an Advanced Process Laboratory focused on next-generation semiconductor manufacturing, highlighting TSMC's continued efforts to support Taiwan's domestic semiconductor equipment supply chain.

Imec CEO: AI era pushes broader ties between chip, model and CSP players

Charlene Chen — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 07:45:00 GMT

Imec CEO Patrick Vandenameele said during a media briefing at SEMICON Taiwan 2026 that the Belgian research center is broadening its collaboration base in the AI era, extending beyond IC design firms to include model developers and cloud service providers as AI reshapes how computing systems are built and connected. Vandenameele said Imec is well positioned because what is happening in AI aligns with the organization's core mission, but its role has also changed significantly.

AI server demand lifts Japanese capacitor shipments by 22% in first half of 2026

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 07:40:00 GMT

Japanese electronic component shipments rose in the first half of 2026 as demand from AI servers drove strong growth in capacitors and other parts. According to Nikkei and Dempa, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) said on August 31 that global shipments by about 50 member companies increased 4% from a year earlier to JPY2.2865 trillion (US$15.45 billion) in the first six months of 2026.

ASE CEO describes AI resource squeeze as a short-term problem

Lily Hess — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 07:02:26 GMT

AI's early-stage growth is creating a short-term squeeze on land, talent, capital, and power in Taiwan, but there is no such thing as a world that cannot do without Taiwan, ASE Technology CEO and SEMI Global Board Executive Committee Chair Tien Wu said. He made the remarks at a pre-show conference on August 31 ahead of SEMICON Taiwan 2026, which runs from September 2 to 4.

Micron opens Tainan plant after 6.5 months amid labor dispute

Lily Hess — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:55:38 GMT

Micron's plant at the Southern Taiwan Science Park, which it purchased from AUO for NT$7.4 billion (US$233.8 million) in August 2024, is now officially in operation, marking a key milestone in the transformation of its Tainan site. The move comes as Micron posts record revenue and profit, while a labor dispute at its Taiwan operations has raised strike concerns.

Marvell CTO: power and density bottlenecks are driving CPO adoption in AI data centers

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:55:00 GMT

Speaking at the Silicon Photonics Global Summit ahead of Semicon Taiwan 2026, Marvell Technology CTO Radha Nagarajan highlighted that the core focus for upgrading connectivity in the AI data center era has shifted firmly to power consumption. He noted that the acceleration of co-packaged optics (CPO) adoption is primarily driven by two critical bottlenecks: power and unit density.

Chinese smartphone brands raise prices as component costs climb

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:55:00 GMT

Several Chinese smartphone brands raised prices across entry-level and premium models on September 1, citing IT Home, Antutu, MyDrivers and Sina. The increases coincided with the start of the back-to-school buying season in China and reflected the pass-through of higher component costs to end customers.

South Korea CCL exports surge 42% on AI demand

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:55:00 GMT

South Korea's copper-clad laminate, or CCL, exports jumped sharply in the first seven months of 2026 as AI infrastructure investment and larger semiconductor packaging lifted demand, boosting revenue at suppliers including Doosan Electronic BG, LG Chem and Lotte Energy Materials.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics discloses major MLCC supply deal tied to AI server demand

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:45:00 GMT

Samsung Electro-Mechanics disclosed on September 1 that it has concluded a single sales and supply contract worth KRW1.072 trillion (about US$778.9 million) for MLCCs, equal to 9.5% of the company's most recent annual revenue.

Tim Cook concludes 15-year Apple tenure, John Ternus takes over

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:42:42 GMT

Tim Cook's tenure as Apple CEO has officially drawn to a close after nearly 15 years. Cook stepped down as CEO and became Executive Chairman, while Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus took over as CEO. The move marks Apple's first major leadership transition since Cook succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011.

K-Safety Expo 2026 to open in Busan, spotlighting AI-driven safety technologies

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:34:57 GMT

K-Safety Expo 2026, one of South Korea's leading exhibitions dedicated to the safety industry, will open September 2 at BEXCO in Busan, bringing together companies, government agencies, research institutions, and overseas buyers across disaster prevention, industrial safety, public security, fire and rescue, and transportation and maritime safety.

Foxlink, Yongwei to sell Shinfox stake, cede control

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:34:27 GMT

Foxlink and Yongwei Investment Holdings each held board meetings on the 31st and decided to participate in the tender offer for Shinfox Energy, planning to dispose of their Shinfox shares at NT$0.05 per share. The move would strip the Foxlink Group of control over Shinfox and reduce the financial drag from the renewable energy company's losses.

Commentary: DeepSeek out, SMIC in? TIME100 AI maps China's widening AI battleground

Levi Li — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:34:13 GMT

TIME unveiled its 2026 TIME100 AI list on August 27 with a notable change in its China lineup. DeepSeek founder Wenfeng Liang, named among the "Leaders" in 2025, disappeared from this year's list, while Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) co-CEO Mong-song Liang made a rare appearance.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics takes glass substrates to Semicon Taiwan

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:33:46 GMT

As AI packages grow larger, the next substrate battleground is rapidly extending from traditional organic materials to glass. Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO) will make its first appearance at Semicon Taiwan 2026, with advanced packaging and glass substrate expert Gang Duan traveling to Taiwan to unveil the company's roadmap for next-generation advanced packaging substrates aimed at AI infrastructure.

BYD's overseas business overtakes China for the first time as price war erodes domestic margins

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:30:00 GMT

BYD sold more abroad than at home in the first half of 2026, a threshold the company crossed for the first time and the clearest signal yet that the center of gravity of its car business has moved offshore. Overseas revenue reached CNY181.3 billion (US$26.88 billion), compared with CNY163.5 billion in China, according to the geographic breakdown in the interim report released on 28 August. A year earlier, the split ran the other way, by a wide margin.

BYD widens overseas lead over Geely, but profits still lag

Levi Li — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:20:25 GMT

BYD and Geely Auto were nearly neck and neck in vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2026, raising expectations of a close contest between China's two leading new-energy vehicle makers. The gap widened sharply in the second quarter, however, largely because BYD sold more vehicles overseas. Even so, stronger international sales have yet to reverse the company's profit decline.

ASML says High NA EUV has reached its first high-volume logic product

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:13:20 GMT

ASML told a SEMICON Taiwan audience that its High NA EUV platform has been used for a high-volume logic product for the first time, a threshold the company frames as the point at which 0.55 NA lithography moves from qualification into production service.

Trymax lands multi-year AOI order as InP laser capacity race tightens

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Applied Optoelectronics (AOI) has placed a multi-year purchase order with Dutch equipment maker Trymax Semiconductor Equipment for plasma ashers and UV curing systems destined for its Sugar Land, Texas wafer fab, in a deal Trymax describes as worth several million US dollars.

Tmytek moves toward Taiwan listing as millimeter-wave demand nears mass production

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 05:55:00 GMT

Tmytek is preparing to list on the Taiwan Innovation Board as its millimeter-wave platforms approach commercial scale. For global telecom, satellite, and defense customers, the timing may matter because it could shape supply availability, manufacturing capacity, and the speed at which next-generation connectivity reaches the market.

Research insights: AI Fabric optical interconnects move into racks as 400G/lane and CPO maturity emerge as key variables

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT

DIGITIMES observed that as AI systems continued to scale, interconnect requirements inside AI data centers had expanded from chips, packages, and boards to racks, clusters, and eventually inter-data-center connections.

SEMI lifts 2028 wafer fab equipment forecast to US$220 billion

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 04:24:51 GMT

SEMI has raised its forecast for global wafer fab equipment (WFE) sales in 2028 to US$220 billion, up from about US$200 billion projected in July, as stronger investment in advanced logic and memory pushes the semiconductor capital spending cycle higher.

Z.ai runs GLM inference on 100,000 Chinese AI chips, eyes overseas CSPs

Levi Li — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 04:07:16 GMT

Chinese large-model developer Z.ai says it can now support large-scale inference using roughly 100,000 domestically produced AI chips, while its GLM models are also moving closer to overseas cloud deployment.

Chinese court freezes US$318M in Nexperia assets, further escalating corp rift

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 04:06:30 GMT

A Chinese court has ordered the freezing of more than CNY2.14 billion (approx. US$318 million) in domestic assets belonging to Dutch semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia and its equipment division. The decision marks the latest escalation in an ongoing legal and geopolitical debate between the Netherlands-based chipmaker and its Chinese parent company, Wingtech Technology.

Imec maps chip scaling to 2040, says AI's next gains need full-stack integration

Levi Li — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 03:56:19 GMT

Imec has extended its advanced semiconductor roadmap into the early 2040s, arguing that sustained AI scaling will depend on closer integration across logic, memory, interconnects and system architecture.

China's memory chipmakers post a record 1H — but not all of it came from chips

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 03:55:00 GMT

Nine listed Chinese memory and memory-adjacent chip companies have now filed their first-half 2026 results, and together they measure the depth of the current DRAM and NAND upcycle more precisely than any forecast. They also show how differently each company reached its number: some rode pricing, one rode an acquisition, another rode a stake revaluation, and the largest of them simply arrived at a scale nobody in the sector previously operated at.

LG Energy Solution secures long-term US lithium supply

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 03:52:40 GMT

LG Energy Solution has signed a long-term supply agreement with Smackover Lithium for battery-grade lithium carbonate, a move that could strengthen supply chains for energy storage systems and electric vehicles at a time when global demand for critical minerals remains tight.

Apple reshuffles leadership, shifts Schiller out of App Store

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 03:50:32 GMT

Apple has made another major management shake-up. After Tim Cook stepped down as CEO and was succeeded by John Ternus, formerly head of hardware engineering, veteran Phil Schiller is also stepping back from day-to-day operations, giving up responsibilities tied to the App Store and product launch events while remaining at Apple as an Apple Fellow to work on undisclosed projects.

TSMC delays CoWoS orders as CoPoS plans take shape

Charlene Chen — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 03:38:56 GMT

TSMC's reported delay in placing 2027 advanced packaging equipment orders has sparked market speculation that the company sees excess CoWoS capacity ahead. But equipment suppliers say CoWoS demand has not weakened, and TSMC's real challenge is instead how to mass-produce its next stage of ultra-large packaging while reallocating capacity and capex between CoWoS expansion and next-generation CoPoS. The recent shift in equipment-order timing may reflect TSMC's reassessment of its advanced packaging roadmap for the next 2-3 years.

Anthropic's rumored US$35 billion Lambda deal shows how far Nvidia will go to bankroll its own customers

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 03:29:00 GMT

Anthropic has reportedly signed a cloud-computing contract worth US$35 billion with Lambda, an Nvidia-backed cloud provider, under which Nvidia itself holds the data center lease, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the deal. The site is being developed by Hut 8, a bitcoin miner turned data-center builder, in Nueces County, Texas, and Nvidia signed an agreement with Hut 8 a few weeks ago to secure capacity, according to the Journal.

Analysis: CXMT's US$11.5B profit surge raises the stakes in China's AI memory race

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 03:00:15 GMT

China's leading DRAM maker CXMT has gone from years of accumulated losses to one of the most profitable companies on the mainland market, propelled by an extraordinary memory upcycle. The more consequential question is what it does with the windfall.

JCET lifts 2026 capex to CNY10 billion as AI packaging demand outruns forecasts

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 02:55:00 GMT

JCET Group is sharply increasing spending as demand for artificial intelligence strains advanced packaging capacity worldwide. The Chinese chip tester and assembler said the shift could influence supply chains beyond China, as more AI and automotive chips rely on the back-end processes it is now prioritizing.

XCENA teams up with Samsung on rack-scale CXL memory; demos on Intel Xeon 6

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 02:41:34 GMT

South Korean chip startup XCENA is pushing CXL beyond memory expansion and toward a new layer of server computing, unveiling measured results for its MX1 computational memory device at Hot Chips 2026 while expanding its work with Samsung Electronics on a rack-scale system.

Samsung locks 70% of memory output as HBM spot prices soar

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 02:34:14 GMT

Samsung Electronics has reportedly locked up as much as 70% of its memory production capacity under long-term supply agreements (LTAs), as relentless AI infrastructure demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM) tightens the broader chip shortage. In some cases, spot prices for memory products are now as much as 5 times the LTA contract price.

Cisco: CPO is ready for mass deployment amid surging AI data-center demand

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 02:29:28 GMT

For global cloud operators and network vendors, Cisco said co-packaged optics (CPO) is moving from lab promise to commercial necessity as AI data centers strain power budgets and bandwidth limits. The company said pluggable modules, near-packaged optics, and co-packaged optics will coexist, but the shift could reshape how hyperscale infrastructure is built worldwide.

Huawei's revenue climbs 9.6%, but AI, chips and HarmonyOS exact heavier R&D toll

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 02:26:09 GMT

Huawei Technologies increased first-half revenue in 2026 while profit fell sharply, highlighting the growing cost of its effort to build a self-sufficient technology stack spanning AI chips, smartphones, operating systems and computing infrastructure.

South Korea-India joint venture opens semiconductor materials plant, targets China-free supply chain

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 02:23:48 GMT

A South Korean-Indian joint venture has completed a semiconductor materials plant in South Korea, aiming to strengthen regional supply chains for photoresist materials and reduce reliance on Chinese raw materials.

Commentary: CXMT's HBM3E leap gives China's AI chipmakers a new path to scale

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 02:20:47 GMT

China's leading DRAM maker CXMT has reportedly begun small-volume production of HBM3E, a step that could ease one of the most important hardware constraints on China's domestic AI chip industry. US export controls have restricted Chinese access to advanced high-bandwidth memory (HBM), making local supply increasingly critical to scaling homegrown AI processors.

China's humanoid robot cost cuts run into three bottlenecks

Lily Hess — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 02:20:14 GMT

Humanoid robot scaling is still constrained by price, and Chinese humanoid robots — which command the largest global market share — show a sharp gap between consumer and industrial models. Industrial versions demand high load, high precision, and strong stability, making several precision transmission parts a key battleground for Chinese players and Taiwan suppliers.

India expands chip ambitions with full Semicon 2.0 notification

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 02:16:38 GMT

India has unveiled the next phase of its semiconductor policy, a move that could reshape global chip supply chains, investment flows, and talent markets. The expanded program aims to deepen local design and manufacturing capacity, while giving multinational companies and developers a larger role in one of technology's most strategic sectors.

China reportedly moves space computing from concept towards commercial deployment

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 01:42:13 GMT

China's push to build computing infrastructure in orbit is moving beyond experimental projects, with several initiatives this year pointing towards a more coordinated effort to develop space-based AI and data-processing capabilities.

Taiwan clears Lam Research's NT$9.8 billion subsidiary injection as etch leader scales R&D worldwide

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 01:41:47 GMT

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs has approved a NT$9.835 billion (approx. US$310 million) capital injection by Lam Research into its Taiwanese subsidiary, Lam Research Taiwan, with the funds earmarked for research, development, and design work on critical equipment used in advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes. The Department of Investment Review cleared the case on August 31 as one of six major investments, according to the Taipei Times, citing a ministry statement. The session approved two inbound foreign investments totaling NT$12.835 billion and four outbound investments worth US$358.36 million.

Taiwan's G2C+ Alliance members target global markets

Eifeh Strom — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 01:28:18 GMT

Artificial intelligence (AI) chips are driving a new wave of integration competition among Taiwan semiconductor equipment makers. Taiwan's G2C+ strategic alliance, comprised of C Sun, Gallant Precision Machining (GPM), Gallant Micro Machining (GMM), and Contrel Technology (CT), focuses on advanced packaging, AI smart manufacturing, and global markets.

Semicon Taiwan 2026 to spotlight AI-driven semiconductor supply chain shifts

DIGITIMES — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 01:16:21 GMT

Semicon Taiwan 2026 is set to open soon as Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International said AI is pushing a new wave of technology upgrades across the global chip industry. At an August 31 pre-event briefing, the group said the changes are accelerating work in AI computing, advanced process technology, heterogeneous integration, and quantum computing.

Nvidia's MediaTek investment signals broader push to shape AI infrastructure

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 00:54:20 GMT

Nvidia's US$3.5 billion investment in MediaTek's overseas convertible bonds marks more than a financial bet. It underscores how the chip leader is trying to anchor its AI infrastructure strategy as cloud giants and model developers expand their use of custom silicon and rack-scale systems.

Nvidia and MediaTek link AI technologies in bid to accelerate custom data center chip adoption

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 00:44:03 GMT

Nvidia and MediaTek are widening a global AI partnership that could reshape data center, edge, and PC hardware markets. MediaTek's US$3.9 billion overseas convertible bond sale, largely bought by Nvidia, signals a deeper strategic tie that may affect supply chains, customer choices, and competition worldwide.

China's Xenomi LLM brings quantum computing into AI agent decision-making

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:42:40 GMT

China is testing a new route for combining quantum computing with generative AI, moving beyond model training toward the decision layer used by AI agents. Beijing Guoguang Liangchao Technology has introduced Xenomi, a family of large language models that uses quantum annealing for selected routing, tool-selection, and task-decision workloads while leaving language understanding to conventional AI models.

Buima returns to profit in the second quarter on battery module demand

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:42:04 GMT

Buima swung back to profitability in the second quarter of 2026 as a recovery in its battery module shipments and gains from asset disposal lifted results. The company said demand tied to low Earth orbit satellites, wearable devices, and other applications helped improve profitability, while margin measures and earnings per share reached quarterly records.

Commentary: Why America fell behind on Open models — and how Nvidia plans to close the gap

Sherri Wang — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:41:27 GMT

When DeepSeek burst onto the scene in early 2025, it wiped nearly US$600 billion from Nvidia's market value in a single day. By the summer of 2026, Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 had triggered another wave of anxiety, sharpening divisions in Silicon Valley over the growing strength of China's open models.

Nvidia targets HBM race with custom NVHBM, expands NVLink Fusion

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:40:51 GMT

As trillion-parameter large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI become mainstream, the AI infrastructure bottleneck is shifting from raw compute power toward system-level integration across compute, memory, interconnects, and thermal management. To bypass traditional hardware constraints, Nvidia announced NVHBM, its next-generation custom HBM technology, and integrated it into the NVLink Fusion ecosystem.

Taiwan workplace AI use reaches 96% as employers push skills upgrades

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:40:34 GMT

Ninety-six percent of professionals in Taiwan use AI in the workplace, topping the Asia-wide average of 93%, according to a new survey released by Robert Walters. The report, which covered nearly 5,000 professionals and employers across 10 Asian markets, showed that Taiwanese companies are already using AI far beyond basic tasks and are preparing for broader changes in job design and skills.

Samsung weighs HBM4 bonuses as memory, foundry teams align

Lily Hess — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:40:20 GMT

Samsung Electronics is using a cross-division "One Team" model to develop its sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM4, but the approach is creating a new challenge for the newly established Device Solutions (DS) special management performance bonus system. Labor and management are now negotiating detailed payout rules to clarify how One Team participants and some contract workers will be rewarded and to prevent employees from being disadvantaged because they belong to different units.

AI server cooling specialist Nidec expands Vietnam capacity, forms liquid-cooling team

Levi Li — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:39:42 GMT

Nidec Chaun-Choung Technology plans to establish a dedicated liquid-cooling team and deepen cooperation with major cloud service providers, citing rising thermal-management demand from AI servers. The company also plans to expand cooling capacity beyond its existing operations in Kunshan, China, to Hanoi, Vietnam, with mass production and shipments expected to begin in 2028.

Humanoid robots gain a sense of touch, lifting tactile sensor adoption above 60%

Levi Li — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:38:26 GMT

If vision serves as a robot's eyes, tactile sensors function as its skin and peripheral nerves. In China, leading dexterous-hand makers have increasingly begun treating tactile sensing as a standard feature. The shift was particularly visible at the 2026 World Robot Conference, where queues formed throughout the day at tactile-glove demonstration areas as visitors took turns grasping objects and watching real-time changes in touch data. According to Chinese market research estimates, tactile-sensor penetration in dexterous robotic hands has risen from about 20% in early 2025 to more than 60% in 2026.

Taiwan manufacturing moves into the prosperity zone as US export growth slows

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:38:02 GMT

Taiwan’s manufacturing business-climate indicator moved into the index’s red “prosperity” category in July, with the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) saying on August 31 that a sharper rise in optimism among local manufacturers lifted its operating environment index. At the same time, year-over-year export growth to the US fell to 28.0% from 267.6% in January, the lowest level since February 2025.

Acme sees years of SiC growth as data center demand builds

Sherri Wang — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:37:42 GMT

Capex by the world's nine largest cloud service providers (CSPs) is expected to rise about 90% year over year in 2026, while AI servers are growing faster than conventional servers, increasing demand for power and energy-management solutions.

OpenAI compresses Jalapeno design to 9 months

Charlene Chen — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:37:17 GMT

OpenAI unveiled performance results for its in-house AI chip Jalapeno at Hot Chips 2026 ahead of Nvidia's latest earnings report, underscoring not whether it can beat GB200 or GB300, but how unusually fast it moved from design to tape-out.

Luxnet eyes orders through 2028, DCI revenue set to double in 2027

Lily Hess — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:11:22 GMT

AI-driven demand for optical transceiver modules is rising rapidly, and LuxNet said its business in the second half of 2026 will grow sharply from the first half. With capacity coming online in 2027, revenue from data center interconnect (DCI) products is expected to multiply, driving a leap in overall operations, while 1.6T optical modules are slated to enter mass production in the second half of 2027.

Kaimei sees 2H26 momentum strengthen as AI demand lifts orders and resistor price hikes take effect

Scarlett Yu — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:10:57 GMT

Kaimei Electronics, a Yageo Group company, said order visibility remains strong for the second half of 2026 as AI server demand continues to ramp and automotive and industrial-control markets recover. Across its three major product lines, the average book-to-bill (B/B) ratio reached 1.2 in June and July, while pricing pressure has eased significantly, supporting a more optimistic operating outlook.

Silergy data center business surges as new products scale up

Lily Hess — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:10:36 GMT

Silergy said at a recent earnings call that most of its applications, excluding its computing product line, posted quarter-over-quarter growth of more than 20% in the second quarter of 2026. Automotive revenue rose about 50% year-over-year, industrial revenue increased 49.7%, and data center-related applications grew nearly 90% year-over-year.

LGD launches PFAS exit roadmap, targets full phaseout by 2035

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:10:19 GMT

LG Display (LGD) has introduced a new "PFAS-free" component verification process for suppliers as it prepares for expected European Union (EU) restrictions on PFAS, aiming to eliminate the so-called "forever chemicals" across all products by 2035.

Samsung is said to develop 8-layer HBM4E for Nvidia's NVHBM push

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:10:12 GMT

Samsung Electronics is reportedly developing an 8-layer version of seventh-generation high-bandwidth memory for Nvidia, matching the chipmaker's requirements for its customized NVHBM platform. According to Seoul Economic Daily, the shift could give Samsung an early position in the next-generation artificial intelligence memory market if development moves ahead smoothly.

Chinese OSAT earnings surge on AI packaging demand, but recurring profit tells a narrower story

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:09:45 GMT

Five listed Chinese outsourced semiconductor assembly and test providers reported first-half 2026 results in the last two weeks of August, showing net profit growth of up to 317%, yet the figures that strip out one-off items reveal a far more uneven recovery — one in which two companies are carrying most of the operating improvement, one is still losing money on its core business, and the sector's capital commitments now run well ahead of what it currently earns.

AI Macs, Part 2: Mac mini, Mac Studio gain enterprise AI ground; Apple still lacks the platform

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:09:35 GMT

Apple's AI hardware momentum is forcing an enterprise question it did not plan for. Mac mini and Mac Studio are increasingly being used as local AI infrastructure, but Apple's business remains built primarily around consumer devices and services.

China specialty foundry XMC plans fourfold capacity growth around 3D integration, silicon photonics

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:09:25 GMT

Wuhan Xinxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (XMC) has laid out a 10-year expansion strategy centered on 3D integration, silicon photonics (SiPh), and specialty processes, targeting a fourfold increase in production capacity while building a broader semiconductor ecosystem around Wuhan.

SK Hynix explores Intel as second source for HBM base dies

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:09:10 GMT

SK Hynix is reportedly considering adding Intel Foundry as a second manufacturing source for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) base dies, a move that could reduce its reliance on TSMC as the logic layer beneath HBM becomes increasingly important to cost, performance and accelerator design.

John Ternus takes over an Apple with one growth engine, no obvious second

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:08:57 GMT

John Ternus becomes Apple's chief executive on September 1 with comfortable near-term numbers and an uncomfortable medium-term question. Apple's June quarter was a record. Its largest business has not sold materially more units in a decade, its newest hardware category is shrinking, and the technology reordering the industry runs, for now, on someone else's model.

Analysis: Tim Cook hands Ternus a slower-growing but far richer Apple than the one Steve Jobs left him

DIGITIMES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:08:46 GMT

When John Ternus becomes chief executive on September 1, the company he inherits will be measured on a scorecard Tim Cook wrote, not the one Steve Jobs left behind. Fifteen years of accounts show two different machines wearing the same logo: Jobs ran a company that accelerated, Cook ran one that compounded. The distinction matters for Ternus, because the growth rates Cook normalized are the ones he now has to beat.

Nvidia takes US$3.5 billion of MediaTek's record US$3.9 billion convertible bond

Joseph Chen — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:25:54 GMT

MediaTek has completed pricing on US$3.9 billion of overseas convertible bonds, more than NT$120 billion and what the company says is the largest overseas CB ever issued in Taiwan's capital market. Nvidia subscribed for US$3.5 billion of it — roughly 90% of the offering.