DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Interview: SEMI CEO sees US$3 trillion chip industry by 2035, as trusted partners reshape supply chain

Yunnie Cheng — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:53:00 GMT

The semiconductor industry reached the US$1 trillion revenue milestone several years earlier than originally forecast, and with growth driven by AI and quantum computing, reaching US$2 trillion by 2035 is entirely achievable, SEMI President and CEO Ajit Manocha told DIGITIMES in an exclusive interview at SEMICON West 2026.

Gemtek partners with Starman to make optical transceivers in US

Yunnie Cheng — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:10:00 GMT

On October 15, network equipment maker Gemtek Technology announced a strategic partnership with Starman New Photonics, a subsidiary of Starman Holdings, to form a joint venture in the US. The new entity will manufacture advanced optical transceivers to capture demand for optical interconnects driven by hyperscale AI data centers.

Taiwan to build industrial parks in US; Texas site already found

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:08:00 GMT

Taiwan plans to set up industrial parks in the US to help its supplier ecosystem reach customers like Nvidia and other local hardware manufacturers. It is starting with a complex in Texas, which has become a hotspot of expansion plans among Taiwanese tech companies.

Project Bromo tests Europe's new industrial policy as Brussels weighs fast track for space champion

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:05:00 GMT

The global space market has become increasingly dominated by SpaceX, while China continues to press forward with state-backed launch and satellite projects. That shift has sharpened Europe's concerns over strategic dependence and its relatively fragmented industrial base.

South Korea's September ICT Exports Surge Past US$75B on AI Demand

Yunnie Cheng — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:39:04 GMT

Driven by expanding global investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure, South Korea's ICT exports shattered previous records in September 2026. Shipments surged past the US$75 billion mark in a single month, anchored by semiconductor exports that topped US$60 billion, accounting for more than 80% of total ICT shipments.

AI server tracker: semiconductor testing and design services rally on compute demand

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:52:03 GMT

Within AI server tracking data, a clear parallel growth trajectory has emerged between semiconductor testing interface providers and chip design houses. Driven by the surge in artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and custom ASIC developments, both sectors demonstrated substantial year-over-year revenue gains as of September 2026.

Telco giant builds Taiwan's high-speed computing network for AI agent era

Levi Li — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:37:08 GMT

Chunghwa Telecom president Rong-shy Lin said the shift from conversational AI to autonomous AI agents is reshaping enterprise adoption, making data governance, access controls and accountability critical to deployment at scale.

ASE unveils 18 advanced packaging projects with three universities

Charlene Chen — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:26:37 GMT

ASE, together with National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU), and National Chung Cheng University (CCU), unveiled 18 technology research projects on October 16, focusing on advanced packaging integration and the development of critical processes and materials.

Bolt Graphics seeks US$100 million to challenge Nvidia, AMD beyond AI with Zeus GPU

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:20:00 GMT

US chip startup Bolt Graphics is seeking approximately US$100 million at a valuation of about US$700 million to develop graphics processors targeting scientific computing and professional rendering, challenging Nvidia and AMD in markets beyond AI acceleration.

Samsung to break ground on second Texas chip fab in November

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:01:23 GMT

Samsung Electronics plans to begin construction of its second semiconductor fabrication plant in Taylor, Texas, in November 2026, moving ahead with its US foundry expansion as its first facility prepares to begin operations by the end of the year.

Samsung, SK Hynix aim to ease AI memory bottlenecks with zHBM, HBF

Sherri Wang — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:57:00 GMT

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are developing new memory technologies to address growing bottlenecks in AI systems, with Samsung exploring a design that stacks high-bandwidth memory (HBM) directly above graphics processors and SK Hynix advancing high-bandwidth flash (HBF) to expand memory capacity for AI inference.

Delta says AI power gap will drive standalone microgrids

Charlene Chen — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:31:26 GMT

Delta Electronics chairman Ping Cheng said at the 2026 Global Views Leaders Forum on October 15, 2026, that the world is entering an era of electrification, with AI data centers and EVs driving electricity demand beyond available supply. Delta is expanding its focus from power consumption to an integrated microgrid architecture spanning generation, transmission, distribution, energy storage and consumption, with solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid-state transformers (SSTs) as its key products.

Taiwan forecasts 6.04% growth in 2027 on AI-driven exports

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:20:00 GMT

Taiwan's economy is projected to grow 6.04% in 2027 as expanding global AI-related capital spending boosts the island's exports, despite geopolitical conflicts and trade barriers weighing on global growth, Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC) Minister Yeh Chun-hsien said on October 15.

FICG eyes 4x optical communications capacity by 2027

Charlene Chen — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:08:19 GMT

FICG is aggressively expanding optical communications production in Malaysia and China to meet surging AI-driven demand, which the company estimates is 3-4x current supply capacity. Chairman Leo Chien described the next three years as a "frenzied expansion period," with the company's Johor, Malaysia, facility set to increase capacity 4x by the end of 2027.

Volvo Cars and Nvidia expand partnership on automated driving

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 05:57:57 GMT

Volvo Cars and Nvidia are expanding their partnership to develop automated-driving technology for future Volvo vehicles, with potential implications for drivers worldwide. The system is designed to handle highways, urban streets, and parking while gradually introducing eyes-off and mind-off driving, combining Volvo's safety expertise with Nvidia's sensors, computing, and software.

Samsung's chip and device chiefs head to Tokyo during Lee's visit

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 05:52:24 GMT

Five senior Samsung Electronics executives, including the heads of its semiconductor and consumer electronics businesses, reportedly traveled to Tokyo on October 13 while chairman Lee Jae-yong was visiting Japan, bringing together the company's three executive directors and key corporate decision-makers as it expands cooperation with Japanese semiconductor suppliers.

Holtek targets higher-value MCU markets with AI server cooling orders set to lift 2027 revenue

Levi Li — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:54:44 GMT

Taiwan-based microcontroller (MCU) manufacturer Holtek Semiconductor unveiled its 2026 product roadmap on October 15, focusing on four core areas: smart protection, green energy and intelligent control, edge AI computing, and general-purpose applications.

Supermicro appoints Mark Long as chief financial officer

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:30:31 GMT

Supermicro Computer has appointed Mark Long as chief financial officer, bringing an experienced technology finance executive to lead the company as it expands its artificial intelligence and IT infrastructure operations. The leadership change at the US-based company could influence its financial execution, capital allocation, and ability to serve customers across markets.

Analysis: Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan's power of humility — how one phone call helped reshape the chip giant's comeback

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:23:06 GMT

As the semiconductor industry enters the artificial intelligence (AI) era, Intel, once the dominant force in the PC market, has increasingly been viewed as a company that fell behind in the AI race.

US chipmakers rely more on overseas production than supplier data suggests, SIA finds

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:19:58 GMT

The US semiconductor industry sources 95% of its roughly US$27 billion in annual equipment and materials purchases from companies headquartered in the US, Europe and Japan. However, only 68% of those inputs are actually manufactured or assembled in those regions, exposing geographic dependencies that supplier headquarters data can obscure, according to an October 9 report from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).

Nvidia deepens China gaming push with DLSS 5 partnerships

Yunnie Cheng — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:14:32 GMT

Nvidia is expanding its presence in China's gaming market by bringing its next-generation Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) 5 neural rendering technology to titles from major Chinese developers, including NetEase, Tencent, Perfect World's Hotta Studio, and Beijing Lingyoufang Network Technology.

Myson Century signs 3 AUSA MOUs for defense expansion

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:10:47 GMT

Myson Century, a subsidiary of Sun Yad Group, signed strategic memorandums of understanding with IXI EW, SafeSky Systems USA, and Global Ordnance Group at the Association of the United States Army's 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition, or AUSA 2026. The agreements link counter-drone, unmanned vehicle, and defense supply-chain resources, creating opportunities to expand the company's product portfolio and develop markets in Taiwan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

DIGITIMES Insights: China's automakers pursue three humanoid robot strategies as EV supply chains offer 60% overlap

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:58:23 GMT

Chinese automakers are accelerating their expansion into humanoid robotics, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, electric drive systems, and supply chain resources developed through their automotive businesses, according to DIGITIMES Intelligence.

Analysis: TSMC-GF deal moves mature nodes into AI packaging: What it means for China

Lily Hess — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:53:56 GMT

As global wafer capacity expands rapidly, TSMC and GlobalFoundries (GF) are highlighting a fast-growing market for mature processes serving advanced applications. In particular, demand for silicon interposers, through-silicon vias (TSVs), and embedded deep trench capacitors (eDTCs) in advanced packaging is creating a sizable blue-ocean market for mature-node capacity.

LCD TV panel prices struggle to rise in 4Q26

Charlene Chen — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:48:26 GMT

LCD TV panel prices face a tug-of-war in the fourth quarter of 2026 as panel makers push for increases while LCD TV brands maintain relatively steady purchasing and contract manufacturers remain cautious. Rising upstream material costs and continued production controls should help prices stabilize, but a broad-based increase remains unlikely.

BOE's 24-layer glass substrates reach AI chip packaging trials, with mass production still ahead

Levi Li — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:42:10 GMT

Chinese display manufacturer BOE has made further progress in advanced semiconductor packaging, extending its panel manufacturing expertise to glass-core packaging substrates. At an investor relations event on October 15, BOE said it had completed the full manufacturing process for glass-core substrates, producing 24-layer samples measuring more than 100 × 100mm. The samples have been delivered to customers and passed multiple reliability tests, with further validation underway.

Taiwan's Chun Yuan Steel sees 4Q26 auto surge, expands into AI robotics

Willis Ke — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:36:33 GMT

Chun Yuan Steel expects Taiwan's auto market to deliver its strongest quarter of 2026 in the final three months, lifting full-year new-vehicle sales to 430,000 units from 411,000 in 2025. The steel processor also anticipates fresh growth opportunities as Kuozui Motors begins exporting finished vehicles to Japan, potentially strengthening Taiwan's position in Toyota Motor's global production network.

Charts: YMTC bets on premium eSSDs to take on Samsung

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:26:45 GMT

AI-driven NAND demand is entering a supercycle, positioning Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) as the fastest-growing memory supplier. According to Counterpoint Technology Market Research, YMTC's revenue in 2026 is projected to grow six times faster than that of the overall industry and its peers as it expands aggressively into server-related business.

China's chip earnings boom masks a widening gap between AI processor demand, fading DRAM, NAND price gains

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:17:46 GMT

China's semiconductor and computing hardware companies reported or forecast strong earnings growth in the first nine months of 2026, fueled by AI infrastructure investment, demand for domestic processors and optical interconnects, and recovering chip markets. However, diverging quarterly results reveal a widening gap between AI-driven growth and the traditional memory pricing cycle.

AIDC white paper flags energy efficiency, power management as key to site selection

Kevin Wang — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:13:54 GMT

As the high power density of AI data centers (AIDCs) becomes an increasingly pressing issue, industry experts are highlighting the importance of power management and power usage effectiveness (PUE). To alleviate bottlenecks in grid infrastructure, AIDC projects must assess feeder capacity, matching accuracy for renewable power sources, and power management when selecting sites.

Japan bets on physical AI as Murata, AWS, Hitachi showcase self-learning robots at CEATEC 2026

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:02:08 GMT

Japan is stepping up its push into physical AI, with major technology companies and research institutions showcasing advances in autonomous robot learning, motion sensing, and agricultural automation at CEATEC 2026.

Nvidia-backed CoreWeave bond spike highlights debt risks in the AI infrastructure boom

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 02:52:59 GMT

A sharp sell-off across artificial intelligence infrastructure stocks has turned a quiet worry about debt into a main concern for Wall Street. The sudden drop in stock and bond prices for CoreWeave, a fast-growing cloud provider backed by Nvidia, has raised questions about whether the heavy borrowing used to fund the AI expansion is becoming too risky.

Samsung's India chip research arm opens quantum lab at IISc

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 02:39:24 GMT

Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR), Samsung's semiconductor research and development center in India, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) inaugurated a Quantum Research Lab on the IISc campus in Bengaluru on October 15, 2026, aiming to build India's research capabilities in quantum technologies and advanced semiconductors.

LG Innotek targets 2028 glass substrate supply as it expands beyond smartphones

Sherri Wang — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 02:39:20 GMT

LG Innotek expects to begin supplying glass substrates for advanced semiconductor packaging around 2028 and sees its chip substrate business improving in 2027, as the South Korean components maker seeks to reduce its reliance on smartphone camera modules and expand into automotive technologies.

AI buyers lock in capacity, driving Taiwan private investment to record NT$6.95T

DIGITIMES — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 02:34:03 GMT

Strong global demand for AI infrastructure hardware is prompting buyers to secure capacity through advance payments and long-term contracts, driving Taiwan's semiconductor, packaging and testing, memory, substrate, and equipment supply chains to expand aggressively. Private investment in Taiwan is projected to reach a record NT$6.9539 trillion (US$215.4 billion) in 2026 as companies build factories, purchase equipment, import raw materials, and hire workers to meet customer demand.