DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Mexico emerges as new front line in global auto supply chain

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:35:32 GMT

Amid a sweeping reconfiguration of global supply chains, North America—and Mexico in particular—has emerged as a critical battleground for manufacturers caught between geopolitics and trade barriers. Yet for companies expanding into Mexico early, the reality on the ground is proving more complex than the strategic narrative suggests, shaped by cross-border management frictions, cultural divides, and policy uncertainty.

China tightens drone, flying-car rules as low-altitude market takes off

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:35:22 GMT

China is building a more formal safety and regulatory framework for its low-altitude economy, as drones, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and other aerial services move closer to commercial use.

Taiwan optoelectronics materials maker Wah Hong targets high-end PCB and chip packaging demand

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:35:07 GMT

AI, low-carbon sustainability, smart cities, and advanced displays are set to drive the global optoelectronics industry in 2026, shifting demand away from traditional consumer electronics panels and toward higher-value applications, including Micro LED, Mini LED, e-paper, and optical communications.

SK Hynix seeks to embed cooling inside HBM to beat the heat

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:34:55 GMT

SK Hynix has unveiled a new high-bandwidth memory technology designed to reduce heat buildup in next-generation AI systems, as rising computing density turns thermal management into a more critical front for HBM suppliers.

TSMC and Micron's fabs expanding; how do Samsung and SK Hynix's bonus systems come into play?

Emily Kuo — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:34:44 GMT

Samsung Electronics' 2026 tentative labor-management agreement is expected to pass after already surpassing an 86% voting participation rate within just three days. While the agreement has temporarily eased concerns over potential strikes, South Korea's semiconductor industry is increasingly worried that the newly expanded performance bonus structure, which guarantees employees a fixed percentage of business performance, could negatively impact the country's long-term semiconductor competitiveness.

Huawei Tau Law series 2: Advanced packaging, AI interconnects, EDA lead the way

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:34:31 GMT

Huawei's Tau Law proposal is rapidly redirecting attention across China's semiconductor industry away from pure lithography competition and toward advanced packaging, 3D stacking, optical interconnects, and system-level architecture design.

PCB drill bit maker Topoint raises NT$600 million, brings in PCB giants as strategic investors

Eifeh Strom — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:34:15 GMT

Printed circuit board (PCB) drill bit manufacturer Topoint Technology approved a private placement of unsecured convertible corporate bonds with a maximum issuance amount of NT$600 million (approx. US$19.10 million) at its shareholders' meeting on May 26. The company also welcomed Unimicron Technology, Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE), and Zhen Ding Technology Group (ZDT) as strategic investors.

Taiwan's quiet fix for GPS-denied drones and satellites

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:34:04 GMT

At the Plug and Play May Summit in Sunnyvale, a Taiwanese startup called Aegiverse quietly made its case to US defense and aerospace investors — not with flashy slides or moonshot promises, but with a 16-year track record and a business model built to last.

Thunder Tiger, Elan eye defense and commercial drone markets

Sherri Wang — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:33:44 GMT

Thunder Tiger said on May 26 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Elan Microelectronics to jointly develop AI guidance, image-recognition, and communications technologies for drones, marking a step in the drone maker's shift beyond unmanned vehicle system integration.

TSMC CEO to address bonus backlash in person as Jensen Huang's visit puts Taiwan chipmaker in spotlight

Eifeh Strom — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:33:26 GMT

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is scheduled to hold a company-wide communication meeting on the morning of May 27, during which chairman C.C. Wei is expected to address employees in person over the growing backlash surrounding reports that the company will cut employee bonuses by 15%.

Gogoro mourns backer Samuel Yin, who committed US$50 million before a single scooter rolled out

Joseph(C) Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:54:41 GMT

Gogoro has issued a statement mourning the death of Ruentex Group president Samuel Yin, who passed away peacefully at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in the early hours of May 26 at the age of 76.

Darfon Electronics invests in AI cooling systems maker GrAndvance

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:19:20 GMT

As demand for high-performance computing continues to rise, thermal management has emerged as one of the most critical constraints on server performance. Liquid cooling systems, once a niche solution, are rapidly moving into the mainstream. At the center of that shift is the coolant distribution unit ( CDU), which has become a strategic component as major suppliers race to secure positions in the liquid cooling supply chain.

Let there be limits—Pope Leo invokes scripture on AI's moral peril, Anthropic in tow

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:18:14 GMT

Pope Leo XIV released a major document on May 25, warning about the dangers of AI, from autonomous weapons to what he claims is its relation to "new forms of slavery" arising from the industry. An unexpected attendee of the pope's Vatican event announcing the document's release was Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah, a presence that signals the AI developer's relationship with the Catholic Church as it seeks to bolster its image as an AI company concerned with ethics.

LED maker Ennostar pivots to optical interconnects after high-value shift agin traction

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:02:32 GMT

Ennostar Holdings' transformation has begun to show clear results, with chairman Paul Peng saying the company's "3+1" strategy is taking shape, as higher-value applications now account for more than half of revenue. Despite continued uncertainty in the global environment, Peng remains cautiously optimistic about the second half of 2026 and expects the company to maintain relatively strong performance.

Alchip: ASIC growth may outpace the broader GPU market

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:56:49 GMT

For the past three years, graphics processing units, or GPUs, have dominated the artificial intelligence boom. But Johnny Shen, chairman of Alchip Technologies, believes the next phase of the market may belong to something more specialized.

Nvidia and Marvell CEOs to share Computex stage— How US$2 billion turned rivals into partners

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:55:22 GMT

When Nvidia quietly wrote a US$2 billion check to Marvell Technology earlier this year, it was less a financial bet than a strategic maneuver — one that converted a potential rival into a committed partner. Now, for the first time since that deal was struck, the two companies' CEOs will share a stage.

The US$16.5 Billion Bet: How Co-Packaged Optics Will Rewire AI's Backbone by 2030

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:47:51 GMT

Mastering the 140%+ CAGR of CPO Semiconductor Revenue Explosion

Inside China's chip war: How Xiaomi, BYD, and Nio are rewriting the rules

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:31:55 GMT

China's semiconductor war has been underway for seven or eight years now.

Chiplet boom puts Taiwan's InPsytech and its AI connectivity IPs in the spotlight

Emily Kuo — Tue, 26 May 2026 07:04:44 GMT

As the global semiconductor industry pivots toward chiplet-based designs — where multiple smaller chips are packaged together rather than built as a single monolithic die — the specialized intellectual property that makes those chips communicate reliably has become critical infrastructure. InPsytech, a Taiwanese IP design firm and subsidiary of Egis Technology, has staked its business on exactly that.

Wonderful Hi-Tech sees rising demand from low-orbit satellites and AI data centers

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:50:14 GMT

At its annual shareholders' meeting on May 25, Ringo Chang, chairman of Wonderful Hi-Tech, said the cable and connectivity supplier expects revenue growth to resume in 2026, with profit growth outpacing sales expansion.

Samsung's reported 900-layer V-NAND prototype puts NAND race with YMTC in focus

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:46:56 GMT

The race to dominate next-generation NAND flash memory has long been measured in layers — and Samsung Electronics appears to be pulling ahead. The South Korean chipmaker has reportedly developed a 900-layer-class V-NAND prototype, a significant leap that brings the memory industry closer to the 1,000-layer threshold as chipmakers intensify efforts to pack more storage into smaller chips while cutting power consumption.

Huawei Tau Law series 1: How China's chip industry is pivoting beyond Moore's Law

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:00:00 GMT

When Huawei unveiled its "Tau (τ) Scaling Law" at ISCAS 2026 in Shanghai, the announcement signalled more than another chip architecture update. It marked China's most ambitious attempt yet to redefine how semiconductor performance is measured in the post-Moore era.

Kinpo Electronics pushes beyond manufacturing with AI servers, satellite systems, and quantum computing

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 05:41:32 GMT

At its annual shareholders' meeting on Sunday, Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Kinpo Electronics provided new details on its transition toward higher-value ODM businesses, alongside updates on AI server racks, satellite communications systems, and emerging investments in quantum computing.

Wiwynn expands US capacity as AI server boom strains power and supply chains

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 05:41:23 GMT

Taiwan-based AI server maker Wiwynn is accelerating its global expansion as surging demand for AI infrastructure creates mounting pressure on power supply, production capacity, and critical component availability.

AMD and Nvidia deepen investments in Taiwan semiconductor ecosystem

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 04:40:21 GMT

When AMD CEO Lisa Su arrived in Taiwan on May 20, she announced plans to invest more than US$10 billion with local supply-chain partners and the island's broader semiconductor ecosystem. The goal, she said, was to help secure a long-term supply of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips.

E Ink brings BMW-backed color-changing e-paper car tech to Computex 2026

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 04:24:41 GMT

E Ink will bring its BMW-backed color-changing e-paper vehicle technology to Computex 2026, showcasing the hood structure of the BMW iX3 Flow Edition in the event’s electronic paper industry zone. The display follows BMW’s unveiling of the iX3 Flow Edition at Auto China 2026 in Beijing, where the model adopted E Ink Prism technology and moved toward mass production after more than five years of E Ink development work on vehicle surface applications.

Win Semiconductors bets on optical and satellite communications growth

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 04:08:51 GMT

Facing expanding opportunities in both optical communications and satellite connectivity, Dennis Chen, chairman of Win Semiconductors, said the company is actively advancing a range of products, including driver ICs, continuous-wave (CW) lasers, and photodiodes, while also ramping up capacity in anticipation of growing demand from next-generation networks.

Samsung's P4 HBM push could worsen DRAM crunch in 2027

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 04:00:45 GMT

Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing to allocate much of its Pyeongtaek P4 cleanroom capacity to next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) in 2027, a move that could tighten the supply of general-purpose DRAM as memory makers shift more production toward higher-value AI server products.

Intel's Rio Rancho fab becomes test case for AI-era chip packaging

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:42:35 GMT

Intel is looking to broaden its foundry strategy beyond the race for advanced process nodes, placing greater emphasis on advanced packaging and glass substrate technologies as it positions Rio Rancho — its New Mexico site — as a global hub for next-generation packaging production.

GlobalWafers rolls out phased GaN capacity expansion to ease supply crunch

Emily Kuo — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:40:10 GMT

Following GlobalWafers' shareholders' meeting on May 25, Chairperson Doris Hsu stated that the company's core compound semiconductor business, gallium nitride (GaN), is addressing strong demand for high-efficiency power solutions in AI servers. The company is also beginning to see emerging demand from diversified applications such as AI robotics. As a result, production capacity in 2026 has already entered a state of supply shortage. To meet strong demand from Japanese IDM customers, GlobalWafers is launching a continuous "30% plus 20%" expansion plan.

Huawei eyes AI storage breakthrough with DoB packaging, 245TB SSD roadmap

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:36:28 GMT

Huawei has released its Data Storage 2030 white paper, setting out a technology roadmap for the global storage industry over the next five to 10 years, as AI large language models drive data creation into what the company calls the yottabyte era.

ASML expands Taiwan hiring and operations to meet advanced chip demand

Eifeh Strom — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:32:57 GMT

Grace Wang, vice president and general manager of ASML in Taiwan, said that ASML plans to deploy extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and next-generation high numerical aperture (high-NA) EUV technologies to reduce energy consumption per wafer at the process level, while continuing to deepen its presence in Taiwan. The company also plans to hire around 1,000 new employees in Taiwan in 2026 to support customer expansion and rising global capacity demand.

Commentary: Stellantis' capital shift signals quiet reshaping of Europe's auto industry

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:29:59 GMT

In recent weeks, Stellantis, one of the world's five largest automakers, unveiled an ambitious five-year plan titled Fastlane 2030. At its core is a striking reallocation of capital: 60% of its EUR60 billion (approx. US$69.8 billion) investment program will be directed toward North America.

Analysis: Huawei's Tau Law signals a new semiconductor framework — with implications beyond China

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:04:07 GMT

As the global semiconductor industry approaches the physical limits of transistor scaling, Huawei has proposed a new framework for the post-Moore era through its recently introduced "Tau (τ) Law" and a related time-scaling theory.

Kian-Shen reports 2025 revenue decline but eyes growth in electric bus chassis and sustainable transport

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:00:35 GMT

Kian-Shen Industrial, a unit of Yulon Motor, reported on May 26 that 2025 consolidated revenue fell to NT$1.246 billion, a 15% decrease from the prior year, as customer labor shortages, design changes, and delayed production schedules weighed on electric bus chassis volume. Executives said mid-to-large vehicle chassis deliveries began to recover in the second half of the year but volume gains remained limited.