DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Samsung SDI targets US battery supply chains with US$20M Forge Nano investment

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:16:17 GMT

Samsung SDI, a battery and electronic materials manufacturer, has entered an agreement to help US-based Forge Nano build a 3 GWh per year battery manufacturing site in Morrisville, North Carolina. The deal capitalizes on both Samsung's desire to avoid US tariffs and the American military's goal to develop non-China supply chains, including in batteries.

SK Hynix fluorine leaks trigger safety inspections at 25 South Korean chip plants

Charlene Chen — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 08:35:58 GMT

South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched chemical safety inspections at 25 semiconductor manufacturers, including SK Hynix, after a series of fluorine gas leaks at chip plants raised fresh concerns over industrial accidents.

Inside Corning: a century of R&D bets, and why optical fiber is paying off again

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:15:53 GMT

Preface

Taiwan IPC maker IEI Integration's margin fell to 28% in Q1, but rebound is coming

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:08:24 GMT

IEI Integration said its first-quarter margin was squeezed by higher component costs and a changing product mix, but it expects a second-quarter rebound as high-end video conferencing shipments ramp up. The outlook matters for global industrial and enterprise technology buyers facing tighter supply, shifting production, and uneven demand across markets.

Acer's distribution arm bets on MacBook Neo, software to offset weak PC demand

Levi Li — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:06:12 GMT

Acer channel arm Weblink International remains upbeat on the second half of 2026, even as the PC industry looks increasingly likely to see weaker demand than in the first half.

Samsung eyes Gwangju chip site as SK Hynix weighs regional and overseas options

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:03:57 GMT

South Korea's plan to push semiconductor investment beyond the greater Seoul area is taking clearer shape, with Samsung Electronics reportedly moving closer to a new chip hub in Gwangju while SK Hynix continues to weigh a site in South Jeolla Province against overseas investment options.

Qualcomm HBC takes aim at HBM costs in AI data centers

Levi Li — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:57:41 GMT

Qualcomm has unveiled its latest AI data center platform, Dragonfly, at its annual investor day, highlighting a new technology it calls High Bandwidth Compute, or HBC, as a key weapon in its challenge to Nvidia, AMD and AI chip startups.

Agility Robotics IPO strengthens Foxconn's long-term robotics ambitions

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:51:16 GMT

Humanoid robotics and physical AI pioneer Agility Robotics has announced plans to pursue a public listing, drawing significant attention from global capital markets and the technology industry. Behind the IPO, however, lies a notable Taiwanese supply-chain presence that adds broader strategic significance to the company's public market debut.

Seres' US$25bn wipeout tests the price of Huawei's EV halo

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:44:56 GMT

Seres Group, once the clearest listed proxy for Huawei's EV ambitions, has lost more than CNY180 billion (US$25 billion) in A-share market value from its peak, despite strong sales and profit.

Z.ai's HK$1tn rally tests China AI boom: model leap or market mirage?

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:43:41 GMT

Chinese AI startup Z.ai, also known as Zhipu AI, has turned GLM-5.2 into the clearest test yet of China's frontier AI gap with Anthropic and OpenAI. Its stock surge is now raising a second question: whether investors are pricing a real technology shift or a thin-float capital-market fever.

Global intelligent eyewear market surges as AR and smart glasses gain ground

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:41:08 GMT

Global demand for intelligent eyewear is rising fast, with shipments jumping 83% in the first quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. For readers worldwide, the shift signals a faster move toward AI-enabled wearables, while VR headsets continue to struggle with weak demand and slower product refreshes.

AuthenX targets AI data center interconnects with plug-and-play FAU for CPO

Lily Hess — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:35:26 GMT

AI-driven hyperscale data center expansion is pushing the global AI race beyond raw GPU computing power into a broader contest over high-speed interconnects and electro-optical integration. As Nvidia's next-generation AI factory moves toward petabyte (PB)-scale data transfers, co-packaged optics (CPO) is heading toward commercialization, lifting the importance of key components such as fiber array units (FAU) and external laser sources (ELS).

Groundhog Technologies wins world's first telecom GenAI order, eyes LEO satellite optimization market

Kevin Wang — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:59:05 GMT

Groundhog Technologies is eyeing opportunities in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite applications by targeting the satellite resource optimization market, according to chairman David Chiou at the company's latest shareholders' meeting on June 24. Chiou also announced that Groundhog has won the first generative AI order worldwide in the field of telecom engineering, with Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) as its client.

AIDC showcases advanced composite materials for next-gen aircraft, drones

Eifeh Strom — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:54:42 GMT

To meet the aerospace industry's push for lighter, more environmentally sustainable next-generation aircraft, Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has stepped up research and development of thermoplastic composite materials in recent years.

Taiwan to draft new drone budget after defense bill cuts

Kevin Wang — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:47:50 GMT

Taiwan's Executive Yuan has decided to draft a separate special bill to support drone development and procurement after the Legislative Yuan cut relevant items from the NT$1.25 trillion (approx. US$39 billion) special budget for national defense, with the Executive Yuan citing national security concerns and the need to build an autonomous industrial supply chain. The move comes as a delegation of lawmakers, led by Speaker Daniel K.Y. Han, returns from a visit to TSMC's Arizona plant and meetings with US lawmakers, yet it remains unclear whether that trip will help win opposition support for the drone bill.

OpenAI to release GPT 5.6 model on staggered basis in face of US regulatory uncertainty

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:44:03 GMT

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told staff that its latest model, GPT 5.6, would be released on a staggered basis, with a small group of entities first gaining preview access to it after approval by the US government. The case highlights the regulatory uncertainty many local AI developers are facing after US President Donald Trump announced a voluntary review system before the release of frontier models, with the industry remaining concerned that it is not so voluntary after all.

Samsung's reported US$648 billion plan shifts focus to South Korea's chip belt

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:31:25 GMT

Samsung Group is expected to announce a domestic investment plan worth more than KRW1,000 trillion (approx. US$648 billion) on June 29, when South Korean President Lee Jae-myung chairs a public briefing at the presidential office in Seoul on what his administration is calling the country's "three mega-projects for a great leap forward," Maeil Business Newspaper reported.

Exclusive: SK Hynix races to build Yongin memory megasite as supply crunch deepens

Sherri Wang — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:08:12 GMT

The global memory market is facing a structural supply-demand imbalance that shows little sign of easing. Micron's stronger-than-expected quarterly results have drawn fresh attention from investors and the technology industry, while the broader supply picture remains tight.

Taiwan revives NT$210 billion drone procurement plan amid industry hopes and concerns

Charlene Chen — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 03:59:13 GMT

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has revived a NT$210 billion (approx. US$6.6 billion) special bill for unmanned vehicle procurement after the Legislative Yuan in May 2026 stripped out all domestic-industry-friendly items from an earlier defense special budget, leaving only arms purchases. The Executive Yuan has now approved the draft, raising hopes and concerns across the drone industry.

Teradyne expands India focus with new country manager

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 03:56:59 GMT

US-based automated test equipment supplier Teradyne plans to expand its presence in India and has appointed Alpa Sood as India Manager, as the company seeks to deepen engagement in a semiconductor ecosystem moving toward manufacturing scale.

Corning weighs South Korea site as chip packaging race turns to glass

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 03:54:27 GMT

Corning is studying South Korea as a possible manufacturing base for semiconductor glass substrates, a sign that the US specialty glass and optical materials maker is looking to extend its AI exposure beyond data-center connectivity into advanced chip packaging.

Academia Sinica readies Taiwan-made quantum chip for engineering push

Lily Hess — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 03:53:00 GMT

Academia Sinica has built a 20-qubit quantum chip from scratch, and the team now says the next phase is less about lab breakthroughs and more about engineering a scalable, reproducible manufacturing system. Chii-Dong Chen, executive director of Academia Sinica's Center for Quantum Computer, says Taiwan's quantum chip effort is moving into that engineering battleground.

OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google turn to deployment engineers as AI focus shifts to enterprise use

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 03:52:15 GMT

AI companies are racing to hire forward deployed engineers, or FDEs, as the industry shifts from model-building to implementation. For global readers, the trend signals that the next wave of AI competition may hinge less on smarter systems and more on whether businesses can actually use them effectively at scale.

Analysis: Why Apple can't wait out this memory shortage

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 03:35:15 GMT

Apple raised prices across its Mac and iPad lineup on June 25, and the timing wasn't a choice so much as a deadline.

Honyi International rebrands as Tianyi Water and Energy Solutions to seize water-power integration opportunities

Eifeh Strom — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 03:10:53 GMT

Following its rebranding from Honyi International to Tianyi Water and Energy Solutions, president Ching-chi Li said the company will leverage the resources of its parent group Lealea Group to provide integrated services addressing corporate water and electricity needs. The aim is to help customers meet growing challenges related to water and power resilience. The company currently has orders from multiple customers in traditional industries and the semiconductor sector.

SK Hynix races to open Yongin triple-deck fab in 2027

Sherri Wang — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 02:59:36 GMT

SK Hynix is racing to complete the first cleanroom at its massive Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, by February 2027, ahead of rival capacity expansion timelines. The site's first fabrication facility will break from conventional flat-floor layouts, stacking production floors three levels high in a pioneering triple-deck fab design.

Apple reportedly revamps Mac chip roadmap to accelerate AI push

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 02:52:10 GMT

Apple is preparing its biggest shift yet to the release strategy for its in-house Mac processors, opting to skip high-end M6 Pro and M6 Max chips and instead bring more powerful AI-focused M7 Pro and M7 Max processors to market in 2027, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter.

Academia Sinica targets quantum chip manufacturing scale with Taiwan's semiconductor tool base

Lily Hess — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 02:46:48 GMT

Academia Sinica's Center for Quantum Computer is focusing only on hardware, not algorithms or applications, and executive director Chii-Dong Chen said that approach is similar to the mission Taiwan's government gave ITRI in the early days of the foundry industry. He said Taiwan enjoys a strong advantage in quantum chip manufacturing, but turning the new Quantum Chip Fabrication Space (QC-Fab) into a technology transfer model for private companies will still require regulatory easing.

How big tech is nudging cloud emissions on customers

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 02:46:08 GMT

In a corporate interview, Alexis Bateman, Head of Sustainability at Amazon Web Services (AWS), promoted the tech giant's latest environmental milestones and tools built to track data center carbon metrics. This includes the AWS Sustainability Console, a tracking hub launched to build on the Customer Carbon Footprint Tool (CCFT).

Apple's rare price hikes signal AI memory boom is reshaping consumer electronics

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 02:40:45 GMT

Before the price hikes became official, Apple had already warned investors that soaring memory costs would increasingly pressure margins. The company has now followed through on one of the rarest moves in its history: raising prices across much of its Mac, iPad, home device, and Vision Pro lineup to offset an AI-driven surge in memory and storage costs.

Japan puts JPY101.6 trillion AI chip push at heart of JPY370 trillion growth roadmap

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 02:21:49 GMT

Japan is moving to anchor its long-term growth strategy around AI, semiconductors, and strategic infrastructure, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeks to use state-backed investment as a strategic push to lift private-sector spending and rebuild the country's industrial base.

IBM breaks sub-1nm barrier with 3D nanostack transistor platform

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 01:57:31 GMT

On June 25, IBM unveiled what it calls the world's first sub-1nm chip technology: a 0.7nm — or 7 angstrom — transistor architecture built on an entirely new 3D platform called Nanostack. The announcement, timed to the VLSI 2026 symposium, marks the first time logic technology has extended below the 1nm node and, IBM says, opens a roadmap of at least a decade of further semiconductor scaling.

Fuji Electric-linked arrests expose rare earth compliance risks for Japanese tech firms in China

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 01:42:26 GMT

The detention of two Japanese nationals in China over suspected rare earth export violations is raising fresh compliance concerns for Japanese technology manufacturers operating in China, as Beijing tightens control over strategic minerals amid worsening Japan-China ties.

SK Hynix's US$29 billion Nasdaq plan puts capacity expansion in focus

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 01:09:58 GMT

SK Hynix is pairing a potentially record-scale Nasdaq ADR offering with an aggressive push to expand chip production for artificial intelligence, as the South Korean memory maker prepares to nearly double DRAM wafer input capacity by 2030–2031, The Elec reported.

Qualcomm's Dragonfly push highlights shift from mobile chips toward cloud AI

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 01:01:01 GMT

Qualcomm used its Investor Day to formally launch Dragonfly, a new data center product line aimed at cloud AI, and set out an ambitious revenue path that would shrink its dependence on handset sales. The company said the plan could reshape its business mix by 2029, but it still faces questions over timing, product performance, and execution.

Agility Robotics eyes Nasdaq listing, boosting Ability Enterprise's 2H26 outlook

Eifeh Strom — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:58:18 GMT

US humanoid robotics startup Agility Robotics announced it will list on the Nasdaq as early as September 2026, which would make it the first publicly traded humanoid robotics company in the US.

Amazon raises India bet to US$48 billion, adds US$13 billion for AI and cloud

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:57:26 GMT

Amazon on June 25 announced an additional US$13 billion investment in India's AI and cloud infrastructure by 2030, the third major commitment the company has made in as many years and one that brings its total planned spending across all India businesses to US$48 billion between 2026 and 2030. CEO Andy Jassy announced in New Delhi, following a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that the pledge is a direct response to surging demand across Amazon's e-commerce, AI, and cloud operations in the country.

Taiwan Semiconductor accelerates transformation as unit listings and SiC, GaN bets take shape

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:55:22 GMT

Tai Asia Semiconductor's latest annual meeting highlighted a broader shift that could matter for investors and technology supply chains worldwide. The company said it is absorbing short-term losses to fund new businesses, while its subsidiaries advance in visual sensing, smart technology, silicon carbide, and gallium nitride.

Onsemi agrees to acquire Synaptics in US$7 billion all-stock deal

DIGITIMES — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:53:26 GMT

Onsemi has agreed to buy Synaptics in an all-stock transaction valued at about US$7 billion, a deal that could reshape the edge AI landscape across automotive, industrial, and connected devices. If completed, the merger aims to broaden global access to intelligent systems, software, and wireless technology.

Alibaba chip unit T-Head triples registered capital amid AI push

DIGITIMES — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:52:34 GMT

Alibaba Group's semiconductor design arm T-Head has more than tripled its registered capital, underscoring the Chinese technology giant's growing focus on artificial intelligence infrastructure and domestic chip development.

CXMT listing signals acceleration of China's memory self-sufficiency strategy amid global tech decoupling

DIGITIMES — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:52:00 GMT

CXMT's IPO highlights the growing geopolitical fragmentation of the global semiconductor industry, strengthening China's ability to finance domestic DRAM expansion and reduce reliance on foreign capital and technology. As supply chains increasingly split along regional lines, the listing reinforces Beijing's push for memory self-sufficiency and reshapes competitive dynamics in global markets.

SK Siltron to bring new 300mm wafer capacity online as AI demand lifts shipments

DIGITIMES — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:51:34 GMT

SK Siltron is preparing to bring a new silicon wafer manufacturing facility online in South Korea next month. The expansion comes as AI data center investment helps lift wafer shipments, while pricing remains under pressure as capacity added during the last expansion cycle continues to weigh on the market.

GlobalFoundries expands Singapore role as it targets physical AI hardware wave

DIGITIMES — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:51:21 GMT

GlobalFoundries (GF) is positioning its Singapore operations as a core hub for the emerging era of physical AI, as the chipmaker expands investment in manufacturing capacity and next-generation semiconductor technologies aimed at robotics, autonomous systems, and AI-driven infrastructure.

Europe aggressively pursues non-red supply chains; Thunder Tiger showcases unmanned combat systems in Poland

Emily Kuo — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:51:05 GMT

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Thunder Tiger recently participated in the Taiwan Expo in Europe 2026 in Warsaw, Poland, showcasing its combat solutions. It said European markets are prioritizing non-red supply chains. In addition to establishing a presence in Ohio, the company has obtained multiple certifications and is integrating with Taiwanese suppliers to build a non-Red supply chain ecosystem.

Apple and Google consider adopting Chinese memory chips: three obstacles remain

Emily Kuo — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:50:36 GMT

As AI demand prolongs shortages in memory chip supply, global technology companies are increasingly turning to Chinese-made semiconductors. However, industry analysts believe that even if major tech firms are interested in adopting Chinese chips, translating that interest into actual supply agreements remains difficult due to several significant obstacles.

Supply chain dismisses Vera Rubin doubts, sees ramp from 3Q26

Charlene Chen — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:50:22 GMT

Nvidia GPU server supply-chain vendors say the product transition will finish in second quarter 2026, setting up an upswing from the third quarter as demand stays strong and partners race to keep up with orders. The upbeat view points to solid momentum in the second half of the year, even as Nvidia's key component suppliers say they have been pushed "almost to the limit" by the pace of shipments.

Analysis: Sidelined by Nvidia's Asia tour, Japan bets on Foxconn-Sharp for AI relevance

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:49:41 GMT

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping the dynamics of competition in the global technology landscape. From hyperscale data center expansion and government-backed sovereign AI initiatives to surging enterprise demand for high-performance computing, AI-driven investment in infrastructure and applications has become the industry's primary growth engine. In this race, companies that secure key positions across the AI supply chain are expected to hold a competitive advantage for years to come.

How Optivision is speeding up the shift from LCD optical films to high-end auto applications

Emily Kuo — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:48:41 GMT

As growth in the traditional consumer electronics market slows and industry competition intensifies, LCD optical film manufacturer Optivision Technology is accelerating its transition toward higher-value automotive applications. The company has reduced its production lines from 16 to 13 in response to changing demand dynamics in the display industry, aiming to optimize asset utilization and improve operational efficiency.

Nexcom courts Nvidia, Qualcomm partnerships to scale edge AI integration

Emily Kuo — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:48:19 GMT

The robotics industry is moving from proof-of-concept projects to large-scale deployment. During Computex 2026, IPC maker Nexcom showcased its edge AI solutions at booths of major tech companies including Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm. Through product demonstrations, the company strengthened its positioning as a full-spectrum edge AI deployment partner, attracting interest from industry players seeking deeper collaboration and investment opportunities.

China power semiconductor makers raise prices as AI and vehicle demand grows

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:47:59 GMT

China's power semiconductor makers are lifting prices again as demand from artificial intelligence (AI) servers and new energy vehicles strengthens. The moves may signal a broader industry upcycle with global implications, as higher costs and tighter capacity could affect data centers, automotive suppliers, and power equipment buyers worldwide.

Tungsten shortage spreads from raw material to chip manufacturing, Japan warns

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:47:36 GMT

China's tightening tungsten export controls are adding pressure to global supply chains, with implications for semiconductor makers, defense industries, and industrial users worldwide. Planned production cuts by Japanese tungsten hexafluoride producers are widening concerns, while recycling is emerging as a practical response as countries push for raw-material localization and supply security.

Quantum Systems to build 2,000 TerMIT unmanned ground vehicles for Ukraine

DIGITIMES — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:47:23 GMT

Altos and FPT sign MOU to scale enterprise AI and HPC across Asia-Pacific

DIGITIMES — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:46:58 GMT

Altos, a subsidiary of Acer, said on June 24, 2026, that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Vietnam-based FPT to jointly deploy and commercialize enterprise AI across the Asia-Pacific market. The agreement paired Altos' AI infrastructure and high-performance computing platforms with FPT's vertical AI application development and systems integration capabilities to create a more scalable enterprise AI ecosystem.

Taiwan drone makers pivot to non-China supply chains to win overseas markets

DIGITIMES — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:46:38 GMT

Taiwanese drone manufacturers are accelerating their expansion into overseas markets as domestic defense and program budgets remain unstable, executives said, making international sales the primary growth engine. Demand varies by region, and firms are increasingly emphasizing their non-China supply chains to address geopolitical concerns and customer requirements.

Taiwan electronics production jumps 93% in first five months of 2026 on AI boom

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:38:29 GMT

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) released industrial production statistics for May 2026 on June 24, reporting that Taiwan's computer, electronic products, and optical products sector—led by servers, switches, semiconductor testing equipment and components, and solid-state drives—saw production increase 36.62% year over year. This was attributed to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) applications, continued strong demand for computing power, and aggressive capacity expansion in the semiconductor industry. Cumulatively, from January to May, production increased 93.17% compared with the same period in 2025, ranking first among all industrial sectors.