DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Exclusive: China's automakers leap forward in next generation of car architecture

Elaine Chen — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:59:39 GMT

As the global auto industry shifts toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs), the evolution of electronic and electrical architectures has become one of the most important determinants of future competitiveness.

MetaAge posts 27% revenue increase as AI demand boosts server shipments

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:58:51 GMT

MetaAge, a unit of Qisda, reported consolidated first-quarter 2026 revenue of about NT$6.02 billion, up NT$1.29 billion (US$192 million) from NT$4.73 billion a year earlier, a 27% year-on-year increase, and net profit attributable to owners of the parent of about NT$33 million with basic earnings per share of NT$0.17. The board approved the results, which the company said reflected strong global demand for AI infrastructure and enterprise high-performance computing.

Intel shifts data center chip packaging to Vietnam and expands EMIB advanced packaging integration

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:52:40 GMT

Intel is relocating a data center chip production line from Costa Rica to its Vietnam facility. The move, flagged in a Saigon Hi-Tech Park management board report to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and cited by The Investor and VN Economy, will transfer operations to Intel Products Vietnam (IPV) within the same industrial park.

Power Win Taiwan scales safe-discharge recycling to secure critical battery metals

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:52:19 GMT

Power Win Taiwan, Taiwan's largest domestic lithium-ion battery processor with more than an 80% market share, said it is building a technical moat around its self-developed safe discharge technology to capture strategic value from retired batteries as global demand for critical metals rises. The company announced its electrolyte conductive discharge system, combined with precision dismantling and downstream refinement, has secured certifications and commercial partnerships with major original equipment manufacturers across smartphones and automotive sectors.

Commentary: The real AI war may be the models nobody sees

Levi Li — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:38:53 GMT

The global race in large AI models continues to intensify, with Chinese state-backed capital accelerating its push into the sector. According to foreign media reports, China's "Big Fund" — formally known as the China Integrated Circuit (IC) Industry Investment Fund — is in talks to lead an investment in AI startup DeepSeek, with the company's valuation approaching US$45 billion.

Transcom sees overseas defense orders drive revenue and production into 2026

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:38:43 GMT

Transcom Technology reported that April 2026 revenue rose 45.94% year on year to NT$90.82 million (US$2.9 million) as delayed defense project shipments from March were booked in April, and said defense-related products moving into mass production would support steady second-quarter shipments. The power amplifier maker disclosed first-quarter 2026 revenue of NT$178 million, a gross margin of 54%, net profit after tax of NT$20.2 million and earnings per share of NT$0.22, and stated that current order fulfillment progress pointed to an operational recovery in the second quarter.

Inventec sees strong NB and server demand but warns of component-driven margin pressure

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:25:15 GMT

Inventec reported April 2026 revenue of NT$84.786 billion (US$2.68 billion), down 3.17% month on month but up 36.53% year on year, signaling continued momentum in its notebook and server businesses heading into the second quarter of 2026, with broader implications for supply chains and enterprise AI deployments globally.

Amtran shifts to higher-value products and posts double-digit revenue gains

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:20:31 GMT

Amtran Technology reported consolidated revenue of NT$2.348 billion (US$74.85 million) in April, up about 14.3% from NT$2.055 billion a year earlier, as its product-mix transformation gained traction, the company announced. Cumulative consolidated revenue for the first four months of 2026 reached NT$8.17 billion, up 10.7% from NT$7.38 billion in the same period of 2025.

HTC reports steep April revenue decline as AI smart-glasses push expands overseas

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:16:07 GMT

HTC on May 6 released operating results showing consolidated revenue for April 2026 dropped to NT$151 million (US$4.81 million), down 54.64% from March, while cumulative revenue for the first four months of 2026 totaled NT$804 million, a 7.06% decline year-on-year. The company also disclosed results for the first quarter of 2026, reporting revenue of NT$650 million, an operating gross margin of 41.7%, an operating net loss of NT$560 million and a net loss attributable to owners of the parent of NT$240 million.

Taiwan brings 16 firms to AI EXPO Korea to pitch full AI supply chain to South Korea

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:15:00 GMT

Taiwanese companies showcased end-to-end AI infrastructure and applications at AI EXPO Korea 2026, aiming to address South Korea's urgent demand for high-performance computing, data sovereignty and industrial AI deployment. The Taiwan pavilion gathered 16 firms under the theme "From Chip to Application" to present hardware, edge devices, software and security solutions to South Korean buyers during the event in Seoul.

Flex says separate AI infrastructure company will better address hyperscaler power and thermal needs

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:12:00 GMT

Flex has announced a strategic plan to spin off its Cloud and Power Infrastructure (CPI) segment into an independent, publicly-traded company, with the transaction expected to be completed by the first quarter of calendar 2027. This move follows a record-setting fiscal year 2026, where the company reported total revenue of "US$27.9 billion, up 8% on continued strong growth in cloud, power, and industrial".

Nvidia, AMD and Intel starve the PC market to feed the AI boom

Elaine Chen — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:05:57 GMT

The AI boom is beginning to cannibalize the very consumer hardware market that once fueled the PC industry's growth.

China token prices rise while US hyperscalers flood AI infrastructure

Levi Li — Thu, 7 May 2026 02:05:07 GMT

Generative AI demand is intensifying the global race for computing power, widening the gap between China and the US in AI infrastructure investment. Yet while US hyperscalers continue to expand capex aggressively, China's AI market is seeing token prices rise rather than fall, signalling that pricing is increasingly shaped by supply constraints and evolving AI business models rather than investment scale alone.

Anthropic raises Claude usage limits with SpaceX compute deal

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 01:43:01 GMT

Anthropic announced immediate increases to Claude service limits following a compute partnership with SpaceX that will deliver over 300 megawatts of new capacity within the month.

Arm shifts focus to high-value silicon to bypass mobile growth plateau

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 01:28:10 GMT

The strategic significance of Arm's current transformation lies in its transition from a volume-dependent mobile component provider to a value-driven infrastructure architect. As the global smartphone market faces structural saturation, the organization is pivoting toward Agentic and Physical AI to redefine its commercial relevance. The core of this strategy is to increase the average selling price per chip by packing higher complexity—measured in core density and orchestration capabilities—into each unit, thereby ensuring revenue growth even as hardware shipment volumes stabilize.

Arm's $2 billion AGI CPU backlog signals strong hyperscaler demand

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 00:55:47 GMT

During the earnings call on May 6, Arm announced a significant expansion of its product strategy, centering on the emergence of "Agentic AI" and "Physical AI" as primary growth drivers for the next decade. The company defines agentic workloads as a shift from human-based queries to continuous, autonomous tasks where CPUs must coordinate data movement, manage memory, and orchestrate work across accelerators. To address this, Arm recently launched the Arm AGI CPU, a product purpose-built for these specific AI requirements.

Nvidia, Corning partner to boost US optical manufacturing capacity 10x

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 00:50:25 GMT

Nvidia and Corning announced a multiyear partnership to expand U.S.-based production of optical connectivity solutions for AI data centers. Corning will increase its U.S. optical connectivity manufacturing capacity by 10-fold and expand fiber production capacity by more than 50%.

Arm's licensing surge masks smartphone market slowdown

DIGITIMES — Thu, 7 May 2026 00:50:07 GMT

Arm reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of US$1.49 billion, up 20% year over year and nearly 20% higher sequentially, according to company financial data. Net profit rose 49% from a year earlier to US$313 million, while operating income climbed to US$438 million.

Taiwan component maker Fositek rides AI server cooling demand

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 7 May 2026 00:21:52 GMT

Fositek said strong demand from artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is driving rapid growth in its liquid cooling business and will prompt continued capacity expansion to meet customer needs. The company expects server-related revenue to rise quarter by quarter through 2026 and said second-half shipments of a customer's new foldable phones will further lift margins.

Raydium Semiconductor sees mixed display demand as AI-driven IT cycle reshapes inventory trends

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 7 May 2026 00:21:36 GMT

Raydium Semiconductor reported first-quarter 2026 revenue and profit figures, signaling demand trends in large displays, automotive, and industrial markets that could affect global display and consumer electronics supply dynamics. International manufacturers and investors may reassess inventory and production plans amid cautious smartphone AMOLED demand and continued large-display stocking by some clients.

Automakers face 2029 deadline to deploy quantum-resistant security systems

Elaine Chen — Thu, 7 May 2026 00:17:47 GMT

The opening of Taiwan's annual cybersecurity conference Cybersec 2026 has underscored a rapid global realignment in automotive cyber strategy, as major carmakers race to redefine security frameworks for the quantum era.

As AI expands, broadband upgrades fuel growth at Sercomm

Elaine Chen — Thu, 7 May 2026 00:16:36 GMT

Broadband equipment maker Sercomm reported a sharp surge in revenue for April, underscoring how demand for faster networks, fueled in part by artificial intelligence, is rippling through telecommunications infrastructure.

Supply chain walks pricing tightrope as AI demand lifts costs

Sherri Wang — Thu, 7 May 2026 00:13:29 GMT

The rapid spread of generative AI applications and rising demand for computing power have pushed global data center construction into a high-growth phase, further straining an already tight supply chain.

Taipower awaits regulatory review for Nuclear Plant No. 3 restart

Sherri Wang — Wed, 6 May 2026 23:23:44 GMT

Taiwan Power Company, or Taipower, submitted a restart plan for Nuclear Power Plant No. 3 to the Nuclear Safety Commission in March 2026, while recent reports indicated the utility has been in talks with original equipment supplier Westinghouse over nuclear fuel procurement.

Memory hikes slow telecom orders, but network chipmakers stay upbeat

Lily Hess — Wed, 6 May 2026 23:23:15 GMT

Network infrastructure demand in 2026 remains broadly positive as telecom operators in Europe and the US prepare for future AI use cases. Chipmakers say the growth is not just about spec upgrades, but a full-scale overhaul of network infrastructure.

OpenAI, Anthropic chase AI consulting firms in new enterprise battle

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 23:22:58 GMT

The AI race is entering a new phase, and it may look far less like a pure software business than Silicon Valley once imagined.

Google, Microsoft, and xAI to give US early access to unreleased AI models

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 23:18:40 GMT

Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI have signed agreements giving the US government early access to unreleased frontier AI models for national-security testing, expanding Washington's ability to assess advanced commercial systems before they reach the public.

Snapdragon tops India's chipset trust rankings: Counterpoint Research

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 23:16:15 GMT

A Counterpoint Research survey finds Snapdragon is India's most trusted chipset brand across smartphones, audio, XR devices, and passenger vehicles, signaling that chipset performance now shapes purchase decisions—a finding relevant to global readers tracking device performance trends, platform ecosystems, and the expanding role of chipsets in connected-device experiences.

Commentary: Why Apple's Intel and Samsung talks remain preliminary—and what that means for TSMC

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 23:00:23 GMT

A year of Intel-Apple negotiations and recent Samsung chatter amount to familiar supply-chain posturing—and TSMC's technical advantages remain unbeatable.

EU joins telecom coalition as 6G rivalry with China intensifies

DIGITIMES — Wed, 6 May 2026 23:00:10 GMT

The European Union has become the first strategic partner of the Global Coalition on Telecommunications, or GCOT, expanding a Western-led telecom policy framework as governments seek to shape next-generation network infrastructure and the race toward 6G.

Intel targets entry-level advanced packaging, draws interest from Google and Amazon

Levi Li — Wed, 6 May 2026 22:59:52 GMT

Over the past decade, market assessments of Intel have largely been confined to a single lens: execution in advanced process technology. By that metric, Intel has struggled, with delays in 10nm and setbacks at the 7nm node, leading to the loss of Apple's chip orders. This view assumes that semiconductor manufacturing advantage is determined primarily by transistor density, particularly in the system-on-chip era.

Gen5 SSD race shifts to power and AI: Micron, YMTC diverges

Levi Li — Wed, 6 May 2026 22:59:32 GMT

As demand for PCs and edge AI accelerates, the consumer SSD market is entering a transition to the PCIe 5.0 (Gen5) era. For notebooks — long a core OEM segment — power consumption and thermal limits have become the decisive barriers to large-scale adoption of next-generation SSDs.

Research Insight: AI memory boom squeezes automotive supply, driving costs higher

Levi Li — Wed, 6 May 2026 22:56:18 GMT

Autonomous driving and smart cockpit technologies are pushing vehicles to demand far more computing power and data processing. Memory has become a critical component in automotive system performance. But as demand surges, AI applications are reshaping the global memory supply chain — reallocating capacity and creating structural pressures that are tightening supply and driving up prices.

Nvidia, AMD expand in Taiwan as US touts strategic ties at SelectUSA Summit

Lily Hess — Wed, 6 May 2026 08:51:44 GMT

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said its A+ Industrial Innovation R&D Program has helped attract Nvidia to invest in Taiwan and set up an overseas headquarters in Taipei, while AMD has also received major ministry support to establish a research and development center in the southern city of Tainan.

'Chipflation' hits Samsung, boosts Apple results

Lily Hess — Wed, 6 May 2026 08:30:11 GMT

As soaring memory prices fuel "chipflation," Samsung Electronics and Apple are taking sharply different approaches. Samsung's Mobile eXperience (MX) division is trying to protect profitability by optimizing its product mix and expanding across more price points, while Apple is leaning on an ecosystem of 2.5 billion devices and high-margin services to offset rising component costs.