DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

China tightens travel bans on private-sector AI to stem tech leaks

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:55:22 GMT

China has expanded its state travel controls into the private technology sector, deliberately blocking top AI talent from leaving the country without explicit government authorization.

China Airlines rides Taiwan's AI boom to record cargo profits

Elaine Chen — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:54:51 GMT

China Airlines said demand tied to artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and semiconductor shipments is helping fuel a strong rebound in air cargo, underscoring Taiwan's growing importance at the center of the global technology supply chain.

Computex 2026 adds robotics zone, Taiwan supply chain gathers

Charlene Chen — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:54:29 GMT

Computex 2026 will add a robotics zone for the first time, drawing Taiwan's full ecosystem of sensors, motors, reducers, and system integrators, as Nvidia and AMD prepare to showcase robotics at CES 2026. The move has already stirred strong industry interest as the show extends big tech's robotics roadmap.

Samsung foundry targets robotics, auto AI chips with Cadence platform

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:53:51 GMT

Samsung Electronics is preparing to expand its foundry push into physical AI semiconductors through a chiplet platform developed with Cadence, targeting chips for robotics, automotive systems, drones, and industrial automation, ETNews reported, citing industry sources.

UMC readies price hikes, kicks off 2027 customer talks

Levi Li — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:53:29 GMT

UMC held its shareholders' meeting on May 27, with CEO Jason Wang saying that as AI applications expand rapidly, long-term semiconductor demand still has room for growth. In addition to deepening its strengths in mature and specialty processes, UMC is also advancing next-generation technologies, including a US-based 12nm FinFET platform, advanced packaging, and silicon photonics, to prepare for future operating growth.

Yageo tops Murata in AI-driven passive component orders

Levi Li — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:53:04 GMT

Yageo, one of the world's largest passive component suppliers, said demand from AI-related applications has pushed its book-to-bill ratio to 1.3, surpassing levels seen at Japanese peers, including Murata, as tightening supply across the sector continues to extend lead times.

Tsang Yow, a expands into high-end semiconductor equipment, plans Malaysia ramp in 4Q26

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:52:51 GMT

Tsang Yow, a major drivetrain manufacturer, expanded into high-end semiconductor equipment and planned a Malaysia production ramp-up in the fourth quarter of 2026 after posting 2025 consolidated revenue of NT$10.5 billion (US$334 million), up 0.3% year on year, with gross margin rising to 33% and net profit attributable to the parent company of NT$140 million. Earnings per share were NT$1.36, and executives said product-mix optimization, equipment replacement, inventory reduction, and tighter cost control drove the margin improvement.

Hotai Motor expects semiconductor and AI demand to lift Taiwan auto market in 2026

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:52:15 GMT

Hotai Motor Co. told shareholders on May 27 that Taiwan's auto market was expected to strengthen in 2026 as demand for semiconductors and AI applications supported exports and the broader economy. The company forecast the full-year vehicle market could reach 440,000 units, attributing the outlook to a stabilizing global economy, policy continuity and a pickup in replacement demand.

Laster Tech enters the robot joint control supply chain and wins North American auto orders

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:52:01 GMT

Laster Tech announced it had broken into the robot joint control module supply chain and secured North American vehicle orders for its new Mexico plant, with small-volume robot shipments slated to begin in the third quarter of 2026 and vehicle deliveries targeted to start in the first quarter of 2027. The moves were presented as a strategic extension from the firm’s automotive electronics expertise into embodied intelligence robotics and as a step to strengthen local North American supply capacity.

Taiwan's GLT diversifies into auto and medical markets, expands Southeast Asia production

Willis Ke — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:51:41 GMT

Taiwan-based Global Lighting Technologies (GLT), a specialist in optical microstructure solutions, is accelerating its Southeast Asia expansion as global tariff pressures and geopolitical uncertainty continue to weigh on customer demand and product development cycles, while expanding into higher-growth sectors such as automotive electronics, biotech, and medical devices.

QRT eyes aerospace, defense growth with portable chip radiation tester

Sherri Wang — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:51:20 GMT

South Korean semiconductor testing company QRT is expanding its equipment business with a portable chip radiation reliability testing system, aiming to build a larger presence in aerospace and defense markets.

Shiny Chemical sees AI and advanced semiconductor processes drive IPA and PM capacity expansion

Rodney Chan — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:50:52 GMT

Shiny Chemical Industrial said demand for its electronic-grade products is being driven mainly by advanced semiconductor processes, AI, and high-performance computing, with its share of revenue continuing to rise. The company has begun expanding capacity for its electronic-grade isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and propylene glycol methyl ether (PM) lines.

Ezconn moves up AI optics chain with CPO and silicon photonics

Levi Li — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:50:34 GMT

Ezconn expects US cloud providers' AI data center expansion to sustain demand for high core count optical products through at least 2029, according to President Ying-hua Chang.

Dreame's 941-company ecosystem targets growth far beyond robot vacuum cleaners

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 08:53:53 GMT

Dreame Technology, a Chinese consumer electronics maker, has formed nearly 1,000 affiliated companies in its ecosystem since the end of 2024. This breakneck pace of expansion signals the ambitions of its leadership to unearth growth opportunities across the broader Chinese tech sector, although some media outlets question the sustainability of the business model.

TSMC CEO promises bonus growth above 30% in 2026 if performance holds

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 08:38:45 GMT

TSMC chairman and CEO C.C. Wei personally addressed employees at a company-wide meeting on the morning of May 27, making a direct commitment on bonuses after days of backlash over reports of a 15% cut.

Samsung reportedly to expand Vietnam footprint with new memory chip testing plant

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 08:21:48 GMT

Samsung Electronics plans to invest VND39 trillion (approx. US$1.5 billion) in a new semiconductor testing facility in northern Vietnam, according to documents reviewed by Reuters, marking the company's first chip testing plant in the country as global memory demand surges amid the AI boom.

Taiwan's Wah Lee expands into specialty gases as materials costs are passed on quarterly

Charlene Chen — Wed, 27 May 2026 08:00:54 GMT

Wah Lee Industrial said it has formally moved into investments in standard gases and other supplies needed by wafer fabs, with its Tainan logistics center set to open in the second half of 2026 to support future growth. Chairman Gary Chang also confirmed that the company will pass on higher costs for semiconductor and PCB products quarterly as raw material prices climb.

Unitree sprints toward IPO as profits crumble under rising costs

Sherri Wang — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:55:35 GMT

Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics is moving quickly toward an initial public offering, but its latest prospectus points to the commercial challenges still facing the sector.

From boom-bust to structural growth? Memory's US$1 trillion moment puts AI thesis to the test

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:49:21 GMT

First Micron, then SK Hynix, join the trillion-dollar club, capping an extraordinary repricing of an industry once dismissed as a commodity play. The milestone is more than a valuation story: it crystallizes a structural debate about whether AI has permanently transformed memory's earnings profile, a bubble concern as Chinese rivals ramp capacity, and a sharpening geopolitical contest over who controls the bandwidth backbone of artificial intelligence.

GlobalWafers expands into space, drones, marine applications; uses specialized solar tech to avoid China's low-price competition

Emily Kuo — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:36:32 GMT

The global solar industry remains trapped in a low-price competition ruled by Chinese manufacturers, but geopolitical shifts are creating new opportunities for differentiated players. GlobalWafers Chairwoman Doris Hsu stated after the company's shareholder meeting on May 26 that the company has successfully expanded its solar products into diversified applications across marine, terrestrial, and aerospace sectors through specialized solar technologies. Hsu explained that three main factors give reason for a significant portion of GlobalWafers' solar cell shipments to be exported to the US market.

Yulon advances AI-driven transformation to boost domestic production and exports

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:11:55 GMT

Yulon Motor Group outlined its 2025 results and 2026 outlook at its annual shareholders' meeting on May 27, announcing continued domestic production and export pushes while deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen competitiveness and drive transformation. The company reported that 2025 stand-alone revenue was NT$16.655 billion, operating profit was NT$529 million, net profit was NT$979 million, and earnings per share were NT$0.93, while consolidated revenue for 2025 reached NT$72.355 billion with net profit of NT$3.594 billion and EPS of NT$0.93.

Sino-American Silicon taps AI to tackle Taiwan's green power crunch

Sherri Wang — Wed, 27 May 2026 06:57:09 GMT

Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) is turning to AI-based power management as Taiwan's green-power shortage persists, and electricity demand from advanced chipmaking and AI data centers continues to rise.

Humanoid robot mass production hits a thermal wall

Charlene Chen — Wed, 27 May 2026 06:53:44 GMT

As humanoid robots move closer to mass production, thermal management is emerging as a critical bottleneck. Component efficiency, cramped joint architectures, and limited heat-dissipation space are all making system design harder and shaping the next wave of humanoid robot development.

TAITRA says Computex participating firms exceed US$10 trillion in market value

Emily Kuo — Wed, 27 May 2026 06:24:30 GMT

Computex 2026 is set to officially open in Taipei, and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) Chairman James C.F. Huang has stated that the combined market capitalization of foreign companies participating in forums and keynote sessions at this year's event exceeds US$10 trillion. He also said that TAITRA has allocated the entire Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) exclusively to Nvidia for GTC Taipei 2026.

Facing Chinese rivals, Hyundai accelerates robotaxi plans and cost cuts

Elaine Chen — Wed, 27 May 2026 06:14:12 GMT

As Chinese automakers intensify a global price war, South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group is responding on two fronts at once: accelerating its push into autonomous mobility while pressing suppliers for sweeping cost cuts that could reshape its manufacturing ecosystem.

Qualcomm and ByteDance's rumored AI ASIC deal signals potential shift in China's data center chip supply

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 05:49:38 GMT

The agreement between Qualcomm and ByteDance positions the former for large-scale AI ASIC demand from the latter, as reported by Bloomberg, but market viability remains uncertain amid intense AI chip competition, evolving China procurement preferences, and regulatory pressures affecting cross-border semiconductor adoption.

IREN signs US$1.6bn Dell deal for Blackwell AI systems to expand Texas data center capacity

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 05:38:10 GMT

IREN Limited has signed a purchase agreement with Dell Technologies for air-cooled Blackwell-based systems intended to support its previously announced five-year US$3.4bn managed services AI cloud contract. The deal forms part of its broader effort to expand AI compute capacity and shorten deployment timelines for large-scale GPU infrastructure.

WinWay weighs Texas shift after AI chip testing surge in North America

Levi Li — Wed, 27 May 2026 05:37:01 GMT

US efforts to rebuild its semiconductor supply chain are exposing a critical gap in domestic packaging and testing capacity, a bottleneck that industry sources expect to ease only after 2028 as the US OSAT ecosystem gradually takes shape.

Acer sees CPU shortages worse than memory as 2H24 PC market weakens

Charlene Chen — Wed, 27 May 2026 04:47:51 GMT

Acer chairman and CEO Jason Chen said the current PC supply bottleneck is most severe in CPUs rather than memory, while the company can still meet demand due to long-term supply agreements. He said full-year PC shipments in 2026 are expected to decline 6-9%, with a sharper drop in the second half than in the first half.

ICP DAS expands semiconductor controller orders and accelerates TPU medical pivot, plans factory expansion

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 04:45:49 GMT

Industrial computer maker ICP DAS held an investor briefing on May 26 to outline a 2026 strategy focused on two main priorities: expanding semiconductor equipment controller operations and accelerating a shift into medical-grade thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) semi-finished products. Executives said the moves aim to capture growing measurement and control-module demand from semiconductor-equipment customers and to open new TPU accounts in Japan, China, Europe, and the US.

Daxin Materials advances into Low Dk and Low Df market for booming AI server and LEO satellite applications

Willis Ke — Wed, 27 May 2026 04:29:21 GMT

Taiwan-based Daxin Materials posted stronger revenue and profitability in 2025 as rapid growth in semiconductor materials offset a still-cautious display market recovery, with AI- and HPC-driven demand emerging as the company's primary growth engine.

Jensen Huang: Taiwan is center of AI revolution, with US$150 billion in capex powering local ecosystem

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 27 May 2026 04:25:25 GMT

Nvidia held an "employee town hall" on the morning of May 27 at the T17 and T18 sites in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (BSTP), where CEO Jensen Huang met staff, gave away Dom Pérignon, and framed Taiwan as central to the company's AI expansion. Taipei Mayor Wayne Chiang attended only as a "guest."

Exclusive: Kian Shen rides Taiwan's electric bus expansion with record backlog

Elaine Chen — Wed, 27 May 2026 04:14:48 GMT

Taiwanese automotive components maker Kian Shen Industry says it is experiencing a surge in demand driven by a wave of electric bus replacements in Taiwan and rising orders from commercial vehicle customers, as the company prepares to trial a new lightweight chassis technology it believes could reshape parts of the industry.

Global DRAM revenue surges toward US$100 billion in 1Q26 on AI-driven demand

DIGITIMES — Wed, 27 May 2026 04:13:37 GMT

Global DRAM revenue climbed sharply in the first quarter of 2026, approaching the US$100 billion threshold as artificial intelligence demand and tight supply conditions pushed prices higher across the memory market, according to Counterpoint Research.

China clears 9 domestic AI chips for state procurement

Levi Li — Wed, 27 May 2026 04:09:33 GMT

China has formally brought AI chips into its national security and reliability evaluation framework for the first time, marking a further expansion of the country's Information Technology Application Innovation procurement policy into AI computing infrastructure.