DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Schneider Electric's deal to buy PTC is the next step in its software push

DIGITIMES — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:15:29 GMT

Schneider Electric has agreed to purchase software company PTC in a deal valuing its equity at around US$22.6 billion. The all-cash acquisition marks the French energy and tech company's latest move to expand into the software and AI market.

Google Gemini 4 Argon sparks internal doubts

Charlene Chen — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:14:10 GMT

Google's new flagship AI model, Gemini 4 Argon, has drawn strong results in multiple benchmark tests, but some employees still say its coding performance is not stable enough. According to Bloomberg, opinion inside Google is split, with some staff saying the model falls short in front-end development and that rivals from Anthropic and OpenAI are advancing faster.

LB Semicon expands power chip capacity as Qualcomm production ramps up

DIGITIMES — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:13:50 GMT

South Korean outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) provider LB Semicon is expanding power semiconductor backend capacity at its Gumi plant as it steps up efforts to reduce its reliance on display driver integrated circuits (DDIs) and a highly concentrated customer base, backed by new business from Qualcomm and Renesas and KRW30 billion (approx. US$22.3 million) in planned equipment investment.

DeepSeek closes in on US rivals despite chip curbs

DIGITIMES — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:12:56 GMT

China's leading AI models have narrowed their performance gap with US rivals to a record low, while DeepSeek's latest advances in memory efficiency and its deepening work with Huawei suggest Chinese developers are finding ways to improve model performance despite tighter access to advanced US chips.

Samsung ramps Exynos 2700 wafer production as second-gen 2nm rollout advances

DIGITIMES — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:12:38 GMT

Samsung Electronics has reportedly begun front-end wafer mass production of its next-generation Exynos 2700 mobile application processor, with production volume planned at more than 10% above that of the Exynos 2600 as the company prepares to expand use of its in-house chips across the Galaxy S27 lineup.

China's glass substrate ramp-up outpaces South Korea with WG Tech targeting 1M sqm

Charlene Chen — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:12:14 GMT

China's WG Tech has reportedly begun the second phase of investment in its through-glass via (TGV) glass substrate production line, with total future capacity projected to reach 1 million square meters a year. Analysts say Chinese makers have moved ahead of South Korean rivals by building production lines first, then accelerating product output and customer validation, giving China an early lead in glass substrate commercialization.

LinkCom eyes 4Q26 rebound on smart meter, wireless charging demand

DIGITIMES — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:11:32 GMT

Magnetic components maker LinkCom Manufacturing posted September consolidated revenue of NT$44.18 million (approx. US$1.39 million), up 32.53% from a month earlier and down 10.24% from a year earlier. Cumulative consolidated revenue for the first three quarters reached NT$411 million, a 10.21% decline from the same period in 2025.

Column: How semiconductors' evolution foretells the rise of AI data centers

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:10:30 GMT

Semiconductors and AI data centers share a striking number of similarities.

Analysis: China automakers' US entry paths remain open

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:09:28 GMT

The recent summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded without progress on automotive issues—namely, whether Chinese automakers might enter the US market or build manufacturing plants on American soil. While the prospect had previously sparked anxiety among American, European, and Japanese carmakers, the topic yielded no tangible breakthrough during the talks.

Kawasaki teams with Noetra on fully autonomous humanoid robot

Lily Hess — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:09:06 GMT

Kawasaki Heavy Industries plans to launch an AI-powered fully autonomous humanoid robot as early as 2030, using a physical AI platform under development by Japan's Noetra. Nikkei reported that Noetra is backed by 44 Japanese companies, including SoftBank and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Marvell sees custom chips as a must for CSPs

Charlene Chen — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:08:33 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said Marvell's optical technology could help make it the next trillion-dollar company, and Marvell took a step toward that goal on September 17 by expanding its partnership with GlobalFoundries (GF). The deal came as the AI computing race shifted from a simple chip contest into a system-level battle spanning interconnects, memory, and networking.

Winbond, Phison bonuses signal fiercer memory talent war

Charlene Chen — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:08:07 GMT

Memory chip profitability has surged as core operations improve sharply, with some Winbond employees reportedly receiving NT$500,000 to NT$1 million (US$15,733.41–31,466.83) in cash bonuses, helping reverse the company's recent loss-making image. The move underscores growing confidence in the memory outlook and a widening talent battle in Taiwan's tech sector.

Samsung opens Boston quantum design lab to expand US research push

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 12:45:00 GMT

Samsung Electronics has set up a Quantum Design Lab in the Boston area of Massachusetts and started hiring for it, marking a new phase in the company's push into quantum computing. The effort places the South Korean tech giant closer to US research hubs and signals a broader attempt to connect semiconductor expertise with quantum development.

Foxconn move smart long-term care pilot into real care settings

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 12:21:00 GMT

Foxconn and Shiangbao Longterm Care Group have advanced their smart long-term care collaboration into proof-of-concept trials at three care sites in Taiwan. The pilot, launched in November 2025, is designed to address rising demand in an aging society while easing pressure on caregiving staff.

Amazon signs 20-year nuclear power deal with Constellation for AI demand

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 11:38:00 GMT

Amazon and Constellation Energy signed a 20-year power purchase agreement that will supply 690 MW from the Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant in Maryland. The deal was announced as AI and cloud computing continue to drive higher electricity demand, prompting hyperscale tech companies to secure long-term, zero-emission power.

Foxconn September revenue tops NT$1 trillion for first time on AI, ICT demand

Scarlett Yu — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 10:24:37 GMT

Driven by strong momentum in AI and consumer electronics, Foxconn reported consolidated revenue of NT$1.158 trillion (US$36.7 billion) for September 2026, marking the first time its monthly revenue has surpassed the NT$1 trillion threshold.

Largan Precision sees steady smartphone lens demand as CPO fibre arrays near production

Levi Li — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 10:08:21 GMT

Largan Precision reported September consolidated revenue of NT$5.78 billion (US$181.99 million), up 15% from August but down 7% from a year earlier. Third-quarter revenue rose 15% sequentially to NT$15.65 billion.

Pegatron AI servers boost September revenue

Lily Hess — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 09:35:33 GMT

Pegatron's AI server business is ramping up in 2026, with co-CEO Kuang-Chih Cheng recently saying new orders from a US client have begun shipping and are expected to lift September revenue. He added that the company still sees AI server revenue growing by triple digits next year, with the business potentially accounting for 10% of sales.

Kyushu's chip expo expands as Japan adds a chip design focus

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 08:40:31 GMT

Japan's Kyushu Semiconductor Industry Exhibition, known as K-Semi, grew 36% at this year's edition in Fukuoka, held from September 30 to October 1, 2026, as chip makers expanded their presence in Kyushu. The event also added a semiconductor design zone for the first time and was held alongside the debut Kyushu Next-Generation Energy Exhibition, or K-Ene.

Deutsche Telekom targets US$2.8 billion in savings as AI business grows

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 08:37:04 GMT

Deutsche Telekom expects artificial intelligence and automation to generate around EUR2.5 billion (approx. US$2.8 billion) in indirect-cost savings by 2030 compared with 2023, Reuters reported, as the German telecom group puts measurable financial targets behind both cost savings and revenue growth.

Southern Taiwan Science Park revenue climbs 36.5% in first eight months of 2026

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 08:29:17 GMT

Companies in the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) posted record revenue of NT$2.495124 trillion (US$78.59 billion) in the first eight months of 2026, up 36.5% from a year earlier, according to the STSP Bureau. The bureau said the growth reflected the global AI boom and the park's expanding role in the high-tech supply chain.

Trend Micro opens closed preview for AI-driven vulnerability discovery service

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 08:22:39 GMT

Trend Micro said on October 5 that it was opening closed preview access to Autonomous Vulnerability Discovery in Trend Vision One, expanding an AI-driven security service that identifies and validates vulnerabilities in customer code and verifies their fixes. The service is designed to help enterprises find exploitable issues, including zero-day vulnerabilities, before attacks begin.

AMD's Lisa Su back in Taiwan as AI capacity crunch spreads beyond TSMC

Charlene Chen — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 08:15:18 GMT

AMD CEO Lisa Su arrived in Taiwan on October 5 for a lightning visit, less than five months after her May trip. No major public events are scheduled, but meetings with key suppliers are planned. Industry sources said her core mission was to meet TSMC and, more importantly, to coordinate capacity with packaging, testing, and substrate suppliers that are facing tight supply and rising prices.

Bangkok floods disrupt logistics for Taiwan PCB makers in Thailand

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 08:00:14 GMT

Severe floods triggered by days of extreme rain in Thailand have paralyzed transport in Bangkok and several other areas, disrupting local auto and components supply chains and drawing attention to damage at Taiwanese companies with factories in the country. The flooding has also slowed shipments from Taiwan PCB makers in Thailand as road and airport transport remain affected.

CHPT posts record quarterly revenue as chip test demand rises

Sherri Wang — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 07:48:53 GMT

Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT), a supplier of semiconductor test interfaces, posted record revenue for September and the third quarter of 2026 as demand for AI-related chip testing kept capacity utilization high. Revenue for the first nine months of the year also reached a record.

Taiwan teams accelerate 2D semiconductor transfer with published research in Nature

Kevin Wang — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 07:41:22 GMT

Researchers in Taiwan are intensifying efforts to turn 2D semiconductor materials from basic science into practical applications, with a series of studies published in Nature. The latest work, published in the October 1 issue of the leading scientific journal, follows another Nature paper published on July 1, 2026, underscoring the push in Taiwan's academia to speed up research in next-generation semiconductors.

Huawei counters chip-node limits with Ascend, SuperPoD and τ law

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 07:19:06 GMT

Huawei is increasingly framing its semiconductor strategy around a simple constraint: if advanced process nodes remain limited, more performance must come from architecture, interconnect and system-level efficiency.

China's ASML DUV stockpile spurs calls to close export-control loophole

Levi Li — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 07:14:05 GMT

Chinese semiconductor manufacturers have stockpiled hundreds of immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems worth billions of dollars in recent years, prompting a Washington think tank to call for tighter export controls on equipment that could still support advanced chip production.

Cheap SiC substrates ignite demand wave, reshape ecosystem

Lily Hess — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 06:54:51 GMT

Prices for low-cost 6-inch silicon carbide (SiC) substrates, after years of capacity expansion and brutal price wars, are now showing clear signs of bottoming out in the second half of 2026. The cheap material has also unleashed wave after wave of demand, with China's domestic stimulus tightening SiC wafer fabrication capacity and spilling over into Taiwan's supply chain.

AI hardware is propping up world trade, and pulling it toward East Asia and North America

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 05:53:53 GMT

The resilience of global goods trade amid tariff escalation and an energy shock is real, but it rests on a narrow base. A breakdown of ITC Trade Map export data shows that a handful of AI hardware categories, led by servers, processors and memory chips, account for well over a third of the growth in world exports, and that the gains are flowing overwhelmingly to a small group of East Asian exporters and their North American customers.

Climate tech investment cools, but green supply chains support long-term demand

Lily Hess — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 04:54:40 GMT

Tighter green supply-chain requirements are driving demand for energy investment and infrastructure, while companies also face the challenge of matching power generation and consumption needs with operating costs and net-zero goals. Although global venture capital markets have entered a correction in recent years and climate tech investment growth has slowed, industry players say sustainability remains a long-term business trend, despite short-term swings, such as geopolitics delaying net-zero timelines.

Bessent expects US-China AI incident channel as Washington leans on voluntary oversight

DIGITIMES — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 04:52:39 GMT

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington and Beijing are likely to agree on a way to alert each other when artificial intelligence goes wrong, signaling that AI safety is becoming a bilateral security issue even as the Trump administration relies on voluntary industry pledges rather than binding rules at home. Speaking on The Axios Show on October 3, Bessent also rebuked AI executives who call for regulation, and confirmed that the government had once stepped in on a model release by Anthropic.

Global AI servers shift production nearshore, slowing direct Taiwan exports to US

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 04:48:48 GMT

Taiwanese suppliers currently control approximately 90% of the global AI server market. However, a recent survey by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs showed that the proportion of export orders produced overseas rose in August 2026, a clear reflection of Taiwanese AI server makers accelerating capacity expansion in the US and Mexico.

Commentary: China's US$37.3B subsidy meets a weak smartphone market as new flagships test replacement demand

Levi Li — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 04:44:35 GMT

China's National Day holidays have opened one of the fourth quarter's most important promotional windows for consumer electronics. For smartphones, the timing is especially significant: Apple, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Honor have all launched new models since September, while Huawei introduced its Mate 90 series on October 1.

Nuri launch takes center stage at AEROTEC 2026 as Hanwha moves from rocket manufacturing to launch operations

Scarlett Yu — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 04:27:11 GMT

With South Korea preparing for the fifth launch of its Nuri rocket, the country's space ambitions took center stage at AEROTEC 2026, the second International Aerospace Technology Exhibition held recently in Changwon, a major hub for South Korea's aerospace industry.