DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

BMW Group names Benjamin Nagel to lead Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan

Levi Li — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 09:05:15 GMT

BMW Group has appointed Benjamin Nagel as managing director of BMW Group's importer markets in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, effective Sept. 1, 2026. He will succeed Raymond Tan Chor Ann, who will become managing director and CEO of BMW Group Malaysia.

Samsung creates CEO-led robotics unit to speed commercialization

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:07:57 GMT

Samsung Electronics has created a robotics business unit reporting directly to its chief executive, bringing strategy, technology development, data collection and factory deployment into a more integrated structure as the company moves humanoid robots closer to commercialization.

South Korean president to meet Nvidia and OpenAI CEOs on US trip

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:59:04 GMT

South Korean president Jae-Myung Lee will launch an economic diplomacy tour centered on AI, advanced industries, and supply chain cooperation, including planned meetings with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and other global tech leaders to discuss AI partnerships. Samsung Electronics, SK Group, Hyundai Motor Group, and Naver executives will also join the trip in force.

IBM trims revenue outlook as hardware demand reshapes client spending

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:27:29 GMT

IBM lowered its full-year revenue growth target after a second-quarter miss, saying clients shifted spending toward scarce hardware and away from software deals. Management framed the weakness as delayed demand rather than lost business, while reaffirming free cash flow growth, margin expansion plans, and confidence in the company's long-term software and mainframe franchises.

D-Link robot line starts in 3Q26; care model due in 2027

Lily Hess — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:14:12 GMT

Networking brand D-Link has set up a subsidiary, D-Link Robotics, and is officially entering the service robot market. The new unit will focus on two niche applications, "smart companionship" and "safe care," while adopting an asset-light model built around connectivity, subscription-based management services, SaaS, cloud platforms, and AI ecosystems.

Japan loosens fiscal reins for JPY370 trillion AI, semiconductor strategy

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:12:58 GMT

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government has approved a sweeping economic strategy that relaxes long-standing fiscal constraints to fund JPY370 trillion (approx. US$2.3 trillion) in public and private investments across artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and other strategic industries through fiscal 2040.

Transsion raises phone prices to offset memory-chip inflation and weaker shipments

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:12:50 GMT

Transsion Holdings, Africa's largest smartphone vendor, expects revenue and profit to rise sharply in the first half of 2026 after higher handset prices offset weaker unit sales and rising memory-chip costs.

Sino-American Silicon Products, United Renewable Energy launch US solar module venture

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:12:13 GMT

Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) and United Renewable Energy (URECO) announced that they will jointly invest in establishing a solar module manufacturing company in the US, with plans to build a solar module plant with an annual capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW) to meet the surging power demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

Moonshot AI model challenges EDA moat with 2-day chip design

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:11:54 GMT

China AI startup Moonshot AI has drawn intense attention from the semiconductor industry after unveiling its new large language model Kimi K3, which delivered strong results across multiple model benchmarks and demonstrated an AI agent completing a full chip design flow in 48 hours using open-source electronic design automation (EDA) tools.

Taiwan-US tariff talks stall as July 24 deadline threatens auto supply chains

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:11:38 GMT

The Trump administration's temporary 10% tariff under Section 122 of the US Trade Act is set to expire on July 24, putting Taiwan-US zero-tariff talks and global auto supply chains under pressure. In Taiwan, planned tariff changes for US-made cars remained stuck in legislative review, leaving potential launches in the fourth quarter uncertain.

STMicroelectronics raises AI data center ambition as second-quarter revenue rebounds 26%

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:11:04 GMT

STMicroelectronics (ST) has raised its revenue ambition for AI data centers to above US$1 billion in 2026 and well above US$2 billion in 2027, staking a larger claim on the AI infrastructure buildout as the European chipmaker swung back to profit in the second quarter of 2026.

Tesla confirms equipment orders for TeraFab, targets in-house chip production to break supply bottleneck

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:10:56 GMT

Tesla has placed equipment orders for an in-house semiconductor development facility in Austin it calls TeraFab, CEO Elon Musk confirmed during the company's Q2 2026 earnings call on July 22, marking a significant step toward chip self-sufficiency.

Samsung weighs Besi's Korean rivals for 50-bonder hybrid bonding line as pricing talks drag on

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:54:01 GMT

Samsung Electronics is preparing a die-to-wafer hybrid bonding production line with about 50 bonders at its Pyeongtaek campus for next-generation high-bandwidth memory and logic chips, according to The Elec.

Mitsubishi Electric and Sony Semiconductor Solutions form AI factory automation venture

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:53:35 GMT

Mitsubishi Electric and Sony Group subsidiary Sony Semiconductor Solutions announced on July 22, 2026, that they have signed a partnership agreement to launch a joint venture focused on using image sensors to automate manufacturing sites and develop physical AI technology. The new company will be 60% funded by Mitsubishi Electric and 40% by Sony.

Intel 18A adopts High-NA EUV in dual-certification push

Lily Hess — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:48:40 GMT

Intel Foundry has moved high numerical aperture (High-NA) EUV lithography into production on its Intel 18A process, with ASML confirming in a recent press release that Intel is using the expensive next-generation tool on selected layers of its latest notebook processors, including Panther Lake and the Core Ultra Series 3 built on Intel's 18A technology. The move comes years earlier than Intel's original roadmap, but it currently remains in use for some layers of the 18A process is not replacing standard Low-NA EUV equipment.

Wistron launches first US-made Nvidia GB300 compute baseboard

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:47:58 GMT

Wistron opened its D1 AI smart factory in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 21 local time, and began mass production of the first Nvidia GB300 compute baseboard made in the US. The nearly US$700 million plant, which spans about 324,000 square feet, was unveiled by Wistron chairman Simon Lin and Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang.

Server CPUs are AI boom's next scarce commodity: Intel, AMD reportedly lock in Chinese buyers

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:29:56 GMT

The AI build-out has found its next pinch point. After spreading from Nvidia's accelerators to memory and networking gear, the scramble for capacity has now reached the once-plentiful server processor, and Chinese cloud and internet firms are being pushed into the kind of long-term supply commitments once reserved for the tightest parts of the market.

Tesla names TSMC, Samsung, Micron as key partners for Optimus robot scale-up

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:23:52 GMT

Tesla is building an entirely new supply chain from scratch to support its Optimus humanoid robot program, with CEO Elon Musk naming TSMC, Samsung, and Micron as critical partners during the company's second quarter 2026 earnings call on July 22, 2026.

Texas Instruments sees China EV surge and rising analog prices as upcycle broadens

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 05:51:50 GMT

Texas Instruments' second quarter of 2026 results landed Wednesday with two signals worth parsing beyond the headline numbers: an automotive demand acceleration that TI's own management didn't see coming three months ago, and the first analog price increases the company has executed in years. Together, they suggest the current upcycle is broadening in ways the supply chain has not fully absorbed.

Kimi K3 under fire, part 2: Why Beijing sees a US containment campaign

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 05:51:39 GMT

China is framing Washington's allegations against Moonshot AI as more than an intellectual property dispute. Chinese officials, state-backed media and policy commentators see the scrutiny surrounding Kimi K3 as part of a broader US effort to contain China's rise in open-weight artificial intelligence (AI).

Foxconn's Vietnam arm moves into EV charging equipment

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:32:09 GMT

Fulian Precision Technology Component, a Vietnamese subsidiary of Taiwan's Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), has added electric-vehicle charging equipment to its registered business lines, marking the contract manufacturer's first formal step into EV infrastructure in the country, according to The Investor. The change, recorded in a business registration update on July 16, follows a recent increase in the unit's charter capital.

SEMICON Taiwan 2026 sees record global participation as AI investment accelerates

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:26:25 GMT

Participation in the Global Pavilion at the upcoming SEMICON Taiwan 2026 has reached a new high, with the number of participating countries climbing to 18 and the booth count surging from 62 in 2023 to 220 in 2026, an increase of more than 250%. Both metrics set new records, reflecting that amid rising artificial intelligence (AI) investment and the regionalization of supply chains, countries are moving faster to deepen cooperation with Taiwan's semiconductor industry.

Kimi K3 under fire, part 1: Inside Washington's case against Moonshot AI

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:23:11 GMT

The US government is investigating Chinese artificial intelligence developer Moonshot AI over allegations that its Kimi K3 model improperly used outputs from Anthropic's Fable model and was trained with restricted Nvidia GB300 chips accessed outside China.

D-Link wins sole-source Starlink switch contract through 2027

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:20:23 GMT

Taiwanese networking equipment vendor D-Link has officially entered SpaceX's supply chain and will begin shipping network switches for Starlink data-switching nodes in September 2026.

Google bets bigger on AI infrastructure as demand signals grow stronger across the board

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:19:39 GMT

Alphabet's Q2 earnings call reveals a company doubling down on compute capacity, custom silicon, and frontier model development — while investors probe the limits of the strategy

China's research ties weaken as UK, Germany and the US expand cross-border papers

Lily Hess — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:18:00 GMT

China's research and academic community appears to be drifting away from international collaboration, even as the UK, Germany, and the US have steadily expanded cross-border partnerships in recent years. The contrast has drawn fresh attention after Moonshot AI's flagship 2026 model Kimi K3 and other Chinese technology products, including Unitree Robotics's H1 robot, prompted questions over how much of China's advanced innovation is truly homegrown.

Apple's first foldable iPhone faces production hurdles

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:09:05 GMT

Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone is drawing fresh attention as supply-chain updates point to a possible debut at the company's September 2026 fall event, alongside the iPhone 18 series. According to supply-chain sources, Foxconn is now carrying out "final mass-production adjustments" for the device, though the actual launch timing remains undecided; Foxconn has not confirmed the reports.

LFP battery failures in 210,000 Chinese EVs throw wrench into automakers' plans to reduce reliance on CATL

Jerry Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:02:37 GMT

A quality scandal is spreading around lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries made by China Aviation Lithium Battery (CALB). Ride-hailing and taxi versions of GAC Aion's Aion S have suffered cell swelling, electrolyte leakage and insulation failures, an issue estimated to affect more than 210,000 vehicles. CALB was adopted by automakers such as GAC as an alternative to Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. (CATL), the world's largest battery maker, as part of a broader industry effort to reduce reliance on a single dominant vendor. The current crisis is now sparking backlash against that diversification strategy.

Kyushu chip output jumps 60% amid TSMC expansion, but local suppliers see limited gains

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 03:42:08 GMT

Kyushu's semiconductor production, investment and hiring have risen sharply since TSMC announced its Kumamoto expansion, but local companies have captured only a limited share of the region's growing chip-related spending.

SpaceXAI reportedly eyes Texas expansion in broader AI infrastructure push

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 03:35:23 GMT

SpaceXAI is laying the groundwork for at least one large-scale AI data center in Texas, a move that could significantly expand its computing footprint beyond its existing Memphis hub and strengthen its ambitions to become a major AI infrastructure provider. According to The Information, the company has evaluated multiple sites across Texas, transferred data center staff to the state, and posted job openings related to site acquisition, construction, and operations. A Texas buildout could match or exceed the roughly 1GW of compute capacity already deployed across its Memphis-area facilities.

Apple reportedly ramps up iPhone 18 production as Foxconn hiring surges and AI takes center stage

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 03:12:31 GMT

Apple has entered mass production of its upcoming iPhone 18 lineup, with manufacturing partners ramping output earlier than usual as the company prepares for what could be one of its most strategically significant product launches in recent years.

Samsung unveils new foldables and smartwatches to sharpen health and sports focus

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 03:00:52 GMT

Samsung Electronics on July 22 introduced new Galaxy Z foldable phones and two smartwatches aimed at distinct users, underscoring how global demand is pushing wearables toward clearer health, fitness, and AI features. The move signals a broader effort to make premium devices easier to understand, more specialized, and more appealing across markets.

Samsung Fold series debuts wide-screen design in strategic shift

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:57:32 GMT

Samsung Electronics unveiled three new foldable smartphones at its annual Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22, 2026, including the Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Flip8, and Galaxy Z Fold Ultra. The Galaxy Z Fold8's move from a tall, narrow form factor to a passport-like wide-screen design stood out as the biggest surprise, raising questions over why Samsung chose the standard Fold 8 rather than the top-end Ultra model for the new format.

Apple and Klarna target sticker shock with Apple Upgrade device leasing plan

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:45:13 GMT

Apple plans to introduce a new device leasing program, marking a significant departure from how it has previously sold its products. The new payments scheme may help convince customers to keep investing in hardware at a time when rising component costs are forcing smartphone companies to raise their prices.

WAIC 2026: Lightelligence maps AI's optical future with CPO, NPO, photonic computing

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:44:50 GMT

Lightelligence is positioning optical interconnects, optical switching, and optical computing as the next foundation of AI infrastructure, arguing that the industry's biggest challenge has shifted from faster chips to moving data efficiently across increasingly larger GPU clusters.

Samsung reportedly in talks to invest about EUR1 billion in Mistral AI

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:44:30 GMT

Samsung is in talks to invest about EUR1 billion (approx. US$1.14 billion) in French AI startup Mistral as part of a wider fundraising round, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Fitch sees AI investment momentum holding, with no signs of supply downturn

Kevin Wang — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:44:07 GMT

Fitch Ratings has adjusted its Taiwan GDP growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 to 9.4% and 4.8% respectively, up from its earlier estimates of 6.9% and 4.0%. At a forum held in Taipei on July 21, Fitch noted that impacts from the US–Iran conflict are expected to be manageable. With the easing of US tariff pressures, Taiwan's economy is expected to outperform others in the Asia-Pacific region, driven primarily by strong global demand for semiconductors and AI-related products, as well as growing investment by Taiwanese companies.

Merck makes 'AI for AI' its new semiconductor materials strategy

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:43:52 GMT

As the global AI race intensifies, Germany's Merck is extending its reach into semiconductor materials research with an "AI for AI" strategy. Using its in-house Elvis AI platform, BaBE Bayesian optimization tool, digital twin, and enterprise knowledge platform Melinda, the company is building a closed-loop innovation model in which AI drives materials development and new materials, in turn, support next-generation AI chips.

SpaceX's in-house PCB ambitions unlikely to dent Taiwan suppliers, industry says

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:31:23 GMT

With SpaceX's first public earnings report approaching, investors are looking for fresh insight into the company's operations and future satellite deployment plans, viewing the results as an important barometer for the global satellite communications market.

GlobalWafers Italy 8-inch plant fire disrupts output, 12-inch line stays online

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:28:55 GMT

GlobalWafers said its Novara plant in Italy caught fire on July 21, forcing a shutdown of the site's 8-inch production line. The silicon wafer maker said all personnel evacuated safely and no injuries were reported.

Samsung unveils new foldables in London as it expands lineup

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:24:28 GMT

Samsung Electronics used its annual Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22, 2026, to signal a broader push into foldable smartphones that could influence device trends worldwide. The company launched the Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Flip8, and a new Galaxy Z Fold Ultra, emphasizing durability, portability, and more distinct product tiers.

Nvidia pushes Spectrum-6 Ethernet into gigascale AI factories, tightening grip on network layer

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:18:53 GMT

Nvidia is moving to lock down the networking layer of the world's largest AI data centers, unveiling its Spectrum-6 Ethernet switch as the backbone for what it calls "gigascale" AI factories built around its next-generation Vera Rubin platform. The launch, detailed on the company's blog on July 21, is a reminder that networking — not just GPUs — has become a central battleground as operators scale toward clusters of more than 100,000 accelerators.

SK Hynix speeds P&T7 cleanroom rollout, keeps overall budget at KRW19 trillion

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:15:59 GMT

SK Hynix's board approved approximately KRW 7.09 trillion (approx. US$4.83 billion) in facility investment on July 22 to accelerate construction of its P&T7 advanced packaging plant in Cheongju, South Korea.

USPACE says AI cut customer service workload by 30% across Taiwan operations

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:15:39 GMT

USPACE said on July 21 that it used AI to reduce the workload of a 10-person customer service team by the equivalent of three employees, or 30%, as the Taiwan-based parking and mobility platform pushed automation into its busiest operations. The company said the effort was designed to build trust in enterprise AI by showing measurable results in areas with the most operational pressure.

Ainos passes 613 million odor data points as it expands Physical AI

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:13:33 GMT

Ainos said its AI Nose platform has collected more than 613 million industrial odor data points, with most of the readings coming from semiconductor manufacturing sites. The AI odor-sensing startup, backed by Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), said the expanding rollout is accelerating real-world data collection and strengthening its Smell Language Model as it builds a long-term Smell Intelligence Network.

Taiwan relaxes carbon fee rules for first-time regulated high emitters

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:12:00 GMT

Taiwan's Ministry of Environment has proposed changes to its carbon fee regulations that would give first-time regulated high emitters more time to prepare compliance plans and allow some firms to use early project credits against carbon fees. The revisions come as the island's carbon pricing system begins taking effect and businesses adjust to new reporting, verification and payment requirements.

Commentary: Intel must show real AI orders to prove its turnaround

Lily Hess — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:11:11 GMT

Agentic AI is rapidly gaining traction worldwide, while cloud giants and Anthropic are accelerating spending on AI infrastructure. That surge is pulling CPU demand back to the center of the industry and drawing Intel back into the AI compute supply chain.

Wistron chairman says US manufacturing is unavoidable

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:05:26 GMT

Wistron has opened its D1 AI smart factory in Fort Worth, Texas, beginning volume production of Nvidia GB300 compute boards in the US for the first time. The move underscores the push to localize advanced manufacturing amid rising regulatory, labor, and tariff pressures in global technology supply chains.

Wistron executives say AI demand is still far from a bubble

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:57:47 GMT

Artificial intelligence (AI) may worry investors in global markets, but Wistron executives said the technology's rapid adoption suggests the opposite. They argued that strong enterprise demand, expanding use cases, and supply constraints are still driving growth, with implications for businesses and consumers worldwide as AI spreads.

01.AI targets Hong Kong IPO in 2027 with enterprise AI pivot

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:54:52 GMT

01.AI, the Chinese startup founded by former Google Greater China chief Lee Kai-fu, said it is aiming for a Hong Kong initial public offering in 2027 after restructuring its offshore holding structure. The company has repositioned itself around enterprise decision-making AI tools rather than frontier model development.

In-depth: Alibaba builds three-layer AI empire across chips, memory and models

Levi Li — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:52:54 GMT

Competition in China's AI industry is moving beyond large language models into chips, memory and computing infrastructure. CXMT's planned IPO on Shanghai's STAR Market has put renewed attention on Alibaba, the Chinese DRAM maker's largest industry investor.

Jensen Huang says no need to 'point a gun' at Taiwan as chipmakers expand in US

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:44:15 GMT

Taiwan's links with US technology firms are reshaping chip supply chains, with implications for investors and policymakers worldwide. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said those ties have strengthened America's semiconductor and PC industries, while Taiwan's companies are expanding in the US by choice, not coercion, amid growing tariff and security concerns.

Tesla 2Q26: Record deliveries mask 1.4% operating margin as robotaxi and Optimus bets mount

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:10:15 GMT

Tesla posted its strongest-ever second quarter for vehicle sales in results released after the US market close on July 22, but a razor-thin operating margin and a sharp swing to negative cash flow left the debate over the company squarely on its self-driving and robotics ambitions rather than its cars.

Texas Instruments 2Q26: Revenue beats at $5.46B as industrial and auto recovery silences fab-spend doubters

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:09:23 GMT

Texas Instruments delivered a second-quarter 2026 result that topped Wall Street expectations and, more importantly for the industry, signaled that the analog chip cycle is turning up across several end markets at once. The Dallas-based company reported revenue of US$5.46 billion, up 13% sequentially and 23% year over year, with net income of US$1.98 billion and earnings per share of US$2.14, according to its earnings release.

Alphabet 2Q26: Cloud backlog hits $514B as AI demand outpaces capacity

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:08:18 GMT

Alphabet's second-quarter 2026 results, reported on July 22, have shifted the market conversation about the company from whether its massive artificial-intelligence build-out is affordable to whether it can build fast enough to meet demand. With Google Cloud revenue accelerating and a contract backlog swelling past half a trillion dollars, industry watchers increasingly treat Alphabet less as an advertising business and more as a bellwether for AI infrastructure demand across the technology sector.

AMD lands Anthropic as its third marquee AI customer, chipping at Nvidia's grip on training silicon

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:07:03 GMT

Advanced Micro Devices has signed Anthropic to a multi-year supply-and-investment pact worth tens of billions of US dollars, a deal that hands the chipmaker its third top-tier artificial-intelligence customer in a year and marks its most concrete challenge yet to Nvidia's dominance of the market for AI training hardware.

Meta's rumored 'Switchboard' router signals a broader industry pivot from raw model power to cost-aware orchestration

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:06:13 GMT

Meta Platforms is prototyping an internal AI model router that would steer easy tasks to cheaper models, a move that places the world's largest social-media company inside a fast-growing "model routing" layer that investors and rivals increasingly treat as core AI infrastructure.

Mobileye expands Stellantis partnership with cloud-enhanced ADAS for future vehicles

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:05:35 GMT

Mobileye said in a press release on July 21 that its cloud-enhanced advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technology will be integrated into select future Stellantis vehicles launching in 2027, expanding the companies' collaboration on next-generation driver assistance features.

Xpeng shifts toward Physical AI with robotaxi, robot, flying car

Lily Hess — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:04:50 GMT

Xpeng is transforming into a physical AI supplier over the next 10 years, with robotaxi, humanoid robots, and flying cars as its three core product lines, chairman Xiaopeng He told Automotive News. The company also aims to move beyond the carmaker label and adopt a Tier 1 supplier model, working with operating partners around the world to build a business model that can be replicated globally.

Johnson Fine eyes 2026-2027 IPO on AI CCL supply chain push

Lily Hess — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:04:04 GMT

Specialty chemicals maker Johnson Fine Chemical has won approval from the Taiwan Stock Exchange for its listing plan and is now targeting an IPO as soon as late 2026 to early 2027. In recent years, the company has used specialty amine curing agents to break into the AI server and high-end tech hardware supply chains, meeting the demanding requirements of next-generation high-frequency, high-speed copper-clad laminates (CCL) for heat resistance, dimensional stability, low water absorption, and long-term reliability.

ASEAN AI data center power demand seen at 6-7GW

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:03:35 GMT

ASEAN countries have become a battleground for global cloud service providers and infrastructure developers. After visiting the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) in mid-2025, DIGITIMES returned to Singapore in 2026 to examine how rapid changes in the AI supply chain are affecting ASEAN.

Jensen Huang says Nvidia and Wistron are mass-producing AI servers like phones

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:02:59 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company is working with Wistron to mass-produce GB300 AI servers like phones as AI spreads across industries and demand surges. He made the remarks on July 21, 2026, US time, at the opening ceremony for Wistron's Dallas plant.

AVer Information targets commercial drone market with AI vision engine

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:02:38 GMT

AVer Information is expanding into the commercial drone market, focusing its research and development on the highest-value segment of the value chain: the artificial intelligence (AI) vision engine.

OpenAI faces backlash over Kimi K3 open source criticism

Lily Hess — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:02:08 GMT

OpenAI's new strategy chief Dean Ball has drawn sharp criticism from Trump administration officials and advisers after posting a lengthy commentary on Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 model. The dispute has intensified debate over open source versus closed AI models and deepened concerns about how the US should respond to China's rapid AI progress.

Laser source outsourcing pushes back CPO rollout

Charlene Chen — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:01:21 GMT

While the commercialization timeline for co-packaged optics (CPO) has not accelerated as expected from the AI data center-driven demand for high-speed transmission, industry players say CPO remains a key long-term technology trend as electrical signaling is still approaching its physical limits. One increasingly favored approach is to place the laser source outside the package, which makes replacement easier and allows the same source to serve multiple transmission channels.

IQE lifts 2026 outlook as AI data centers accelerate indium phosphide demand

Levi Li — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:54 GMT

IQE has raised its 2026 revenue outlook as demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and data centers continues to strengthen, showing that AI-related growth is spreading beyond GPUs and servers into high-speed optical communications and photonics supply chains.

AIDC extends Moog contract through 2031 for Taiwan military support

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:19 GMT

Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC) has extended its contract with US aerospace systems maker Moog through 2031, widening cooperation on production and supply-chain integration to support Taiwan's military logistics. The renewal was announced at a UK air show and keeps the exclusive Taiwan distribution rights held by AIDC's US subsidiary.

ITRI, tech execs tackle AI power and thermal bottlenecks at forum as chip demand soars

Willis Ke — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:59:57 GMT

As AI computing drives surging electricity demand and heat generation, Taiwan's government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) brought together government officials and industry executives on July 21 for its "Semiconductor and AI Computing Sustainable Competitiveness Forum" to explore energy-saving solutions for AI infrastructure and semiconductor manufacturing.

With competitiveness hitting record levels, Taiwan should learn from US in talent retention, urges president

Rodney Chan — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:59:33 GMT

With Taiwan's competitiveness setting a new high, President Ching-te Lai on July 21 called on local companies to learn from the US and work together to retain talent. The remarks came at the Monte Jade Science and Technology Association's annual general meeting, where Pegatron chairman T.H. Tung said Taiwan's global ranking has climbed to a record level and its economic growth rate has continued to rise.

Saronic plans US$3 billion Texas shipyard as Navy drone boat use expands

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:59:01 GMT

US defense startup Saronic Technologies said it will build its next-generation shipyard, Port Alpha, in Brownsville, Texas, in a project valued at more than US$3 billion. The facility is scheduled to start construction in 2026 and open in 2028, with the completed site expected to generate as many as 10,000 direct jobs and bring major economic benefits to Brownsville and Texas.

Neros wins up to US$500 million US Army drone contract

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:58:34 GMT

US drone startup Neros Technologies won a contract worth up to US$500 million from the US Army to supply low-cost first-person view attack drones. The deal makes Neros a new vendor in the military's push to expand expendable drones and rebuild supply capacity for battlefield use.

Explainer: Why Wistron opened a factory in Texas — why it's the first node in America's reindustrialization

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:48:55 GMT

When Wistron opened its 324,000-square-foot plant in Fort Worth, Texas on July 21, it was easy to read the moment as a single company's strategic bet on the US market. But it is something larger than that.