DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Advantech bets on Physical AI as WEDA accelerates edge AI commercialization

Scarlett Yu — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:55:51 GMT

Riding continued investment in AI infrastructure, industrial PC (IPC) maker Advantech extended its strong growth momentum in the second quarter of 2026, posting record second-quarter revenue and earnings.

J&V Energy buys BlackRock's 187MW solar portfolio, doubling annual power output

Charlene Chen — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:55:31 GMT

J&V Energy announced on August 3, 2026, that it had completed the acquisition of a portfolio of operational solar projects in Taiwan held by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), the global infrastructure investment arm of BlackRock. With a total installed capacity of 187MW, the portfolio marks the largest domestic solar asset transaction by installed capacity in 2026.

YMTC rejects patent-loss claims in global 3D NAND clash with Micron

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:55:04 GMT

Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp. (YMTC) has rejected claims that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) invalidated all 19 claims of a core 3D NAND patent, calling the reports "seriously misleading" while its patent battle with Micron Technology expands across the US, China, and Europe.

ispace turns to H3 for 2028 mission as Japan builds domestic lunar transport stack

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:54:32 GMT

Japan's effort to localize lunar transportation is gaining momentum as the government and private sector seek to reduce reliance on overseas launch services and establish a domestically supported lunar logistics system.

Montage brings CXL 3.2 memory expansion to AI data centres with Samsung, SK Hynix support

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:54:13 GMT

Montage Technology has begun pilot production of what it says is the industry's first CXL 3.2 memory expansion controller, targeting growing memory capacity and pooling requirements across AI, cloud computing and data centres.

Unitree sees 1H26 revenue rise over 35% on humanoid robot demand

Lily Hess — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:53:53 GMT

China's leading humanoid robot maker Unitree Technology expects first-half 2026 revenue to reach roughly CNY1.1 billion (US$155.8 million), an increase of 35.6% to 45.4% year on year, as demand for embodied AI continues to grow and the company expands its business scale.

Reliability gaps keep just 5% of firms scaling AI agents, Chunghwa Telecom says

Willis Ke — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:53:30 GMT

As generative AI moves from personal productivity tools into enterprise operations, most companies are discovering that scaling AI agents is less about ambition than reliability. Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories estimates that only about 5% of enterprises are using AI agents at scale, while roughly 80% remain stuck at the stage of making AI systems accurate, dependable, and controllable enough for production deployment.

RichWave says Wi-Fi 7 momentum stays strong in 2H26

Lily Hess — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:52:30 GMT

RichWave Technology said at a recent earnings call that Wi-Fi 7 adoption continues to rise rapidly, with strong demand from telecom operators and retailers. The radio frequency (RF) front-end supplier said that the second half of 2026 should be slightly better than the first half of the year overall, but warned that tight supply of memory and passive components could affect shipment timing.

Micron, MediaTek back ChipAgents as agentic AI startup extends series A to US$134 million

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:52:04 GMT

ChipAgents, a two-year-old startup building autonomous AI agents for chip design and verification, has raised an additional US$60 million in Series A2 funding, taking its total Series A financing to US$134 million just six months after the round first closed.

Roborock beats Samsung, LG to win over 70% of South Korea's robot vacuum market

Kevin Wang — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:51:44 GMT

Roborock Technology has grown from its roots in China to become the world's leading robot vacuum brand, securing the top spot in the global market for three years in a row and beating the runner-up in 2025 by more than 10pp with a commanding 27% share of the market worldwide. As competition in its home market of China grows increasingly fierce, Roborock has instead seen overseas revenue surpass domestic revenue for the first time in 2025.

Taiwan targets NT$500 billion space industry by 2031 as U.S. cooperation expands

Scarlett Yu — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:51:29 GMT

Taiwan's Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) has launched its TASA iSPARK startup incubation center to accelerate commercialization of space technologies and strengthen the country's space industry ecosystem.

China revamps EV battery reuse rules, cuts whitelist firms by 70%

Rodney Chan — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:51:13 GMT

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has abolished all clauses related to cascade utilization in its rules governing used power batteries dismantled from new-energy vehicles in a major regulatory shift aimed at curbing unsafe repurposing practices. The move ends the policy label for battery second-life use and ushers in a full overhaul of used power battery management.

Delta's move into HVDC signals a shift in AI data-center power

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 23:50:48 GMT

Delta Electronics is moving from planning to early shipments in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems as rising power demand from Nvidia's next-generation AI platforms pushes data center infrastructure toward a new architecture. Chairman Ping Cheng said HVDC has reached the shipment stage, with larger volumes still expected in 2027.

Memory makers lift capex as Kioxia holds spending to defend NAND lead

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 09:22:04 GMT

Major memory suppliers are increasing capital spending as AI-related demand from U.S. technology companies accelerates, but Kioxia is keeping investment comparatively tight. According to Nikkei Asia, the Japanese NAND maker is prioritizing technology leadership over a rapid expansion of equipment spending, reflecting caution shaped by earlier downturns in the memory market.

Amazon deepens OpenAI ties with US$50B AWS expansion

Lily Hess — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 08:50:00 GMT

Amazon has completed the latest round of its US$50 billion investment in OpenAI, fully funding an originally conditional financing package that gives it about a 5% stake in the company and further deepens the two sides' long-term cooperation in cloud, AI chips, and infrastructure. For Amazon, this is not just an equity investment, but a strategic move to trade capital for AI compute demand and cloud growth.

Research insight: Robotaxis, AI chips and shared platforms accelerate AIDV commercialization

Levi Li — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 08:44:04 GMT

DIGITIMES Intelligence observed at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) that AI is rapidly reshaping the direction of the automotive industry. Competition in vehicle intelligence is shifting from software-defined vehicle (SDV) function integration towards the development of AI-defined vehicle (AIDV) capabilities, extending automakers' competitive focus from software architecture to AI models, computing platforms, and ecosystem integration.

Coretronic's OLED and auto-display gains point to steadier growth as NB weakens

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 08:42:48 GMT

Coretronic said its OLED monitor business is gaining traction as new production lines ramp up, while car displays continue to expand. The company expects full-year OLED monitor shipments to rise 70% to 80% year-over-year, even as its weaker notebook business faces a sharp downturn.

CSCC opens Pingtung R&D center to target battery, semiconductor supply chains

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 08:42:40 GMT

China Steel Chemical Corporation has opened a new research and development center at its Pingtung plant as it expands into lithium battery anode materials, advanced carbon materials, and isostatic graphite. The move has implications beyond Taiwan, as global demand rises for electric vehicles, energy storage systems, AI servers, and semiconductor materials.

Asia Optical's 2Q26 operating profit hits record high on strong revenue and gross profit growth

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 08:28:00 GMT

Asia Optical reported record operating profit for the second quarter of 2026, as consolidated revenue, gross profit and operating profit all increased from a year earlier. The company said the result was supported by three growth drivers that it expects to sustain momentum into the third quarter.

Chinese display makers reportedly double down on large LCDs and OLED expansion

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 07:55:00 GMT

China's leading display manufacturers are stepping up investments across both LCD and OLED technologies, targeting larger TV panels and expanding into the fast-growing notebook OLED market as they seek new growth opportunities.

Inversion Semiconductor targets ASML with particle-accelerator X-ray lithography

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 07:48:52 GMT

Inversion Semiconductor is developing a particle-accelerator lithography platform that it says could deliver shorter wavelengths, higher throughput and denser chips than today's extreme ultraviolet systems, offering a new route beyond ASML's EUV architecture.

Lite-On adds two major CSP customers as AI revenue tops 30%, targets 30% margin longer term

Scarlett Yu — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 07:30:00 GMT

Lite-On Technology delivered record profitability in the second quarter of 2026, with gross margin reaching 27.2%, up 5.1% from a year earlier. President Anson Chiu said the company has secured two additional cloud service provider (CSP) customers in 2026 and remains highly confident that second-half performance will exceed the first half.

Intel offers bonuses to speed up Ohio fab construction and reaches EMIB-T yields of 90%

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 07:30:00 GMT

Intel is awarding bonuses for overtime work as it seeks to complete the construction of its Ohio fab complex by 2031. Meanwhile, the company has made progress on the development of its next-generation packaging technology, embedded multi-die interconnect bridge-through-silicon via (EMIB-T), positioning it to compete with TSMC.

CXMT closes in on LPDDR6 mass production, challenging Samsung, SK Hynix

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 06:57:46 GMT

CXMT is nearing the end of research and development validation for LPDDR6, bringing it closer to mass production of next-generation mobile DRAM and intensifying competition with Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron.

TCL Technology to take full ownership of TCL CSOT

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 06:55:00 GMT

TCL Technology Group plans to pay CNY9.32 billion (approx. US$1.38 billion) for the 45% of China Star Optoelectronics Semiconductor Display Technology it does not already own, according to the registration-stage draft of the company's share-issue-and-cash asset purchase report, dated July 2026. The sellers are three Guangdong state-linked shareholders: Hengjian Investment (25.00%), Chengfa Investment (7.50%) and Science City Investment (12.50%).

Korean OLED makers double down on premium tech as Chinese rivals move upmarket

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 06:55:00 GMT

The display industry is edging toward a new competitive phase as South Korea and China intensify their rivalry over next-generation OLED technologies amid growing demand for AI-enabled devices.

MA-tek sells Shanghai unit, expands AI market push in Japan and the US

Charlene Chen — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 06:51:24 GMT

MA-tek announced on July 31, 2026, that it will sell 80% of its Shanghai subsidiary for about CNY1.9 billion (US$281.4 million), as global semiconductor supply chains are reshuffled and demand surges for AI, high-performance computing (HPC), advanced process nodes, advanced packaging, and silicon photonics (SiPh). The deal is expected to close and be recognized in revenue by the end of 2026.

Commentary: AUO's stalled transformation comes under fire after Frank Ko's sudden exit

Levi Li — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 05:55:00 GMT

AUO, Taiwan's largest display panel maker, has spent recent years shifting away from consumer LCD panels toward higher-value markets such as automotive, healthcare and industrial displays. That transformation is now under intense scrutiny.

AI infrastructure orders extend PCB expansion race

Charlene Chen — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 05:55:00 GMT

Global demand for AI infrastructure is rising, and as order visibility improves, the PCB supply chain has launched a marathon of factory expansion. Upstream copper-clad laminate (CCL) materials are already in short supply, and land, plant space, and machinery are also becoming scarce resources.

Drone delivery goes mainstream as Shenzhen becomes a robot hub

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 05:55:00 GMT

Meituan's drone delivery service can reach customers within 3 kilometers in about 15 minutes, rain or shine, and its daily use in Shenzhen is highlighting why the city has become a key launchpad for commercializing unmanned delivery. The city's dense supply chain, talent base, and innovation culture are helping turn robotics into a practical business.

Merry Electronics cites costs and overseas ramp-up as 2026 profit risks

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 04:55:00 GMT

Merry Electronics said rising costs, foreign exchange swings and slower efficiency gains at new overseas plants were the main variables for profit growth in 2026. At a recent earnings call, the audio components maker said the third quarter should benefit from seasonal demand, but visibility for the fourth quarter remained limited as customers turned cautious amid Middle East tensions and uncertainty over US interest rate policy.

Apple's supply squeeze raises costs, reshapes sourcing and could widen iPhone 18 price gap

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 04:55:00 GMT

Apple's latest earnings showed robust demand, but a weaker outlook for the coming quarter pointed to a supply-driven squeeze with implications for prices, suppliers, and device launches worldwide. The company's final results under Tim Cook also highlighted how memory shortages are reshaping Apple's supply chain while leaving investors cautious after hours.

xLight bets on EUV light source, eyes ASML deal

Charlene Chen — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 04:55:00 GMT

The semiconductor industry is grappling with a supply-demand imbalance as AI-driven demand for advanced-node chips outpaces global capacity by several times, pushing up fab utilization stress and manufacturing costs. xLight says it aims to ease that pressure by reinventing light transmission and turning it from a single-machine function into a utility-scale service.

Renesas plans to phase out Takasaki factory production and expand R&D focus

DIGITIMES — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 04:55:00 GMT

Renesas Electronics plans to gradually end production at its Takasaki factory in Japan over the next two to three years while strengthening research and development there. The move reflects wider supply-chain strain in legacy semiconductor manufacturing and could affect customers, workers, and global users of analog and power chips.

TSMC Kumamoto fab faces first major quake test with chip-material supplies secured

Levi Li — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 03:55:57 GMT

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan's Kyushu region on July 28, drawing attention to the recovery of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's Kumamoto plant, Sony, and other local semiconductor facilities.

DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Advantech bets on Physical AI as WEDA accelerates edge AI commercialization

J&amp;V Energy buys BlackRock's 187MW solar portfolio, doubling annual power output

YMTC rejects patent-loss claims in global 3D NAND clash with Micron

ispace turns to H3 for 2028 mission as Japan builds domestic lunar transport stack

Montage brings CXL 3.2 memory expansion to AI data centres with Samsung, SK Hynix support

Unitree sees 1H26 revenue rise over 35% on humanoid robot demand

Reliability gaps keep just 5% of firms scaling AI agents, Chunghwa Telecom says

RichWave says Wi-Fi 7 momentum stays strong in 2H26

Micron, MediaTek back ChipAgents as agentic AI startup extends series A to US$134 million

Roborock beats Samsung, LG to win over 70% of South Korea's robot vacuum market

Taiwan targets NT$500 billion space industry by 2031 as U.S. cooperation expands

China revamps EV battery reuse rules, cuts whitelist firms by 70%

Delta's move into HVDC signals a shift in AI data-center power

Memory makers lift capex as Kioxia holds spending to defend NAND lead

Amazon deepens OpenAI ties with US$50B AWS expansion

Research insight: Robotaxis, AI chips and shared platforms accelerate AIDV commercialization

Coretronic's OLED and auto-display gains point to steadier growth as NB weakens

CSCC opens Pingtung R&amp;D center to target battery, semiconductor supply chains

Asia Optical's 2Q26 operating profit hits record high on strong revenue and gross profit growth

Chinese display makers reportedly double down on large LCDs and OLED expansion

Inversion Semiconductor targets ASML with particle-accelerator X-ray lithography

Lite-On adds two major CSP customers as AI revenue tops 30%, targets 30% margin longer term

Intel offers bonuses to speed up Ohio fab construction and reaches EMIB-T yields of 90%

CXMT closes in on LPDDR6 mass production, challenging Samsung, SK Hynix

TCL Technology to take full ownership of TCL CSOT

Korean OLED makers double down on premium tech as Chinese rivals move upmarket

MA-tek sells Shanghai unit, expands AI market push in Japan and the US

Commentary: AUO's stalled transformation comes under fire after Frank Ko's sudden exit

AI infrastructure orders extend PCB expansion race

Drone delivery goes mainstream as Shenzhen becomes a robot hub

Merry Electronics cites costs and overseas ramp-up as 2026 profit risks

Apple's supply squeeze raises costs, reshapes sourcing and could widen iPhone 18 price gap

xLight bets on EUV light source, eyes ASML deal

Renesas plans to phase out Takasaki factory production and expand R&amp;D focus

TSMC Kumamoto fab faces first major quake test with chip-material supplies secured

J&V Energy buys BlackRock's 187MW solar portfolio, doubling annual power output

CSCC opens Pingtung R&D center to target battery, semiconductor supply chains

Renesas plans to phase out Takasaki factory production and expand R&D focus