DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Wistron profit triples on server surge, AI demand seen robust

DIGITIMES — Sat, 9 May 2026 01:41:59 GMT

Wistron reported a sharp first-quarter rebound, with consolidated revenue of NT$846.3 billion and net profit of NT$9.631 billion, driven by a surge in server shipments that accounted for 79% of sales. Operating profit reached NT$29.1 billion, pre-tax profit NT$23.5 billion, and earnings per share NT$3.06 — all up sequentially and year on year — while gross margin narrowed to 5.21% as higher-margin system assembly made up a larger share of shipments.

EU’s new cyber rules are forcing a shift from AI hype to human-led defense

Willis Ke — Sat, 9 May 2026 01:16:52 GMT

At CYBERSEC 2026 in Taiwan, cybersecurity vendors are moving beyond single-product performance and focusing instead on operational resilience — helping enterprises maintain business continuity when attacks occur. The shift is driving demand for managed detection and response (MDR), supply-chain verification, and lifecycle security compliance as companies confront increasingly complex threats and tightening regulations such as the EU's Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

Samsung accelerates Pyeongtaek fab expansion as memory supercycle builds

DIGITIMES — Sat, 9 May 2026 01:16:41 GMT

Samsung Electronics is reportedly moving up construction of the final production line at its Pyeongtaek semiconductor campus, accelerating one of its largest capacity-expansion projects as demand for memory chips tied to artificial intelligence continues to exceed expectations.

Power chip shortages deepen as AI server demand and GaN battles escalate

DIGITIMES — Sat, 9 May 2026 01:16:31 GMT

Global power semiconductor suppliers are entering a new upcycle marked by tightening supply, rising prices, and intensifying technology competition, fueled by accelerating investment in AI infrastructure and electric vehicles.

China's robots move from half-marathon to triathlon

Lily Hess — Sat, 9 May 2026 01:16:20 GMT

Chinese robots, which recently demonstrated their ability to complete a half-marathon, are now entering a new stage of competition. The focus is shifting from flat-ground endurance and speed to sustained, high-difficulty operation in heat, heavy rain, shallow water, and complex terrain — signaling a transition from "long-distance runners" to "triathlon athletes" with greater endurance, payload capacity, and environmental adaptability.

Adata sees DRAM, NAND prices rise 40% in 2Q26

Lily Hess — Sat, 9 May 2026 01:15:24 GMT

Adata said DRAM and NAND flash contract prices will each climb more than 40% in the second quarter of 2026, as supply is kept tight by cloud server giants that have already locked up 2027 output from upstream memory suppliers. The memory module maker said its inventory topped NT$40 billion (approx. US$1.3 billion) as of the end of April, and it sees no risk to demand through the end of 2026.

Global semiconductor market faces shortages as AI demand strains supply chains

Elaine Chen — Fri, 8 May 2026 23:50:08 GMT

Since the second half of 2025, the global semiconductor industry has been squeezed by a rare convergence of forces: surging artificial intelligence (AI) demand, escalating geopolitical fragmentation, and persistent supply chain constraints. The result, industry executives say, is a form of "silicon inflation" and a structural shortage cycle that extends far beyond a typical downturn.

Wiwynn shifts memory purchases as component costs pressure ODM margins

Sherri Wang — Fri, 8 May 2026 23:49:23 GMT

Rising prices for key components, including memory and processors, are increasing working-capital pressure on server original design manufacturers (ODMs) while also weighing on gross margins.

US president considers inviting Nvidia and other CEOs to China trade talks

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 08:47:04 GMT

CEOs from Nvidia and other American tech companies are among those that the US government plans to invite to join President Donald Trump's visit to China next week. Along with the trade negotiations, the US leader has also sought to frame the summit as a type of high-level trade delegation, although the White House is reportedly considering inviting only a small number of executives.

TSMC reports record April sales as AI chip demand puts Asia supply in focus

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 08:15:58 GMT

TSMC said on May 8 that revenue for the first four months of 2026 rose 29.9% from a year earlier, offering a further sign of the strength of the world's largest contract chipmaker as investors focus on AI-related demand and capacity constraints across the semiconductor supply chain.

Nvidia, Corning lock in US AI optics expansion with new fiber plants

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 08:11:59 GMT

Nvidia and Corning are expanding their partnership in a move that underscores how the artificial intelligence infrastructure race is rapidly shifting beyond GPUs and into optical connectivity, photonics, and advanced manufacturing.

Analysis: Anthropic's xAI deal puts Musk's GPU efficiency problem in focus

Sherri Wang — Fri, 8 May 2026 08:04:12 GMT

Elon Musk's latest move to team up with Anthropic in a major computing-capacity agreement captures the logic of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." The deal gives Anthropic access to SpaceX's Colossus 1 data center, with more than 220,000 Nvidia GPUs, potentially easing near-term capacity constraints for Claude.

Novatek raises margin outlook on stronger product mix and early shipments

Elaine Chen — Fri, 8 May 2026 07:56:32 GMT

Novatek Microelectronics, one of Taiwan's leading display driver IC (DDI) makers, said revenue in the first quarter of 2026 was supported by growth in system-on-chip (SoC) and large-size display driver products, which offset weakness in the smartphone segment.

TSMC reportedly pushes CoPoS exclusivity to lock in next-gen packaging lead

Levi Li — Fri, 8 May 2026 07:49:55 GMT

TSMC is accelerating the expansion of its CoWoS advanced packaging capacity while pushing ahead with the more technically demanding panel-level packaging technology CoPoS, aiming to widen its lead over rivals in the AI semiconductor race. Industry sources said TSMC has imposed strict confidentiality controls across the CoPoS supply chain, requiring Taiwan-based equipment and materials partners to sign agreements that prevent technology leakage and limit supply to TSMC for several years after mass production begins.

LCD monitor panel prices climb again: BOE, TCL CSOT tighten supply amid Taiwan, South Korea cuts

Levi Li — Fri, 8 May 2026 07:47:22 GMT

The LCD TV panel inventory replenishment cycle is nearing its end, but LCD monitor panel prices are expected to extend gains in May as production cuts and line closures in Taiwan and South Korea continue to tighten industry supply.

Sony, TSMC form Japanese joint venture to push image sensors into automotive and robotics

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 07:40:55 GMT

TSMC and Sony Semiconductor Solutions have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to establish a joint venture (JV) for next-generation image sensor development and manufacturing, with Sony holding the majority and controlling interest.

Inside Nvidia's high-stakes bet on next-generation AI cooling

Elaine Chen — Fri, 8 May 2026 07:25:59 GMT

One of the most closely watched developments in the AI server industry in recent weeks has been reported changes to the cooling architecture of Nvidia's next-generation Vera Rubin platform, a shift that has already triggered sharp swings among related suppliers in Taiwan's equity market.

2D NAND shortage spirals after Samsung, Micron, and rivals exit market

Levi Li — Fri, 8 May 2026 06:54:38 GMT

Major international NAND manufacturers are gradually exiting the mature-process 2D NAND market, triggering panic buying and a sharp spike in prices. Industry sources suggest the supply shortage may be difficult to resolve. While vendors are seeking alternative solutions, product specifications are expected to become increasingly polarized as scarcity persists.

Big Tech reportedly offers to fund SK Hynix fabs and EUV tools in escalating AI memory race

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 06:53:31 GMT

Global technology firms are reportedly offering unprecedented investment proposals to secure memory supply from SK Hynix, including funding new production lines and helping pay for expensive semiconductor equipment — underscoring the growing intensity of the AI-driven memory crunch.

Coherent order backlog reaches 2030: 1.6T optics and 6-inch InP capacity accelerate

Levi Li — Fri, 8 May 2026 06:51:14 GMT

Driven by surging AI computing demand and the industry-wide shift toward higher-bandwidth, lower-power network infrastructure, optical communications company Coherent Corp. says customer orders are growing at an accelerated pace, with its backlog reaching a record high and order visibility now extending into the 2028–2030 timeframe.

Surging AI demand tightens supply of key PCB material

Elaine Chen — Fri, 8 May 2026 06:46:46 GMT

Demand for high-performance printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in advanced semiconductors has surged in recent months, tightening supply across the copper clad laminate (CCL) industry and extending lead times more than twofold, according to industry sources.

Samsung chiefs address pay talks as strike deadline nears

Lily Hess — Fri, 8 May 2026 06:29:06 GMT

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and Device Solutions (DS) head Jun Young-Hyun, along with Device eXperience (DX) head Roh Tae-moon, issued a joint statement to all employees on the progress of wage negotiations on May 7, marking their first public remarks on the talks. The move comes as Samsung tries to defuse labor tensions ahead of a union strike deadline.

TSMC's 2026 revenue surges 30% in first four months on AI boom

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 05:44:48 GMT

TSMC on May 8, 2026, reported consolidated net revenue of approximately NT$410.73 billion (US$12.6 billion) for April 2026, up 17.5% from the same month a year ago, though down 1.1% from March 2026.

Taiwan firms' US investment tops forecasts; government lines up US$50 billion financing

Lily Hess — Fri, 8 May 2026 04:43:02 GMT

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced on May 6 that, excluding TSMC, about 20 Taiwan companies plan to invest US$35 billion in the US. The statement comes after US President Donald Trump issued reciprocal tariffs in April 2025, which unexpectedly helped speed up long-stalled progress on a Taiwan-US economic and trade agreement.

Compal partners with Verda to supply liquid-cooled GPU servers for sovereign AI deployments

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 04:28:59 GMT

Compal formed a strategic partnership with European AI cloud provider Verda to accelerate deployment of next-generation AI infrastructure across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, the companies announced. The collaboration, revealed in early May, will see Compal supply GPU server systems and high-density, liquid-cooled AI platforms tailored for large-context model training and high-concurrency inference workloads.

China smartphone market and industry, 1Q 2026: 1Q26 shipments fall; cost pressures cloud 2Q26 outlook

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 04:13:34 GMT

Chinese smartphone brands' shipments in the second quarter of 2026 will decrease by 17.8% year-on-year. Smartphone shipments in the Chinese market will decline by 5.4% year-on-year.

Analysis: Samsung's union fight exposes a fault line in semiconductor investment

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 04:10:27 GMT

A labor dispute at Samsung Electronics is sharpening a debate with implications well beyond South Korea: how semiconductor companies balance worker compensation against the capital-intensive investment cycles that determine who leads in chips.

AI infrastructure spending just doubled an IC distributor's revenue in one year

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 03:57:08 GMT

WT Microelectronics posted a record quarterly net profit in the first quarter of 2026, driven by an explosive surge in data center and server revenue that the company attributed to AI-driven demand and sustained capital spending by major cloud service providers, the IC distributor disclosed after an earnings call on May 7.

Samsung workers seek bigger share of AI profits as strike looms

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 03:54:54 GMT

Samsung Electronics is facing mounting pressure from workers seeking a larger share of the AI-driven semiconductor boom, as unions threaten an 18-day walkout and the dispute puts renewed scrutiny on the company's decades-old performance-pay system.

Commentary: Trump-Xi Summit puts Taiwan's chip industry at center of global politics

Elaine Chen — Fri, 8 May 2026 03:18:22 GMT

US President Donald Trump is expected to visit Beijing on May 14-15 for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. If the trip proceeds as planned, it would mark Trump's first visit to Beijing since returning to the White House and the most consequential meeting between the two leaders since the escalation of the US-China technology war reshaped the global economy.

Topco hits record 1Q26 revenue, profit on semiconductor materials demand

Eifeh Strom — Fri, 8 May 2026 02:56:05 GMT

Topco Scientific reported record first-quarter 2026 revenue and profit on May 7, driven by strong demand for photoresists, photomask substrates, and silicon wafers used in advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, as well as peak revenue recognition from environmental engineering projects in Taiwan and overseas.

Foxconn bets on Poland as its European EV beachhead, partnering with state-owned EMP

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 02:40:03 GMT

Foxconn announced a strategic partnership with ElectroMobility Poland S.A. (EMP), a Polish state-owned enterprise, to jointly evaluate building an electric vehicle manufacturing and R&D center in Poland. The deal, announced alongside Poland's Minister of State Assets Wojciech Balczun and Deputy Minister Eliza Zeidler, represents the Taiwanese electronics giant's most concrete move yet toward establishing a manufacturing presence on European soil.

Accton's blowout quarter signals hyperscalers are still spending hard on AI infrastructure

DIGITIMES — Fri, 8 May 2026 02:37:34 GMT

Accton Technology reported consolidated results for the first quarter of 2026 after a board meeting on the 7th, disclosing that revenue rose to NT$70.121 billion, up 64.02% year on year and down 2.63% sequentially, driven by shipments of AI products and orders from hyperscale cloud service providers. The network equipment maker said operating profit reached NT$10.049 billion, up 70.16% year on year and up 10.28% quarter on quarter, while net profit after tax was NT$8.341 billion, up 62.68% year on year and down 0.18% sequentially.

PMIC supplier GMT bets on volume growth over higher prices

Elaine Chen — Fri, 8 May 2026 02:35:39 GMT

Power-management chip maker Global Mixed-Mode Technology, or GMT, said demand conditions in the first quarter of 2026 were stronger than expected, helped by an improved product mix and resilient PC-related orders, even as memory shortages and rising component costs continue to reshape the broader electronics industry.

M31 weathers project delays as royalties and advanced-node demand signal recovery

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 8 May 2026 02:34:14 GMT

M31 Technology reported a first-quarter 2026 revenue decline as contract timing disruptions pushed some North American advanced-process projects into the next quarter, but the company said royalties and resumed project activity should underpin a rebound in the second quarter and beyond.