DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Eaton expands AI data center stack from grid to chip

Willis Ke — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:44:38 GMT

As AI data centers scale rapidly, Eaton is expanding beyond traditional power management into modular power deployment, next-generation DC conversion and liquid cooling, positioning itself to address infrastructure requirements from the electrical grid to AI chips.

Wah Lee sees faster growth in 2027 as supply stays tight

Sherri Wang — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:44:20 GMT

Wah Lee Industrial expects growth to accelerate in 2027 as advanced packaging capacity comes online and foundries continue building overseas fabs, while tight supplies of semiconductor materials and manufacturing equipment are likely to keep pricing elevated.

Every Chinese CPU maker grew in 1H26 but only one grew on processors

DIGITIMES — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:43:50 GMT

Revenue rose at every Chinese chip company examined in the first half of 2026 amid the domestic-substitution push, but the interim filings show three quite different businesses hiding under one label. One has reached real scale and is now funding its expansion from the balance sheet rather than from operations. One is repairing its margins on a genuinely homegrown instruction set at a fraction of the scale. And the cohort's most spectacular profit number is not a processor story at all.

Orphans of the liquid cooling age: xMEMS targets data center 'hot spots,' eyes 2027 smartphone and smartglasses cooling ports

DIGITIMES — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:43:24 GMT

As the world's most powerful enterprise data centers undergo a massive migration to liquid cooling to support high-power artificial intelligence processors, a Silicon Valley chipmaker is warning of a growing class of "thermal orphans"—localized, low-power components that are left out in the cold.

China's JCET seeks US$968M for AI-driven packaging expansion

DIGITIMES — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:42:48 GMT

JCET Group is preparing a CNY6.5 billion (approx. US$968 million) private share placement to expand advanced packaging and testing capacity across high-performance computing (HPC), power modules, wafer-level packaging and memory, sharpening its exposure to AI infrastructure and China's domestic semiconductor supply chain.

Dark fab cybersecurity: Why autonomous manufacturing needs zero trust

DIGITIMES — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:42:35 GMT

AI-driven automation is reshaping the cybersecurity requirements of semiconductor manufacturing, with zero-trust architecture, trusted data, and interoperable standards becoming increasingly important as fabs move toward more autonomous operations.

Exclusive: DIGITIMES' top 3 at K-Safety Expo 2026 shows where intelligent safety is heading — act 'before' disaster strikes

DIGITIMES — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:42:00 GMT

The most consequential safety technologies are often judged by what happens after something goes wrong: how fast an alarm sounds, how quickly rescuers arrive, or how effectively protective equipment limits injury.

No foundry price relief before 2027 as utilisation nears 90%

DIGITIMES — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:41:36 GMT

AI demand is driving a broader repricing cycle across the foundry industry in 2026. Tightness that began at leading-edge nodes is spreading into mature and specialty processes, lifting wafer prices, utilisation and downstream chip costs.

SiliconAuto pushes AI chiplets as automotive SoC ties tighten

Lily Hess — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:40:40 GMT

Taiwanese automotive microcontroller (MCU) maker SiliconAuto showcased its products at SEMICON Taiwan 2026, with CEO Gene Liu saying the company is now spotlighting AI chiplet architecture for automotive and industrial edge AI as carmakers seek more flexible chip designs.

Taiwan-Netherlands silicon photonics team targets 1.6T DR8 in 2026, 3.2T optical links next

Levi Li — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:40:22 GMT

AI data center demand is accelerating the shift to faster optical interconnects, putting transmission speed, power efficiency, and packaging integration at the center of next-generation optical communications. Taiwan's Ligitek Electronics and Liverage Technology are working with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Dutch photonic chip packaging specialist Phix on a cross-border silicon photonics program targeting phased milestones of 1.6T DR8 by the end of 2026 and 3.2T product development by the end of 2027.

Pegatron, Deloitte Taiwan team up to speed smart manufacturing

DIGITIMES — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:39:57 GMT

Pegatron announced on September 3 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Deloitte Taiwan, combining Pegatron's self-developed enterprise AI digital twin platform with Deloitte's consulting expertise in AI strategy, governance, and implementation to offer corporate clients a one-stop AI solution from planning to deployment.

Experts say subsidies can't buy semiconductor competitiveness

Lily Hess — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:39:25 GMT

At a forum jointly hosted by DSET and SEMI during SEMICON Taiwan this year, Glenn D. Tiffert of the Hoover Institution, Kioxia Holdings board member Emiko Higashi, and NRC reporter Marc Hijink offered views on national semiconductor policy from the perspectives of the US policy community, corporate boardrooms, and Europe's industrial front line.

AI is driving force behind 'Moore's Law on steroids,' says Merck's Benjamin Hein

Kevin Wang — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:38:56 GMT

AI is driving a new wave of technological demand and changing how the semiconductor industry innovates, according to Benjamin Hein, member of the executive board and CEO of the Electronics Business Sector at Merck. As AI becomes an integral part of semiconductor innovation, future competitive advantages in the industry will depend less on any single process or material, but rather on the ability to combine materials, processes, packaging, metrology, and software into complete processes. In this sense, AI-driven growth in the semiconductor industry is like "Moore's Law on steroids," and collaboration will become the industry's next Moore's Law.

AI racks move toward MW scale as power, cooling converge

Lily Hess — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:38:33 GMT

As AI computing power surges, the energy consumption of AI servers has become a major bottleneck that must be solved. The issue is spreading from chips into power delivery systems as Nvidia's AI racks ramp up, rapidly pushing up the power draw of a single AI rack.

Machine builders flood SEMICON 2026 to grow local chip tools

Charlene Chen — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:38:07 GMT

Taiwan's machinery industry is pushing to turn its semiconductor advantage into a domestic equipment supply chain, as more than 100 member companies join SEMICON Taiwan 2026 and the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI) calls for broader industry upgrading. The association voiced that appeal at a forum on September 3, saying Taiwan should leverage its semiconductor strength to lift traditional industries and continue nurturing a homegrown semiconductor equipment supply chain without relying on overseas sources.

India roundup: India expands chip ambitions with full Semicon 2.0 notification

DIGITIMES — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:37:39 GMT

India's technology sector is gaining momentum across semiconductors, connectivity, AI payments, PCs, tablets and refurbished smartphones, as policy support and local manufacturing attract investment. However, supply-chain diversification, margin pressure, cautious demand and VinFast's manufacturing pause highlight challenges facing India's broader technology ambitions.

Acer hedges memory price shock with local AI, diversification

Charlene Chen — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:37:11 GMT

Acer Chairman and CEO Jason Chen said Taiwan is not only a global hub for AI hardware manufacturing and technology, but also an important source of capital, as many firms issue bonds to raise funds. He said Acer has already issued bonds worth NT$20 billion (US$630.7 million), adding that "Taiwan's money" is not only benefiting the local market but is spreading around the world.

China NEV imports sink as local brands crowd out foreign cars

AI bot — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 23:36:42 GMT

China’s new energy vehicle import market continued to shrink in July, hitting its lowest level since 2026, as foreign automakers localize production and Chinese brands keep expanding their share. China imported just 125 battery electric vehicles in the month, equal to only four cars a day entering the market.

BenQ Materials targets CPO in semiconductor push

DIGITIMES — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 01:19:00 GMT

BenQ Materials Group has formally positioned semiconductor materials as a key future growth driver, using its existing coating, membrane, foaming, and adhesive technologies to move into wafer manufacturing, back-end packaging, and co-packaged optics (CPO). With chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) cleaning brush rollers and wafer dicing tape already shipping, the group views 2026 as a new starting point for its semiconductor business, with more visible growth expected from 2027.

Hiwin Mikrosystem targets SiPh inspection gear as capacity expands 20%, order visibility extends to 2Q27

Yunnie Cheng — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 01:16:00 GMT

Driven by the shift from copper to optical interconnects, silicon photonics (SiPh) and co-packaged optics (CPO) are moving rapidly toward mainstream adoption, fueling demand across the broader semiconductor equipment supply chain. Highlighting the trend at SEMICON Taiwan 2026, Hiwin Mikrosystem, in collaboration with the Hiwin Group, unveiled its next-generation precision positioning platform for SiPh inspection. Spurred by accelerating market adoption, order visibility for the platform now extends into the second quarter of 2027.

TEL sees AI-driven packaging, memory demand reshaping Taiwan strategy

Jingyue Hsiao — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 23:46:00 GMT

Tokyo Electron's Taiwan president said AI is pushing semiconductor demand into new areas, with advanced packaging, DRAM, high-bandwidth memory, and NAND flash all gaining momentum. He said Taiwan remains central to the industry's supply chain, and TEL plans to deepen local technology, service, and research ties.

I-Chiun eyes Nvidia Vera Rubin supply chain as thermal business nears half of sales

Sherri Wang — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 23:46:00 GMT

I-Chiun Precision Industry is accelerating its shift from LED lead frames into high-end thermal solutions, with thermal products now accounting for 40-45% of revenue. The company expects the share to exceed 50% as early as the second half of 2026 or in 2027 and to rise above 60% over the medium to long term.

K-Safety Expo 2026: Safety gets smarter as six innovators win foreign media honors

DIGITIMES — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 23:18:00 GMT

The BEST OF K-SAFETY EXPO Global Media Awards on September 3 offered a revealing snapshot of where safety technology is heading: away from passive protection and toward systems that can sense danger, interpret it, and increasingly act before humans intervene.

Middle East tensions, Panama Canal limits can further tighten global shipping

Yunnie Cheng — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 22:47:00 GMT

Rising Middle East tensions, marked by the largest US-Iran military exchange since July, have once again cast a shadow of geopolitical escalation over the region. Meanwhile, recent announcements of multi-billion-dollar deals between US companies and Venezuela to tap the country's vast oil reserves have added another variable to global oil markets. International crude prices remain highly sensitive to geopolitical shifts, contributing to higher global transport costs.

Hanmi's 2.5D bonders pass Taiwan foundry qualification as packaging outsourcing expands

DIGITIMES — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 22:46:00 GMT

South Korea's Hanmi Semiconductor has reportedly begun supplying 2.5D packaging bonders to an unnamed Taiwanese foundry after the equipment passed mass-production qualification, giving the company an important production foothold as Taiwan's advanced-packaging supply chain expands beyond foundry-owned lines.

TWM, SYSTEX debut at smart building expo

DIGITIMES — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 22:15:00 GMT

Taiwan Mobile announced that it is participating for the first time with Systex in the "2026 Build for NextGen – International Sustainable Intelligent Building & Intelligent Materials Expo," where the two companies are jointly showcasing three smart and sustainable operations-management solutions: an AI digital twin smart management platform, ESG and energy integration services, and the Smart Building 360 smart building operations management platform.

Tongtai doubles semiconductor orders on AI data-center demand

Yunnie Cheng — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 21:19:00 GMT

Facing rapid demand expansion across the semiconductor and AI industries, Tongtai Group (TT Group) has aggressively promoted an import-substitution and localization strategy in recent years. The group is extending its traditional machine tool expertise into hard and brittle material processing, advanced packaging, and smart manufacturing production-line solutions required for semiconductor fabrication.

Taiwan thermal supplier I-Chiun launches AI chip cooling venture targeting US$19.2B liquid-cooling market

Levi Li — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 21:16:00 GMT

I-Chiun Precision Industry and Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) have established Huizhi Advanced, the country's first startup focused on AI chip thermal design, targeting a global liquid-cooling market expected to reach US$19.2 billion by 2030.

Taiwan chip equipment maker Scientech sees orders into 2028, may turn away customers in 2027

Levi Li — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 20:17:00 GMT

AI and high-performance computing (HPC) demand is extending order visibility for Taiwanese semiconductor equipment supplier Scientech into 2028, while capacity constraints may force the company to become more selective about orders in 2027.

Podcast highlights: SoIC vs CoWoS, HBM5 hybrid bonding, and EMIB-T's yield problem

Lily Hess — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 20:17:00 GMT

In a podcast, DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin said hybrid bonding is drawing fresh attention at SEMICON Taiwan 2026 and could become a key driver of advanced packaging capacity expansion in 2027 to 2028.

G20 AI agenda: US champions light-touch regulation while data center backlash, China rivalry intensify

Levi Li — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 18:16:00 GMT

The G20 Innovation Ministerial was held in North Carolina, US, from September 1 to 2, with artificial intelligence (AI) taking center stage. The US urged governments to pursue a light-touch regulatory approach, while officials and technology executives also addressed data centers and copyright rules governing AI training data. The following are the key takeaways from the meeting.

Trumpf CTO says advanced packaging reshapes semiconductor equipment race

Lily Hess — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 16:15:00 GMT

AI and high-performance computing (HPC) demand is changing the semiconductor industry's technology and investment priorities. As chip power consumption, computing density, and data transfer requirements rise rapidly, competition is no longer limited to front-end process scaling; 3D stacking, advanced packaging, high-density interconnects, thermal management, and memory technologies are also becoming more important.

K-Safety Expo 2026: Beyond AI, Korea re-engineers the human layer of industrial safety

DIGITIMES — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 16:14:00 GMT

Not every safety breakthrough spotted across the K-Safety Expo 2026 floor in Busan came with an AI camera attached.

Google's quantum boss says five years; his engineer says not so fast

DIGITIMES — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 16:13:00 GMT

Quantum computing has a trust problem. When a quantum machine produces an answer no ordinary computer can feasibly produce, there is no obvious way to tell whether the answer is right.

Exclusive: South Korea's safety AI boom is being built from the top down, BEXCO says

DIGITIMES — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 00:03:52 GMT

South Korea's safety-tech sector may be increasingly filled with AI cameras, robots, drones, and predictive systems, but BEXCO general manager Tom Choi argues that the force pushing many of those technologies toward actual deployment begins somewhere less glamorous: government policy.