DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Merida sees full-year 2026 growth as Europe and China offset US weakness

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:56:34 GMT

Merida said its full-year 2026 business was still set to grow, supported by stable currency conditions, near-complete inventory reduction, and a stronger-than-expected rebound in lower-end bicycle demand in China. The bicycle maker outlined the outlook as the first-half pretax profit margin improved and product mix conditions became more balanced across key segments.

TBI Motion books orders into 2027 and steps deeper into humanoid robotics

Levi Li — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:56:23 GMT

TBI Motion Technology returned to profit in the second quarter of 2026, with strong demand extending order visibility into 2027. The Taiwan-based transmission component maker is also expanding into humanoid robotics and will showcase a lower-limb module at an automation exhibition this week.

Airoha and MediaTek back IC Plus against Realtek in switches

Lily Hess — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:56:14 GMT

Ethernet chipmaker IC Plus said on August 17 that its operations in 2026 have improved significantly after Airoha Technology took a stake and joined its management, while resources from MediaTek also provided substantial support. The company said it turned profitable in the first half of the year.

China's new automotive chip rules target the last mile to vehicle adoption

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:56:04 GMT

China has introduced five automotive chip certification and accreditation industry standards aimed at easing a key obstacle to domestic semiconductor adoption: getting locally designed chips qualified for production vehicles.

Amber's Oppo deal signals India's shift from smartphone assembly to deeper electronics manufacturing

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:55:52 GMT

Amber Enterprises India's planned entry into smartphone manufacturing could mark a further step in India's effort to move beyond final assembly and build domestic capabilities in electronic components and materials.

Charts: Taiwan's materials suppliers split: wafer giants stall, substrate and lead-frame names run

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:55:35 GMT

The two largest silicon wafer companies are the sector's slowest growers on a cumulative basis. Everything running fast sits downstream of them.

AI servers and AFM to drive revenue; Pan-International eyes explosive growth in 2027

Charlene Chen — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:55:21 GMT

Pan-International, a Foxconn Group connector and component maker, held an investor conference on August 18, 2026, to report its operating results for the second quarter of 2026 and outline its plans for the second half of the year and 2027. General manager Ming-Feng Tsai said the company's AI server products had entered the pilot production stage and were expected to begin ramping up shipments in October. Along with the gradual rollout of its axial flux motor (AFM) technology, the two growth engines would keep full-year 2026 revenue on track for double-digit growth from 2025. Looking ahead to 2027, as the two new businesses fully launch and additional contributions come from key AI server components, revenue could see explosive growth.

LG's raw material costs jump by over KRW1 trillion in 1H26, auto components hit hardest

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:55:01 GMT

Rising chip and copper prices are rapidly increasing cost pressure on LG Electronics.

DDR4 shortages slow Wi-Fi 6 replacement as Wi-Fi 7 ramp continues

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:54:32 GMT

Tight DDR4 supply and rising memory costs are reshaping the timing of home and enterprise networking upgrades worldwide. While equipment makers are still preparing for a stronger shift to Wi-Fi 7 in 2026, some customers are delaying replacement cycles, extending Wi-Fi 6 demand, and pushing expectations for a broader Wi-Fi 8 transition further out.

Samsung and SK hynix build KRW278 trillion cash pile on AI memory surge

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:54:12 GMT

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have amassed a combined KRW278 trillion (approx. US$196.9 billion) in cash equivalents and short-term financial instruments by the end of the second quarter of 2026 as AI-driven memory demand lifted prices, revenue, and profit. The surge has shifted attention from earnings growth to how South Korea's two largest memory chipmakers will deploy their expanding financial firepower.

Everlight Electronics to sell Miaoli plant as Thailand expansion, AI demand reshape growth outlook

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:53:57 GMT

LED packaging maker Everlight Electronics said it will sell its Tongluo plant in Miaoli to Sinbon for NT$3.458 billion (US$108.5 million), a move expected to strengthen its capital allocation as it shifts investment toward higher-growth businesses. The company also said its new Thailand factory, built partly to reduce geopolitical risk, is scheduled to begin mass production in the second half of 2027.

South Korea looks beyond chips and AI with bets on SMRs, fusion and quantum

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:47:13 GMT

South Korea is looking beyond semiconductors and artificial intelligence for its next generation of strategic industries, naming seven technology fields it plans to cultivate over the next 10 to 20 years.

Hyundai closes in on Volkswagen as China dependence bites

Lily Hess — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:46:50 GMT

Global auto sales in the first half of 2026 show Toyota still firmly in first place, while the gap between No. 2 Volkswagen and No. 3 Hyundai Motor has narrowed sharply. Volkswagen's heavy dependence on China has dragged sales lower, while Hyundai has held up through diversified geopolitical exposure, local production, and a flexible product mix. Market attention is now turning to whether Hyundai is on the verge of overtaking Volkswagen for the No. 2 spot.

Samsung moves ahead of SK Hynix in 1d DRAM development race

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:46:38 GMT

Samsung Electronics is reportedly on track to complete development of 10-nanometer-class seventh-generation DRAM, also known as 1d DRAM, before SK hynix. According to The Bell, citing industry sources, Samsung is targeting September 2026 for completion, while SK hynix is aiming for December 2026, giving Samsung a lead of about one quarter.

AI drives EISO high-end PCB orders as CCL shortages bite

Lily Hess — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:45:59 GMT

Niche printed circuit board (PCB) maker EISO Enterprise said that 2026 industry demand has returned to post-pandemic highs as AI applications spread across multiple segments, while chairman Jian Rong-kun said the chance of a market reversal or an AI bubble burst remains low. But since 2025, shortages and price increases in high-frequency, high-speed copper-clad laminate (CCL) have remained a shared operational challenge for PCB makers.

Hanmi Semiconductor scales up bonding capacity with US$91.4 million plant buy amid AI packaging boom

Scarlett Yu — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:45:47 GMT

Amid a global shortage of AI semiconductor equipment, Hanmi Semiconductor announced on August 18 that it will acquire a factory owned by Mercury in the Juan National Industrial Complex in Incheon, South Korea. The site, covering 221,683 square feet, will become Hanmi Semiconductor's eighth and largest production base.

Shikhar Malhotra named chairman of HCL-Foxconn chip venture as Jewar plant advances

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:45:05 GMT

India Chip Private Limited, the semiconductor joint venture between HCL Group and Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), has appointed Shikhar Malhotra as its chairman, according to tele.net.in. Malhotra, who also chairs HCL Capital and serves on the board of HCL Corporation, will lead the venture as it works toward commissioning its outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.

ams OSRAM sues distributor over alleged infringement by Refond automotive LEDs

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:44:28 GMT

ams OSRAM said it filed two patent infringement lawsuits in Germany against Shenzhen Refond Optoelectronics over automotive LED products. The move adds to a broader wave of intellectual property disputes in the LED sector and targets ceramic-packaged and EMC-packaged vehicle lighting products sold by the Chinese supplier.

Charts: Memory, not logic, is doing the work in Taiwan's July chip revenue

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:44:16 GMT

Scale and growth have decoupled. TSMC still supplies more than half the sector's monthly sales, but the growth table now belongs to DRAM, NOR flash and controller names.

Humanoids become Rainbow Robotics' biggest revenue source as Korean robot makers post mixed results

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:44:04 GMT

Mobile humanoids became Rainbow Robotics' biggest revenue source in the first half of 2026, while ROBOTIS posted rapid actuator growth and Doosan Robotics expanded its North American automation business, showing how South Korea's physical AI push is beginning to generate sales even as profitability remains uneven across robot makers.

US pushes South Korea to prioritize memory chip investment in trade talks

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:43:44 GMT

US officials have pressed South Korea to make memory chip manufacturing its first strategic investment in the US, according to a report cited by JoongAng Daily. The claim added fresh uncertainty to an investment package that Seoul had expected to unveil by the end of August 2026, even as the South Korean government quickly denied that semiconductors were being treated as the first candidate.

Tesla's Cybercab rollout tests whether purpose-built robotaxis can move beyond pilot scale

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:43:31 GMT

Tesla's push to deepen its presence in the autonomous vehicle market through a new phase of its Robotaxi deployment has drawn renewed industry attention, as the company aims to bring fully autonomous taxis closer to commercial reality this August.

Charts: New capacity is starting to show up in Taiwan's packaging and test revenue

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:43:10 GMT

Ardentec credits a new fab entering volume production for the sharpest monthly jump in the sub-sector; ELASER's revenue nearly doubled year on year on customer demand.

Z.ai says GLM-5.3 lifts coding and cyber tests, flags Cursor vulnerability

DIGITIMES — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:42:25 GMT

Z.ai has released GLM-5.3, a new AI model that it said delivers major gains in coding and cybersecurity through post-training alone. The Chinese startup also said the model uncovered a potentially serious vulnerability in Cursor, the AI coding company recently acquired by SpaceX.

LG Electronics lands first OSAT order for chip packaging LDI

DIGITIMES — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:26:06 GMT

LG Electronics has secured its first order for laser direct imaging (LDI) equipment used in semiconductor packaging, marking an early commercial milestone as it expands into chip packaging.

Rockchip profit jumps 62% as edge AI chips scale across devices

DIGITIMES — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:14:13 GMT

China AIoT chip designer Rockchip posted record first-half 2026 results, with revenue rising 40.6% year on year to CNY2.88 billion (US$427 million) and net profit surging 61.73% to CNY859 million, supported by accelerating edge AI adoption.

2,056 humanoid robots march to Beijing for China's biggest real-world test

DIGITIMES — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:05:51 GMT

China's humanoid robot industry is entering a larger real-world test of AI, mobility and performance, with 2,056 robots set to compete in Beijing as domestic makers including Unitree Robotics accelerate development of faster and more capable machines.

VeriSilicon revenue surges 91% as AI ASIC backlog swells to US$1.85B

DIGITIMES — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:05:13 GMT

VeriSilicon posted record first-half 2026 revenue of CNY1.86 billion (US$276 million), up 91.37% year-on-year, as AI computing demand lifted custom silicon and mass-production services.

Xintec readies 12-inch IVR backside copper for TSMC's next-gen AI chips

Levi Li — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:05:02 GMT

TSMC is expanding cooperation with packaging and testing affiliate Xintec as it develops next-generation power delivery and advanced packaging for AI chips, while market speculation points to a broader outsourcing role for the company in CoWoS back-end assembly.

Taiwan forges ahead with Pittsburgh's AI, robotics playbook

Sherri Wang — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:04:49 GMT

Taiwan is looking to Pittsburgh for lessons from Pittsburgh's transformation into an AI and robotics hub as it develops technology clusters in southern Taiwan, with National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen leading a delegation to the Pennsylvania city on August 13-14.

SpaceX sets Falcon 9 turnaround record with two launches 38 minutes apart

DIGITIMES — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:04:30 GMT

SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets 38 minutes apart on the evening of August 15, setting a new company record for the shortest interval between orbital launches. The missions lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, highlighting the company's ability to move quickly across two launch sites.

AI pays off for 80% of Taiwan enterprises — but data gaps loom, study found

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:03:07 GMT

Data analytics firm Dun & Bradstreet released its "Taiwan Enterprise AI Momentum Index" for the third quarter of 2026, revealing that AI investments by Taiwanese companies are transitioning from experimental pilots to performance validation. However, the data foundation of over half of these enterprises still falls short of the threshold required for large-scale AI deployment. Consequently, data quality, data governance, and overall data readiness will serve as the pivotal focus for expanding future AI applications.

Huawei Hubble builds China's InP optical chip stack for the AI interconnect era

DIGITIMES — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:02:46 GMT

Huawei's semiconductor investment arm is seeing an earlier optical-chip strategy line up with the AI infrastructure boom. Since 2019, Hubble Technology Investment Co. has backed a string of Chinese photonics and high-speed interconnect companies, including Vertilite, Yuanjie Semiconductor, North Ocean Photonics (NOP), and Newport Coast (Beijing) Technology, covering lasers, optical components, and transmission chips. The portfolio is now increasingly exposed to the same 800G, 1.6T, and 3.2T interconnect demand reshaping AI data centers.

TSC sees semiconductor material prices rise up to 15% as petrochemical costs squeeze supply

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:55:00 GMT

Topco Scientific (TSC) said at its second-quarter 2026 earnings conference that rising upstream petrochemical costs are pushing up prices for semiconductor materials, including photoresists and thermal interface adhesives.

Daxin Materials accelerates semiconductor push with 12 products in mass production

Lily Hess — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:55:00 GMT

Daxin Materials is expanding its semiconductor footprint, with semiconductor materials accounting for nearly 23% of revenue in the second quarter of 2026. The company expects the segment to reach 25% to 26% of full-year revenue, driven by 12 products already in mass production and a further 14 under customer validation.