DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Silicon Motion raises private placement to US$1B, targets agentic AI

Charlene Chen — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:08:01 GMT

Silicon Motion announced the pricing of a private placement of US$1 billion in aggregate principal amount of 0% convertible senior notes due 2031, increasing the fundraising size from the previously announced US$800 million.

AI server tracker: King Slide, Quanta and AIC lead July growth

DIGITIMES — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:06:47 GMT

July revenue trends across Taiwan's server supply chain remained broadly positive year over year, although sequential performance varied sharply by segment and supplier. ODM/EMS companies continued to generate the largest revenue base, while rail-kit maker King Slide, server manufacturer QCI and chassis supplier AIC recorded some of the strongest annual growth rates among the companies tracked.

Laster Tech narrows second quarter loss as LED headlamp orders improve

DIGITIMES — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:05:54 GMT

Laster Tech, a maker of LED headlamp modules, narrowed its loss in the second quarter of 2026 as order visibility improved and new vehicle programs moved into mass production. The Taiwan-based supplier said first-half revenue reached NT$3.614 billion, with a net loss of NT$103 million and a loss per share of NT$0.86.

MediaTek July 2026 revenue falls as non-mobile units offset slowdown

Charlene Chen — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:04:39 GMT

MediaTek reported July 2026 revenue of NT$48.475 billion (US$1.5 billion), down 16.44% month-over-month but up 12.16% year-over-year, in line with its earlier conservative view that the third quarter would at best match the second quarter. The decline reflects weaker smartphone shipment momentum, even though the chipmaker still posted solid year-over-year growth.

Nvidia denies Rubin Ultra downgrade, cites flexible SKUs

Charlene Chen — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:04:02 GMT

Amid a swirl of rumors that Nvidia chip upgrades were being cut, scaled back, or delayed, the company has again pushed back on similar claims surrounding its latest Vera Rubin launch. Nvidia told Wccftech that its product strategy is not a downgrade but a flexible deployment model designed to meet different customer needs.

Tsang Yow's semiconductor parts business drives profit growth in 2Q

DIGITIMES — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:03:29 GMT

Tsang Yow said its semiconductor equipment components business had become a major growth driver in July, as the Taiwan transmission-system maker reported stronger profitability in the second quarter and the first seven months of 2026. The improvement came alongside a higher-margin product mix, tighter cost control, and gains from foreign-currency movements.

TSMC tackles CoWoS material risks while cutting 3DIC development cycle to one year

Levi Li — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:02:58 GMT

AI computing demand is rapidly increasing the complexity of chip integration, shifting advanced packaging competition beyond individual component performance to reliability and validation across packages, PCBs, systems, and even rack-level infrastructure.

Panel makers turn to AI packaging as old fabs gain value

Lily Hess — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:02:23 GMT

Taiwanese panel makers broadly reported weaker July revenue as some customers pulled in shipments in advance in the first half of the year and memory price increases weighed on consumer electronics demand. AUO, Innolux and Hannstar Display all posted month-over-month and year-over-year declines, while Giantplus Technology bucked the trend.

OCP: Murata upgrades power, optical products as AI data centers strain global infrastructure

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:01:48 GMT

Murata Manufacturing has unveiled upgraded power converters and optical components, highlighting how rising AI workloads are pushing data centers worldwide toward denser, more efficient power systems and higher-speed connectivity. The Japan-based company says its latest hardware is aimed at helping operators balance performance, heat, and space constraints.

Topco and Wah Lee post record July sales on semiconductor materials demand

DIGITIMES — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:23 GMT

Topco Scientific Co. and Wah Lee Industrial Corp. both reported record July revenue as chipmakers ran at full utilization and customers stocked up on semiconductor materials. Topco said monthly consolidated sales surpassed NT$8 billion for the first time, while Wah Lee also posted a new monthly high.

Taiwan's 20-qubit superconducting quantum computer wins 2026 Future Tech Award

Kevin Wang — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:59:50 GMT

Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) announced the winners of its annual Future Tech Award on August 10, with the aim of encouraging the licensing and commercialization of breakthrough research projects. Among the selected technologies were Academia Sinica's 20-qubit superconducting quantum computer and quantum chip process development project, headed by distinguished research fellow Chii-dong Chen, and research into complementary field-effect transistors and other advanced stacked transistors, led by Chee Wee Liu of the Department of Electrical Engineering at National Taiwan University (NTU).

Lite-On's LEO satellite power growth signals a deeper shift in global manufacturing

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:59:33 GMT

Lite-On Technology reported strong revenue growth in the first seven months of 2026, fueled by demand for AI, cloud, and LEO satellite power systems. The results underscore how the company's overseas production strategy, especially in Vietnam, is becoming central to its growth as customers seek more resilient supply chains.

Hyundai Motor Group's robot push could reshape South Korea's industrial competition

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:59:06 GMT

Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating its "Physical AI+" robot strategy, with Saemangeum in North Jeolla Province set to become its main manufacturing base. The plan also includes robot training and learning centers in South Korea, the US, and China, as the group seeks a larger role in global robotics.

Apple presses Samsung Display and LG Display for lower iPhone 18 OLED prices

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:58:18 GMT

Apple has asked Samsung Display and LG Display to sharply reduce OLED panel prices for the iPhone 18 as it works to offset rising production costs, according to South Korean media reports. The price pressure is intensifying competition among panel makers, with cost control becoming increasingly important alongside technology in supplier negotiations.

Samsung weighs power subsidiary to secure semiconductor electricity by 2027

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:51:07 GMT

Samsung Group was reported to be considering a dedicated in-house power-procurement subsidiary to secure electricity directly for its semiconductor production facilities, with operations targeted to begin in 2027. The move comes as artificial intelligence and chip production drive higher power demand at Samsung Electronics' wafer fabs, making stable electricity supply a growing factor in manufacturing competitiveness.

Ubiqconn July revenue rises 18% as satellite applications jump 415%

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:50:50 GMT

Ubiqconn Technology reported its second-quarter 2026 results and said July revenue strengthened as satellite applications became a bigger growth driver. The company said consolidated revenue in July reached about NT$182 million (US$5.65 million), up 28% from June and 18% from a year earlier, while cumulative revenue for the first seven months totaled about NT$1.124 billion, narrowing the year-over-year decline to 14%.

Samsung to add 1 million Galaxy Z Fold8 units as foldable demand surges

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:50:14 GMT

Samsung Electronics will increase production of the Galaxy Z Fold8 by 1 million units in 2026 after strong preorder demand for its wider foldable phone, according to ET News. The move comes as the company prepares for a new round of competition in foldables ahead of Apple's first 4:3 foldable iPhone, which is expected in September 2026.

DEEPX wins South Korean air base contract for domestic AI surveillance NPU

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:49:42 GMT

South Korean IC design firm DEEPX will deploy its neural processing unit in an AI perimeter surveillance system at a South Korean Air Force base. The project is the first in the country’s defense sector to replace foreign-made GPUs with a domestic NPU in AI video surveillance, according to ZDNet Korea.

Google DeepMind open-sources WeatherNext after hurricane forecast breakthrough

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:49:24 GMT

Google DeepMind said it has open-sourced the code and weights for WeatherNext, its weather AI model that predicted hurricane tracks one day earlier than traditional systems. In research published in Nature, the model was shown to match the 2-day performance of conventional forecasts with its 3-day hurricane outlook.

Power, not GPUs, is now AI data centers' real bottleneck: Wistron CTO

Scarlett Yu — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:48:48 GMT

Surging demand for AI computing is accelerating server and data center infrastructure deployment. Speaking at Delta Electronics' Sustainable AI Summit on August 7, Wistron CTO Shen Ching-Yao said GPU lead times have shortened significantly. Orders now generally require around six months of advance planning.

As renewables overtake coal, microgrids become AI's next frontier

Lily Hess — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:48:19 GMT

AI-driven power demand is surging, and Delta Electronics Chairman Ping Cheng said microgrids and energy resilience are becoming the next key battleground for AI data centers and the broader electrification push. Speaking at the Delta Sustainable AI Summit, he said that, for the first time in 2026, global electrification and net-zero emissions will be discussed at the same level during UN climate talks, making Delta's business transformation path clearer.

South Korea elevates SMR to national strategy, boosts nuclear investment

Kevin Wang — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:47:59 GMT

The South Korean government has proposed adding small modular reactors (SMRs) to its national strategic-technology tax incentive program, a move backed by the country's nuclear industry. In a recent statement issued on behalf of its 561 member companies, the Korea Atomic Industrial Forum noted that the move would help reduce the financial burden on companies investing in R&D and equipment and lay the groundwork for a domestic SMR supply chain and global market expansion.

Taiwan ranks fifth globally for cyber threats, with semiconductors and finance prime targets

Levi Li — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:47:34 GMT

As companies accelerate the adoption of AI agents to reshape business processes, attackers are using the same technology to increase the speed and scale of cyberattacks.

Novatek sees 3Q26 growth resting on smartphone DDI and Edge AI demand

Levi Li — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:47:17 GMT

Novatek, a Taiwan-based display driver integrated circuit (DDI) supplier, said at its August 6 investor conference that second-quarter 2026 revenue and gross margin exceeded expectations, supported by stronger customer orders across all three major product lines and a sharp sequential increase in profit.

California satellite makers expand as office vacancies become factory space

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:44:36 GMT

California's satellite manufacturing sector kept growing despite high costs and strict regulation, as startups and established operators expanded across San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Los Angeles. According to SpaceNews, the state remained a central hub for the U.S. space supply chain because of its talent base, venture funding, customer access, and the ability to repurpose office space.

AI demand lifts Taiwan software firms as Galaxy, M-Power, Systex post gains

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:44:17 GMT

Several Taiwanese software companies reported stronger results in 2026, with generative AI and AI agents supporting rather than disrupting their businesses. Galaxy Software Services, M-Power Information, and Systex cited a combination of AI-related demand, digital transformation projects, and new product launches as growth drivers.

Everlight starts Thailand plant to boost AI server and auto supply chains

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:44:03 GMT

Everlight Electronics has broken ground on a new manufacturing base in Chachoengsao, Thailand, with construction starting in August and mass production planned for the second half of 2027. The project is aimed at expanding capacity in Southeast Asia, supporting customers' China-plus-one strategies, and strengthening supply chain resilience for AI servers, automotive electronics, and industrial control applications.

Etron reports record July revenue as memory prices surge

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:43:51 GMT

Etron Technology said July 2026 consolidated revenue jumped to NT$2.125 billion, a fourth straight monthly record, as rising memory prices lifted sales. The Taiwan-based memory IC design company also reported that revenue for the first seven months of 2026 climbed to NT$9.759 billion, up 481.09% from a year earlier.

TSMC commits JPY282 billion to Sony sensor JV as AI demand outruns Sony's 40nm process

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:43:29 GMT

TSMC and Sony Semiconductor Solutions have signed a legally binding definitive agreement to establish Advanced Vision Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, a joint venture in Koshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, that will develop and volume-produce next-generation smartphone image sensors on advanced process technology. Volume production is slated to begin in 2029.

EOC turns profitable in 1H26 as optical communications demand rebounds

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:30:00 GMT

East Tender Optoelectronics (EOC) reported a swing to profit in the first half of 2026, driven by an improved product mix, better capacity utilization, and a rebound in optical communications demand. The company indicated that demand for optical communications continues to strengthen, with operating momentum broadening across the board and 800G/1.6T long-reach, high-speed products continuing customer validation and ramping up production.

Walsin sees B/B ratio hit 1.8, 2026 capex at NT$4B

Yunnie Cheng — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:20:00 GMT

Chiao Yu-Heng, chairman of Walsin Technology, said the passive component market has improved sharply, with some parts even in short supply, and that order visibility now extends "beyond the end of 2026." The company plans to continue investing in AI-related passive component capacity as demand from AI applications stays strong.

Taiwan telecom trio posts strong July on 5G, roaming, AI gains

Willis Ke — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Taiwan's three major telecom operators — Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone Telecommunications — all reported strong July 2026 results, with revenue and profit supported by seasonal roaming demand, 5G upgrade plans and resilient handset sales. The operators said July marked a record period for several key metrics, while AI-related demand in enterprise and infrastructure businesses provided an additional growth driver.

Google readies Pixel 11 lineup, market breakthrough still under question

Charlene Chen — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:20:00 GMT

Google has officially announced that it will unveil its annual Pixel 11 flagship smartphone series on August 13, 2026, with the lineup expected to include the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. As generative AI adoption accelerates and shortages and price increases hit key upstream smartphone components, investors and the market are closely watching how Google will use AI to boost sales and hardware momentum.

TSMC finally catching up to AI packaging demand after years of doubling capacity: 'CoWoS guy' Jun He

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:07:55 GMT

TSMC has been roughly doubling its CoWoS and SoIC capacity annually for the past several years, and is running CoWoS at better than 98% yield — sometimes 99% — on multiple AI customer products already in high-volume manufacturing. By Jun He's account, that is finally almost enough.

Microsoft seeks expanded Maia 300 production to tap into demand for cheaper compute

DIGITIMES — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 06:57:15 GMT

Microsoft plans to unveil its new Maia 300 accelerator chip this fall, with a public announcement possible as early as next month, according to The Information. Although Microsoft has lagged Google and Amazon in scaling its in-house AI chips, it is targeting far higher production volumes for Maia 300 than for Maia 200 in hopes of attracting major clients such as Anthropic.