DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

OpenAI picks Singapore for first overseas applied AI lab

DIGITIMES — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:58 GMT

OpenAI will commit more than S$300 million (approx. US$235 million) to expand Singapore's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, choosing the city-state for its first applied AI lab outside the US as Singapore pushes to strengthen its position as a regional AI hub.

South Korea bets on KIST, LG to catch up in humanoid robots

DIGITIMES — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:52 GMT

South Korea has launched a five-year public-private project to build a domestic AI humanoid robot platform, bringing together KIST, LG affiliates, universities, and a hospital as the country looks to narrow the gap with the US and China in next-generation robotics.

Moonshot AI abandons offshore structure to pursue landmark Hong Kong IPO

DIGITIMES — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:47 GMT

Moonshot AI, the Beijing-based generative AI unicorn behind the widely popular Kimi chatbot, has informed its shareholders that it intends to dismantle its offshore corporate framework to clear a regulatory path for an initial public offering (IPO), likely in Hong Kong.

US targets Hua Hong's 7nm nodes while China targets South Korean partners to evade sanctions

DIGITIMES — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:42 GMT

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has reportedly issued "is-informed" letters to several major wafer fab equipment (WFE) manufacturers, ordering an immediate halt to tool shipments destined for Hua Hong Semiconductor, China's second-largest foundry. The restrictions specifically target two facilities within the Hua Hong Group, including its subsidiary Huali Microelectronics, which US officials believe are being positioned to scale China's most sophisticated logic nodes.

OSE targets AI server SMT growth as memory demand lifts outlook

Lily Hess — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:37 GMT

Orient Semiconductor Electronics (OSE) said that strong memory market demand is lifting its outlook and expanding its role in the memory supply chain, while also strengthening its importance in surface-mount technology (SMT) for AI server boards with major US clients.

SMIC, Hua Hong form materials supply platform to cut China chip chain reliance on US

DIGITIMES — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:31 GMT

China's semiconductor self-sufficiency drive has taken another step forward, with SMIC and Hua Hong Group jointly establishing Shanghai Electronic Materials International Supply Chain, in what market observers view as more than a conventional materials procurement platform.

FII challenges Broadcom and Nvidia as CPO race shifts to system integration

Lily Hess — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:25 GMT

As AI computing demand continues to grow exponentially, pressure to upgrade data center network architectures is intensifying. Co-packaged optics (CPO) is moving from concept to real-world deployment, and Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII) is quietly building a strong market position by leveraging its existing strengths in CPO all-optical switches as well as AI servers.

Iron Force eyes North America production, AI server cooling shipments in 2Q26

Kevin Wang — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:18 GMT

Iron Force Industrial saw short-term pressure in its operations during the first quarter of 2026, due to tariff swings in the US-China trade war, adjustments to its product mix, and foreign exchange losses from a stronger Chinese Yuan. The automotive safety parts and thermal solutions maker also pointed to new progress in its efforts to enter the AI server cooling market, with liquid-cooling products set to become a new growth driver as shipments begin in the second quarter.

China memory supplier Biwin's AI photonics funding raises questions about strategy and risk

Levi Li — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:13 GMT

China's AI infrastructure race is entering a new phase, with industry focus shifting from raw computing power toward data transmission efficiency.

Analysis: Lens Technology seeks control of Ju Teng to expand beyond Apple

Sherri Wang — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:14:04 GMT

Lens Technology's bid for control of Ju Teng International Holdings is putting renewed focus on changes in the notebook supply chain, as the Chinese supplier seeks to reduce its reliance on Apple and broaden its product portfolio.

NXP pitches CoreRide as a shortcut to software-defined cars

Sherri Wang — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:13:57 GMT

NXP Semiconductors is positioning its CoreRide platform as a way for automakers and Tier 1 suppliers to shorten development cycles for software-defined vehicles, even as the chipmaker's move deeper into system-level solutions raises questions about how its role in the automotive supply chain may evolve.

NXP CoreRide Z248 leverages Inventec, Delta support in SDV push

Rodney Chan — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:13:51 GMT

Driven by software-defined vehicles (SDVs), the automotive supply chain is being reshaped, embracing a business model relying on highly collaborative ecosystems. At a showcase in Taipei on May 19, NXP demonstrated its CoreRide Z248 platform, built together with automotive middleware vendor Vector.

Column: Agentic AI's autonomy problem—the security risks from machines that act

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:13:45 GMT

Artificial intelligence is undergoing a fundamental shift. Generative AI — passive, prompt-dependent, inert without input — has given way to agentic systems that reason, plan, and act on their own. The change is not incremental. It is architectural.

AI server demand tightens passive component supply, lifting Taiwanese suppliers' share

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:13:38 GMT

Demand for artificial intelligence servers and related power systems is pushing lead times higher for high-end multilayer ceramic capacitors, elongated electrolytic capacitors, and hybrid aluminum electrolytic capacitors, distributor Nichidenbo has reported, with typical waits rising from around 1.5–2 months to 3–4 months and in some cases much longer.

TSMC's COUPE push puts Samsung's silicon photonics ambitions under pressure

Emily Kuo — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:13:27 GMT

Samsung Electronics has launched silicon photonics foundry services and entered pilot production, signaling during its latest earnings call that optical communication modules will soon move to mass production — backed by aggressive investment. Yet compared with TSMC, which has already achieved breakthroughs in co-packaged optics (CPO) through Taiwan's well-established supply chain ecosystem, Samsung still has a long way to go.

Limited joint-load capacity threatens humanoid robots' ability to replace human labor

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:13:18 GMT

Humanoid robot developers and suppliers are increasingly focused on joint-module load-bearing capabilities as a key barrier to replacing human workers, according to supply-chain sources. Industry participants cite limited payload capacity, reduced durability of reducers, and structural strength as primary constraints on commercialization.

Analysis: Why Taiwan's telcos aren't following the US playbook on satellite

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:13:10 GMT

Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have formed a joint venture to expand direct-to-device (D2D) satellite service and eliminate mobile coverage dead zones across the US, prompting scrutiny over whether Taiwan's three major telecom operators could replicate that model. The US move throws into relief the contrasts in market size, competition, and regulatory context that shape incentives for cooperation.

DFI flags supply crunch, not orders, as 2026's real growth ceiling

DIGITIMES — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:13:01 GMT

DFI Inc. said healthy order visibility and strong demand from medical and defense projects will sustain growth into the second half of 2026, but widening component lead times driven by AI and data center demand have become the primary constraint on revenue acceleration.

Nvidia revenue surges 85% as data center sales jump 92%

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 23:16:04 GMT

May 20, Nvidia reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue of US$81.6 billion, up 85% year over year and 20% sequentially. GAAP diluted EPS reached US$2.39, up 214% year-on-year, and non-GAAP EPS was US$1.87, up 140% year-on-year. Both topped consensus estimates, with revenue near US$79 billion and non-GAAP EPS of US$1.77, S&P Global Market Intelligence reported.

Samsung averts strike with last-minute labor deal, but deeper divisions remain

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 23:13:42 GMT

With less than an hour remaining before a planned strike was set to begin, Samsung Electronics and its labor union reached a tentative agreement late on May 20, narrowly avoiding what industry observers estimated could have triggered supply-chain disruptions worth more than KRW100 trillion (US$66.8 billion).

Agibot claims 100% success rate in factory deployment as humanoid race shifts to real-world validation

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 16:43:54 GMT

Peng Chen, business development director at Agibot, used the robotics session of the 5th Mobis Mobility Day in Sunnyvale to make a pointed argument: the humanoid robotics industry has moved past prototype competition into a phase where real-world deployment results are the only metric that matters.

ASML to deliver first High-NA chips within months despite cost concerns

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 08:42:45 GMT

ASML expects its first advanced semiconductors made using next-generation High-Numerical Aperture (High-NA) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment to ship within months.

Apple unifies hardware Silos to accelerate post-Cook device development

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 08:38:27 GMT

Apple's new Chief Hardware Officer, Johny Srouji, has launched a reorganization of the company's device development division. The move shifts executive responsibilities over core product design to accelerate future hardware cycles. According to Bloomberg, the changes integrate the previously independent domains of hardware engineering and hardware technologies under a single leadership structure. The realignment is part of a broader succession plan, following Apple's announcement that John Ternus — longtime senior vice president of hardware engineering — will become Chief Executive Officer on September 1, 2026.

SpaceX to purchase Cursor one month after potentially record-breaking IPO

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 08:00:49 GMT

SpaceX plans to follow through with its acquisition of Cursor, which provides AI coding tools, 30 days after the space company launches its IPO. The deal, worth US$60 billion, would shore up SpaceX's recently acquired xAI unit, whose Grok models are reportedly considered to be behind those of competitors Anthropic and OpenAI.

Alibaba's T-Head doubles down on AI infrastructure with Zhenwu M890

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 08:00:27 GMT

Alibaba Cloud has unveiled the Zhenwu M890, a new proprietary AI training and inference chip developed by its semiconductor subsidiary T-Head Semiconductor, as the Chinese cloud group accelerates its push into full-stack AI infrastructure for the agentic AI era.

Tech Forum 2026: AI server racks push liquid cooling into mainstream

Levi Li — Wed, 20 May 2026 07:34:46 GMT

META Green Cooling Technology (MGC) president Clyde Chu said Nvidia's chip roadmap shows that cooling requirements are doubling in less than a year, with the NVL72 rack based on the Vera Rubin architecture, expected in the second half of 2026, requiring 130-140 kW of cooling capacity per rack. By 2027, the Vera Rubin Ultra platform could push single-rack power consumption to 200-300 kW.

Microsoft advances India data center timeline within expanded regional investment framework

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Microsoft's data center expansion in India represents the continuation of a strategic regional investment trajectory, updating previously announced capital commitments rather than introducing new funding. The company is accelerating infrastructure deployment in India's fast-growing AI market, where it competes with Alphabet and Amazon for dominance in cloud services and artificial intelligence.

Taiwan Wi-Fi router industry, 1Q 2026: Steady recovery, rising value, and telecom-led demand

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 06:57:54 GMT

Wi-Fi 7 upgrades and cost pressures coexist as Taiwanese Wi-Fi router shipments rose 1.1% sequentially in the first quarter of 2026.

Tech Forum 2026: Physical AI poised to accelerate autonomous driving and robotics, analysts say

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 20 May 2026 06:42:28 GMT

Physical AI is set to reshape autonomous driving and robotics. At the DIGITIMES Tech Forum 2026, held ahead of COMPUTEX 2026, analysts said advances in perception, decision-making, and motion control are opening new doors across industries.

Amazon's AI chip push gains ground as Nvidia remains central to AWS

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 06:42:06 GMT

Amazon's yearslong push to build a credible alternative to Nvidia's AI chips is beginning to gain traction, as software improvements, tight GPU supply, and cost pressure prompt more developers to test the company's Trainium processors, according to The Information.

FarEasTone named Amazon Leo distributor in Taiwan, targets 2027 launch

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 06:30:00 GMT

FarEasTone Telecommunications has signed a formal cooperation agreement with Amazon Leo, Amazon's low-Earth-orbit satellite network service, to become its authorized distributor in Taiwan, the company announced. Talks between the parties began in the second quarter of 2025 and concluded roughly a year later in the second quarter of 2026, with a commercial launch in Taiwan targeted for 2027, pending deployment and testing.

China's top NAND flash chipmaker YMTC begins IPO tutoring with Chinese banks

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 06:29:46 GMT

China's leading memory chipmakers are accelerating their push into public capital markets, with YMTC Group formally entering IPO guidance on May 19, shortly after domestic DRAM leader CXMT updated its own prospectus filings.

Gaia Motors rolls out Rapide 3 electric three-wheeler network across Taiwan

DIGITIMES — Wed, 20 May 2026 06:15:00 GMT

Gaia Motors has launched a nationwide channel rollout in Taiwan for its Rapide 3 electric three-wheeler, expanding the vehicle's availability from enterprise fleets to broader commercial applications amid growing demand for compact, efficient urban vehicles.

From boardrooms to bedside: AI cameras climb the value chain

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 20 May 2026 06:05:00 GMT

AI camera demand is being propelled by enterprise digital transformation, smart healthcare, and cross-border collaboration, turning cameras from simple video recorders into intelligent sensing endpoints with far-reaching implications for suppliers across the optics and semiconductor ecosystem.

Exclusive: Automakers turn to Taiwan for faster vehicle electronics development

Elaine Chen — Wed, 20 May 2026 05:45:00 GMT

A quiet but consequential shift is underway in the global automotive industry's race toward electrification and software-defined vehicles. Executives in Taiwan's automotive-electronics supply chain say major Western automakers are increasingly turning to Taiwan after being stunned by the speed at which Taiwanese companies can develop and integrate next-generation electronic systems.