DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Interview: Seiko Epson outlines engineered future vision for 2035 amid geopolitical challenges

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:05:55 GMT

Amid volatile geopolitical tensions affecting Japan's components, manufacturing, and end-user sectors, Seiko Epson unveiled its Engineered Future 2035 long-term vision. The plan aims to shift Epson from a traditional printer maker into a value-driven company focused on technology innovation and engineering excellence, with improving return on invested capital as a core discipline.

Asia Vital Components eyes liquid cooling growth while testing space-ready thermal plates

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:05:34 GMT

Asia Vital Components' push into liquid cooling and space-ready thermal solutions signals a broader shift in data center design and supply chains, with implications for hyperscalers and edge industries worldwide as AI-driven demand accelerates investment and capacity expansion across markets.

Zhen Ding will build 10 new factories for global expansion

Emily Kuo — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:05:14 GMT

Taiwan-based PCB maker Zhen Ding Tech has stated that as customers' next-generation product platforms gradually enter mass production starting from the second quarter of 2026, its IC substrate, server, and optical communications businesses are entering a new round of high-speed expansion. The company targets mid-to-high double-digit revenue growth for the full year of 2026 and is optimistic that shipment momentum will follow a quarter-on-quarter growth trend.

Taiwan's three major polarizer makers undergo transformation in medical, semiconductor, and automotive businesses

Emily Kuo — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:05:04 GMT

Growing pressure from capacity expansion in China, price competition, and compressed profit margins for traditional display applications has prompted Taiwan-based polarizer manufacturers to accelerate their transformation. Companies including BenQ Materials, Cheng Mei Materials Technology (CMMT), and Optimax Technology are diversifying their roles across medical, semiconductor materials, and automotive applications. Their objective is to mitigate industry risk and obtain a second growth curve.

Pegatron chairman: Apple's leadership shift won't shake supply chain ties

Elaine Chen — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:04:47 GMT

Apple has formally announced a leadership transition, naming its senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus, as its next CEO. He is set to take over on September 1, 2026, succeeding Tim Cook, whose tenure has been widely credited with sustaining Apple's position at the pinnacle of the global technology industry.

Zhen Ding breaks ground on new China site; Zhongji Innolight chairman attends to show support

Lily Hess — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:04:34 GMT

Taiwanese printed circuit board (PCB) giant Zhen Ding Technology Group held a groundbreaking ceremony for the HD Campus of the "Zhen Ding Technology Group Huai'an Tech City" in Huai'an, China, on April 22. The new park plans to build facilities for high-density interconnect (HDI), modified semi-additive process (mSAP), and high-layer count (HLC) PCBs. Upon completion, the group's total number of factories across four major local parks will reach 23, further strengthening its manufacturing scale in the advanced PCB sector.

EV outlook revised downward as automakers pull back

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:04:22 GMT

Global forecasts of electric vehicle (EV) adoption have been lowered as automakers scale back near-term production and investment plans amid weaker-than-expected demand and mounting financial pressures. According to a recent Counterpoint Research report, EVs are now expected to account for around 50% of global vehicle sales by 2035, down from a previous estimate of 65%.

SpaceX loads up on debt to fund AI push before IPO

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:04:11 GMT

SpaceX is preparing for what could become one of the most ambitious public offerings in history, even as its balance sheet reflects the rising cost of its expanding ambitions in both space and artificial intelligence.

Japan PC shipments peak on upgrade cycle, correction ahead

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:04:00 GMT

Japan's PC market delivered a standout performance in the fiscal year ending March 2026, but underlying demand signals point to a sharp reversal as upgrade-driven momentum fades.

SK Hynix builds HBM packaging hub in Cheongju to expand AI memory capacity

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:03:44 GMT

SK Hynix has broken ground on a large-scale advanced packaging facility in Cheongju Technopolis, underscoring how the battleground for AI semiconductors is shifting beyond wafer fabrication to the back-end processes that increasingly define performance.

IndieSemiC partners with Nordic on wireless modules as India expands design-led semiconductor push

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:03:27 GMT

IndieSemiC, an Indian semiconductor and chip design company, has partnered with Nordic Semiconductor to design and commercialize wireless modules for connected devices, as Indian firms seek to capture more value in the semiconductor chain through design, RF integration, certification, and module-level manufacturing.

SK Hynix hits 72% operating margin in Q1, doubling profit quarter-on-quarter

DIGITIMES — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:03:04 GMT

SK Hynix reported its strongest quarterly results on record in the first quarter of 2026, with revenue of 52.58 trillion won (approximately US$37.9 billion), operating profit of 37.61 trillion won (approximately US$27.1 billion), and net profit of 40.35 trillion won (approximately US$29.1 billion).

Focus: South Korea builds a semiconductor talent pipeline

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:26:07 GMT

South Korea's long-running experiment with job-guaranteed semiconductor education is entering a more consequential phase, with the first large wave of students from expanded industry-linked programmes set to enter the workforce from 2027. The shift is drawing fresh scrutiny over whether a model built around direct hiring pipelines, practical training, and university-industry coordination can do more than produce graduates at scale and whether it can ease the country's persistent shortage of semiconductor design talent.

Brightek posts March loss as Nantong plant ramps up in 2H26

Lily Hess — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:53:11 GMT

LED packaging maker Brightek reported consolidated revenue of NT$161 million (US$5.1 million) in the first quarter of 2026, down 9.7% year on year, impacted by the transition period at its new Nantong plant in Jiangsu, China, which began operations at the end of 2025. The company posted a net loss after tax of NT$3.95 million for March alone, widening its losses from the same month last year, with a loss per share of NT$0.06.

Powerchip DRAM foundry price hike to boost June revenue; IPD to drive Intel demand in 2H27

Eifeh Strom — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:46:39 GMT

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing (PSMC) held an earnings call on April 21 to address developments in memory and logic foundry services, as well as its future business outlook. PSMC president Martin Chu stated that DRAM foundry prices had significantly increased in March. However, due to the impact of the tape-out cycle on pricing, the price hike is expected to contribute to revenue starting in June.

AI optical communication and automotive demand boost TXC, Taitien quartz component sales in 1Q26

Lily Hess — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:20:49 GMT

Benefiting from strong AI high-frequency, high-speed transmission and communications infrastructure demand, TXC reported robust AI optical communication orders in the first quarter of 2026, driving its highest-ever quarterly revenue. The company's March 2026 revenue reached NT$1.1 billion (approx. US$35.3 million), up 2.7% year-over-year; cumulative revenue for the first three months of 2026 hit NT$3.3 billion, a 5.5% annual increase and a record for this period.

SpaceX reportedly files confidential IPO plans in potential record-breaking offering

Elaine Chen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:07:47 GMT

SpaceX has reportedly filed confidential paperwork for an initial public offering that could rank among the largest in history, targeting a valuation of up to US$1.75 trillion and aiming to raise as much as US$75 billion.

Commentary: Apple eyes iPhone camera, Vision Pro, and CarPlay advances with new CEO in charge

Charlene Chen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:01:08 GMT

Apple has officially confirmed long-rumored news that Tim Cook will step down as CEO in September 2026, handing over leadership of the US$4 trillion tech giant to senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus. Unlike Cook, known for his supply chain mastery, Ternus is well-known as a pure "product person" and engineer.

CATL unveils ultra-fast charging battery and expands push into full energy ecosystem

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:50:40 GMT

China's dominant battery manufacturer, CATL, is accelerating its push to reshape the global electric vehicle (EV) landscape with a sweeping technology rollout that spans ultra-fast charging, high-energy-density systems, sodium-ion chemistry, and a unified charging-and-swapping infrastructure.

Analysis: Apple's new CEO has a secret robot team — and big plans for your home

Emily Kuo — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:41:38 GMT

Apple has officially announced that John Ternus will succeed Tim Cook as CEO. Given Ternus's deep hardware background, product innovation at the hardware level is widely expected to accelerate under his leadership. As AI development enters the era of embodied intelligence, his prior takeover of Apple's secret robotics team is seen as pivotal to whether Apple can seamlessly integrate its existing AI technologies and software ecosystem with physical hardware.

Column: US drone industry learns from Ukraine's low-cost, rapid production

Rodney Chan — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:34:40 GMT

"The drone is not the weapon. The infrastructure to build it is." This statement, made by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 31, 2026, encapsulates the direction of recent US policy reforms as America strives to establish a large-scale, low-cost, and fast-iterating drone industry similar to Ukraine's. The US aims to simultaneously develop military and commercial markets while eliminating reliance on Chinese supply chains and catching up with China's small- and medium-sized drone manufacturing capabilities.

Commentary: Apple's succession play sees engineering credibility meet commercial legacy

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:05:00 GMT

Every major tech transition has exposed a different kind of leadership. The PC era rewarded visionaries. The mobile era rewarded operators. The AI era, Apple is betting, will reward engineers. That is the real logic behind elevating John Ternus — not just a changing of the guard, but a calculated repositioning of what Apple believes will matter most in the decade ahead.

How MediaTek will supply Marvell's next three generations of TPUs

Emily Kuo — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:45:00 GMT

Recent market reports indicate that Marvell is in discussions with Google regarding the development of application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) products, including memory processing units (MPUs) to pair with existing TPU products, as well as TPU chips for AI inference. Naturally, this brings some competitive pressure to Broadcom and MediaTek, which are currently in Google's TPU supply chain.

Applied Materials announces Advantest as innovation partner for EPIC platform in Silicon Valley

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:03:26 GMT

Leading materials engineering in the semiconductor industry, Applied Materials, announced today that Advantest Corporation, a leading semiconductor test equipment supplier, will join Applied's Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization (EPIC) platform as an innovation partner to strengthen the links between front-end manufacturing technologies and back-end testing of chips and packages, helping chipmakers bring new designs to market faster.

Flagship smartphone SoCs upgrade to 2nm drives cost surge and brand procurement shifts

Charlene Chen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:31:00 GMT

Starting in the second half of 2026, all flagship smartphone SoCs will transition to the 2nm process node. While this promises enhanced performance for flagship devices, it also triggers a rapid rise in production costs.

Samsung reportedly ramps up GDDR6 supply for Tesla but halts 1d DRAM mass production plan

Emily Kuo — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:30:55 GMT

Samsung Electronics is reportedly increasing production of GDDR6 specifically for Tesla starting in April 2026, even as it simultaneously scales back parts of its broader memory product line and halts plans for mass production of its next-generation 1d DRAM due to insufficient yields.

Blue Origin launch falls short, but satellite race presses on

Elaine Chen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:26:55 GMT

Blue Origin, the American space company founded by Jeff Bezos, recently carried out the third launch of its flagship New Glenn rocket. While the mission successfully recovered its first-stage booster, the second stage fell short of the required thrust, failing to deliver BlueBird 7, a communications satellite built by AST SpaceMobile, into its intended orbit.

ASM International reports 16% growth in 1Q26 revenue driven by booming AI market

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:18:42 GMT

ASM International reported a high revenue in the first quarter of 2026, driven by surging AI demand and its need for advanced chips. The Dutch maker of deposition equipment in the chip-making process said that this, in turn, has led semiconductor manufacturers to continue investing in equipment amid a period of tight chip-making capacity.

Huawei's wide foldable move sets stage for Apple, Samsung three-way race

Levi Li — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:59:09 GMT

Huawei's Pura X Max launch marks a shift in the foldable smartphone market, with competition moving from a Samsung-Huawei duopoly toward a three-way race that includes Apple's expected foldable iPhone. Huawei's early move signals a push to shape the next phase of high-end market leadership rather than simply extend its premium lineup.

Apple taps duo behind Apple Silicon success to navigate software-hardware balance in AI era

Elaine Chen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:37:20 GMT

Apple said on April 20 that Tim Cook would step down as CEO and hand over the role to John Ternus, the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering, on September 1, 2026. Ternus, who currently oversees the development of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and the Vision Pro headset, will take charge at a pivotal moment, as Apple navigates intensifying competition in AI and rethinks the balance between hardware and software in its products.

China pledges to stabilize memory chip supply as industrial growth and AI-driven manufacturing expand

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:15:00 GMT

China's industrial economy posted steady first-quarter 2026 growth, driven by strong performance in high-tech manufacturing and broad sectoral expansion, according to Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) officials, as cited by Xinhua and People's Daily.

Japan earthquake intensifies Kioxia supply concerns as SanDisk, Phison halt NAND pricing

Charlene Chen — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:02:18 GMT

A strong earthquake struck Japan's Tohoku region on the evening of April 20, 2026, near a critical semiconductor hub, raising global memory supply chain alarms. The quake's epicenter was close to Kioxia's NAND flash factories in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, prompting major NAND suppliers SanDisk and Phison to suspend market pricing amid fears of tightening NAND flash supply.

Skild AI acquires Zebra robotics unit to bolster warehouse automation play

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:00:00 GMT

Artificial intelligence robotics company Skild AI has acquired Zebra Technologies' robotics automation division, marking a strategic expansion into warehouse logistics automation. The deal, announced on April 15, was confirmed by both companies and reported by Bloomberg, though financial terms were not disclosed.

Nvidia-linked Chinese PCB maker jumps on Hong Kong stock debut, targets AI expansion

Levi Li — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:59:32 GMT

Victory Giant Technology, a China-based PCB maker and Nvidia supply chain partner, debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on April 21, with its shares rising as much as 60% on the first day of trading. Founder and chairman Chen Tao said order momentum remains strong, with proceeds from the listing primarily earmarked for capacity expansion in China.

Allbirds outlines AI pivot backed by US$50 million financing, draws mixed reaction

DIGITIMES — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:45:00 GMT

Struggling footwear brand Allbirds has announced plans to pivot to artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, supported by a US$50 million convertible financing facility, as it exits its core shoe business. The move, detailed in a company press release and reported by multiple media outlets, has generated both investor enthusiasm and skepticism from industry observers.