DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

US targets China's PCB grip as AI and defense supply risks mount

Levi Li — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 05:52:26 GMT

As demand for artificial intelligence (AI) computing expands rapidly, market attention has long centered on GPUs, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and advanced packaging. However, printed circuit boards (PCBs), which sit beneath chips and connect critical electronics, are increasingly being viewed by the US government and defense sector as a supply chain risk.

Global semiconductor market to hit US$1.5 trillion in 2026 as memory surges 250%, WSTS forecasts

DIGITIMES — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 04:53:03 GMT

The global semiconductor market is on track to nearly double in 2026, reaching US$1.51 trillion — a 90% year-over-year increase — driven overwhelmingly by an extraordinary surge in memory chip demand, according to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) Spring 2026 forecast released on June 2.

Nvidia's Jensen Huang to meet South Korean business leaders beyond HBM sector

DIGITIMES — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 04:49:58 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is visiting South Korea on June 5 for meetings with major Korean business leaders, as the company's cooperation with local companies broadens beyond high-bandwidth memory into robotics, automobiles, gaming, and cloud infrastructure.

Infineon sees early quantum computing gains as finance leads adoption

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 04:34:44 GMT

Infineon Technologies said its long-running work in quantum computing is beginning to pay off, with early demand strongest in finance, chemistry, and life sciences. For global readers, the company's comments signal that quantum systems are moving closer to commercial relevance, even as the market remains early, crowded, and dependent on wider industry cooperation.

Meta's delayed Muse Spark API raises questions over AI monetization strategy

DIGITIMES — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 04:20:05 GMT

Meta has postponed the public release of the application programming interface (API) for its latest AI model, Muse Spark, multiple times since its April debut, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The delay comes as Meta seeks to turn massive AI investments into sustainable revenue streams and compete more directly with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

GIS Holding pledges 100% green power across global sites by 2040

DIGITIMES — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 04:01:13 GMT

Touchscreen panel maker GIS Holding announced on World Environment Day, June 5, that it will join the RE100 initiative and aim to source 100% green power across its global operations by 2040. The firm outlined short-, medium-, and long-term plans to expand renewable energy use, and said executives disclosed a mix of measures to reach the target.

Nvidia deepens humanoid robotics role with Unitree and Cosmos 3, secures AI chips

DIGITIMES — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 03:51:21 GMT

Nvidia is moving deeper into humanoid robotics, combining robot hardware, secure computing, world models and developer platforms as AI shifts from digital workloads to physical AI.

China's EV makers are learning that growth comes at a cost

Elaine Chen — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 03:49:43 GMT

After briefly flirting with profitability late last year, China's leading electric-vehicle (EV) startups have once again slipped into the red, highlighting the mounting challenges facing a sector that is rapidly maturing but remains fiercely competitive.

Jiin Ming debuts Raven remote controller at Japan Drone 2026

Eifeh Strom — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 03:36:24 GMT

Taiwanese firm Jiin Ming Industry unveiled its self-developed JMG flight remote controller — Raven — at the Japan Drone 2026 exhibition, marking the first time the company has showcased an in-house flight remote controller at an international trade show. The debut highlights its technological progress in drone control systems.

India faces PCB supply squeeze as raw material shocks, AI demand, and import dependence drive costs higher

DIGITIMES — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 03:36:10 GMT

India's PCB industry is facing mounting supply constraints and cost pressures, driven by a combination of raw material inflation, logistics disruptions, and a structural reliance on imports, according to industry associations cited by The Economic Times, as well as additional media and policy reporting.

South Korea finalizes US$520 million on-device AI chip budget amid industry doubts

DIGITIMES — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 03:34:59 GMT

South Korea has finalized the budget for a state-backed on-device AI chip development project at KRW800.23 billion (US$520 million), about KRW200 billion below an earlier proposal, as industry concerns persist over whether the chips developed under the program will reach commercial products, according to The Elec.

COMPUTEX 2026: Taiwan optics leaders pivot from smartphone bottlenecks to edge AI supply chain

Willis Ke — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 03:33:18 GMT

Taiwan's optics makers, traditionally absent from PC-focused trade shows, made a landmark appearance at COMPUTEX 2026. Industry leaders including Largan Precision, Ability Opto-Electronics Technology, Altek Corporation, and Ability Enterprise used the event to showcase their latest research and development breakthroughs. Their presence signals a strategic pivot from behind-the-scenes smartphone component suppliers to frontline architects of the rapidly expanding edge AI ecosystem.

Foxconn deepens AI push with Intel on inference racks

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 03:27:55 GMT

Intel and Foxconn have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on AI rack infrastructure, edge AI, physical AI platforms, and custom chip design services. The deal highlights Intel's bid to regain ground in artificial intelligence (AI), while broadening Foxconn's role in the global AI supply chain.

HBM is too expensive, DRAM can't scale — Kioxia tells Computex SSDs are the answer for agentic AI

DIGITIMES — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 03:25:54 GMT

Koichi Fukuda, technology executive for applied SSD technology at Kioxia, used a Computex 2026 forum session on June 4 to argue that as enterprise AI shifts toward agentic systems, the next major constraint on AI performance will not be compute power but the ability to move data fast enough to feed it.

Compal's server business surges, non-PC revenue eyes 50% by 2027

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 03:09:20 GMT

Compal Electronics is accelerating a shift away from its long-standing PC business as AI servers and other non-PC lines gain momentum. The move could have broad implications for global supply chains, data center capacity, and technology customers seeking more diversified hardware partners across Asia, the US, and Vietnam.

Marvell says SerDes and packaging are key hurdles in switch chip development

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 02:45:47 GMT

Marvell says the next gains in switch chip performance will depend on faster SerDes and better packaging — issues that affect network capacity, signal quality, and cost across global data centers. The company is advancing its 100T TerraLynx T100 chip while preparing for more complex designs, higher speeds, and tighter integration ahead.

Analysis: Intel turns to Foxconn partnership to strengthen position in evolving AI market

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 02:28:55 GMT

Foxconn and Intel have announced a strategic partnership focused on AI racks, Edge AI, and Physical AI. The move signals Intel's effort to rebuild competitiveness in a market increasingly shaped by Nvidia's dominance in AI training and inference.

AI cooling demand is pushing server pumps into sharper focus

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 02:26:14 GMT

As AI pushes liquid cooling into mainstream server thermal design, suppliers are widening their focus beyond Nvidia's benchmark thermal designs. Industry players say pumps are emerging as a key lever for improving cooling efficiency, alongside flow rate and fluid speed.

CXMT's South Korean hiring spree puts Samsung, SK Hynix memory lead on alert

Levi Li — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 02:17:19 GMT

More than 200 South Korean engineers are conservatively estimated to be working at CXMT, China's leading DRAM maker, according to industry sources. Chinese semiconductor companies are stepping up talent acquisition, moving from broad outreach to targeted recruitment of core semiconductor R&D personnel in South Korea and the US. Observers say the shift could accelerate the narrowing of the semiconductor technology gap between China and South Korea.

Commentary: EU tariff barrier may weaken as Japanese automakers lean on China's EV tech

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 01:52:09 GMT

Japanese automakers' growing reliance on Chinese EV technology could weaken the EU's tariff strategy and reshape global car trade. As Mazda, Nissan, Honda, and Toyota adjust their electric plans, Europe may face more China-linked vehicles entering through third-country partners, altering competition, costs, and the pace of EV adoption worldwide.

Memory crunch pushes low-end smartphones toward 2026 breaking point

DIGITIMES — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 01:42:50 GMT

The global smartphone market performed better than expected in the first quarter of 2026 after some brands pulled forward orders, but shipments still fell by about 3.1% from a year earlier, ending nine consecutive quarters of growth.

Commentary: Memory boom driven by DRAM now, but HBM will decide future

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 01:37:19 GMT

AI demand is fueling a broad semiconductor upswing and pushing the memory industry into what many see as a long-awaited super-cycle. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have both reported strong earnings, prompting the market to reassess the strategic role of memory in AI infrastructure.

Arm says Taiwan powers its rise as agentic AI lifts PC growth

Lily Hess — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:54:32 GMT

Arm CEO Rene Haas told the COMPUTEX keynote on June 2 that Taiwan has been inseparable from Arm's growth over the past 30 years, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that agentic AI will trigger the biggest PC industry transformation in 40 years and could expand the global PC market by 10 times.

TSMC CEO says rising profits mean greater social responsibility, clarifies bonus considerations

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:53:01 GMT

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) held its shareholders meeting on June 4, during which CEO C.C. Wei addressed recent talk surrounding its employee bonus system. He opened the meeting by preemptively clarifying the issue, saying there are misconceptions in the public discussion.

TSMC says AI demand is straining entire supply chain, not just chipmakers

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:50:11 GMT

TSMC chairman C.C. Wei said on Wednesday that AI demand is rising so quickly that the whole supply chain is struggling to keep up, with bottlenecks spanning power, chip capacity, equipment, and upstream suppliers.

Hiwin targets logistics automation with Dexterity dual-arm robot

Lily Hess — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:47:48 GMT

Motion control component maker Hiwin made its first cross-sector appearance at COMPUTEX 2026, showcasing a full technology stack spanning precision transmission, actuator modules, and system integration. The company also unveiled a dual-arm logistics robot developed in partnership with US logistics firm Dexterity for the first time.

Local Chinese brands challenge dominant brands in AI glasses innovation; limitations hinder mass adoption

DIGITIMES — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:47:38 GMT

This year's Global Connect Show (GSC) in Shenzhen, China, has become a medium for local tech brands to showcase AI wearable innovation. Two leading brands at GCS, Rokid and INMO, demoed their feature-packed AI glasses. Many companies featured AI translation as their flagship capability, paired with lightweight hardware, hands-free controls, customizable designs, and flexible model support. While on-site demos proved these up-and-coming brands' AI glasses may outperform dominant players such as Meta and Apple, there are still lingering flaws, such as battery life and privacy ethics, that stand in the way of mainstream mass adoption.

Hanmi Semiconductor eyes record sales in Computex debut as HBM4 demand grows

DIGITIMES — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:47:11 GMT

Hanmi Semiconductor is projecting record annual revenue this year, as rising demand for high-bandwidth memory equipment lifts prospects for the South Korean chip-equipment maker and gives it a prominent stage for its Computex debut.

AI energy demand drives a shift to vertical power delivery and smaller modules

DIGITIMES — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:46:17 GMT

As the global demand for AI accelerates, a new industrial challenge has emerged: the sheer scale of energy required to power the "AI factories" of the future. This concern was the centerpiece of presentations by several industry figures at Computex in Taipei, where they presented solutions under development, from raw material innovations to shrinking component sizes.

SYNergy ScienTech eyes drone market with semi-solid cells

Charlene Chen — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:45:30 GMT

SYNergy ScienTech is developing semi-solid and all-solid-state cell product lines, with semi-solid cells already in trial production and all-solid-state cells slated for trial production in 2027, both targeting the drone market. President Colin Hsieh said drones will be a key market for the company.

Foxconn, Intel link chips, racks and systems in AI infrastructure push

Levi Li — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:45:16 GMT

Foxconn announced on June 4 a strategic partnership with Intel to explore end-to-end AI solutions spanning chips, racks, systems, and applications, with cooperation covering AI rack infrastructure, edge AI, and physical AI platforms. The partnership will also extend to design services for custom ASICs, SoCs, and system integration, combining Intel's processor, silicon photonics, and software ecosystem with Foxconn's global manufacturing scale, system integration capabilities, and AI data center deployment experience.

South Korea's only SRAM-CIM IP firm Articron targets edge AI

Charlene Chen — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:44:42 GMT

South Korean semiconductor IP startup Articron is challenging the traditional AI chip design bottleneck by using a memory-centric architecture, with its self-developed SRAM-CIM compute chip IP "ART" now in testing and aimed at the power- and area-sensitive edge AI device market. The company says it expects to launch a commercial product in about two years.

RTX Spark rekindles memory shortages, TeamGroup shifts to industrial control

Charlene Chen — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:44:20 GMT

Although PC market sales have slumped amid rising memory prices, Nvidia's "N1X" RTX Spark superchip is also fueling hopes for AI PC potential. TeamGroup General Manager Gerry Chen said the N1X can be configured with up to 128GB of memory, but there is simply not enough memory available right now, meaning supply shortages will grow even more severe.

Qualcomm says Wi-Fi 8 prioritizes reliability over speed

Charlene Chen — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:44:05 GMT

Qualcomm recently outlined its vision for Wi-Fi 8, saying the next-generation standard is designed to improve overall reliability, lower latency, and expand coverage. The company said the shift from Wi-Fi 7 to Wi-Fi 8 reflects a broader end-to-end ecosystem approach, from infrastructure to the client side.

Foxconn says Nvidia's Vera Rubin AI products remain on track for 2026 shipment

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 23:43:29 GMT

Foxconn and Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII) said at Computex that production of Nvidia's next-generation AI products is progressing smoothly, with shipments expected before the end of the third quarter of 2026. The outlook matters globally because it signals faster AI hardware deployment, lower computing costs, and wider adoption across consumer, enterprise, and automotive markets.

Ventec wins spillover high-speed CCL orders, revenue rises

Charlene Chen — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 08:36:02 GMT

Ventec International said May 2026 revenue kept growing, driven by sustained demand for high-margin aerospace polyimide (PI) materials, the start of mass production after high-speed material certifications, and record-high sales of non-flow PP sheets. The copper-clad laminate (CCL) maker also benefited from strong demand for high-end drilling applications and a rising European distribution business, lifting revenue across its niche businesses.