DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Tesla speeds up Optimus mass production with China supply chain visits

Lily Hess — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:20:09 GMT

Tesla is reportedly making new progress toward mass production of its Optimus humanoid robots, with the company's robot team conducting intensive supplier audits across China's Yangtze River Delta last week. The visits covered Ningbo, Hangzhou, and Shanghai and included potential suppliers Tuopu Group, Sanhua Holding Group, and Joyson Electronics, all of which are existing Tesla automotive suppliers.

Acer founder urges talent, trust, and innovation in AI era

Charlene Chen — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:19:54 GMT

As the global order is being reshaped and AI is rapidly transforming economic and governance systems, Acer founder and StanShih Foundation chairman Stan Shih said leadership competitiveness no longer depends on how much technology a company controls, but on what governance values it chooses.

Analysis: Will AI glasses replace the iPhone? —Cook and Ternus see it differently

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:14:08 GMT

Following Apple's executive transition, former CEO Tim Cook and new chief John Ternus have presented contrasting visions for the next generation of mobile devices, spotlighting a key strategic divide as the company prepares for the post-iPhone era.

AirTAC sees pneumatic demand cycle extending through 2027 on China automation growth

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:13:38 GMT

AirTAC International Group said demand for pneumatic components in China's automation market has entered a more gradual expansion phase, and executives said the current upturn could last through 2027. The outlook came as the Taiwanese pneumatic equipment maker reported strong results for the first half of 2026 and an even faster rise in August revenue.

Nvidia Rubin architecture drives high-end MLCC demand, solidifying Murata, SEMCO leadership

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:13:06 GMT

While market focus surrounding AI infrastructure has centered primarily on core computing components—such as GPUs, CPUs, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and networking hardware—rising chip performance, power consumption, and rack density are rapidly elevating the need for power stability. As a result, high-end multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are emerging as critical passive components in next-generation AI deployments.

EZconn eyes 2027 high-core fiber ramp as shortages persist

Lily Hess — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:12:40 GMT

EZconn said global fiber and optical cable supplies remain tight as AI data center demand overtakes demand from traditional telecom applications, pushing up raw material prices and boosting costs for optical passive components. The company expects the shortage to ease gradually from the second half of 2026 into 2027 as upstream suppliers add capacity, while it negotiates for larger allocations and longer-term supply contracts.

AI inference demand surges as training slowdown talk fades

Lily Hess — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:12:11 GMT

Calls to slow frontier AI model training have sparked debate across the AI semiconductor industry, but executives at the AI Infra Summit in Santa Clara, California, said the real buildout is aimed at AI inference, not training. The event, held from September 15 to 17, became a broad response to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's September 12 essay urging frontier AI labs to slow the pace of capability gains.

China carmakers lean on exports as domestic sales stall

Lily Hess — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:11:12 GMT

China's auto industry is increasingly relying on exports to sustain growth as domestic demand remains weak, industry sources said, ahead of a possible visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the US for a summit with US President Donald Trump. Online reports that Beijing may include BYD in a business delegation have fueled speculation the EV maker could use the trip to ease trade frictions and protect overseas momentum.

DIGITIMES Insight: Full-color Micro LED set to exceed 30% of AR glasses shipments in 2027

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:10:49 GMT

The industry has converged on a single precondition for consumer adoption of augmented reality (AR) glasses: the product must look like ordinary eyewear. The China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE) 2026 showed how differently the two critical component groups — microdisplays and waveguides — are responding to that constraint. Microdisplay makers are trading away a modest amount of resolution for smaller Micro LED panel areas, pushing light engines below 0.1cc, and pairing those engines with geometric, surface-relief, and volume-holographic waveguides from multiple suppliers to demonstrate complete near-eye modules and, in some cases, complete glasses. Taken together, the show indicates that AR display technology has reached a workable level of maturity.

US iPhone 18 Pro Max teardown reveals Qualcomm modem, suggesting prior supply-chain commitments

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:09:27 GMT

Apple's latest flagship iPhone 18 Pro series is now shipping, and the choice of modem chip has drawn close market attention. A newly released teardown report has revealed an unexpected exception: the US iPhone 18 Pro Max still uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 rather than Apple's newly announced in-house C2 chip.

Loyalty Founder Enterprise sees AI server expansion lifting growth outlook

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:06:36 GMT

Loyalty Founder Enterprise's push into AI servers, storage, and networking is beginning to boost scale and profitability, with implications for global data center supply chains. As demand for AI infrastructure stays strong and new overseas capacity nears launch, the company is positioning itself for broader growth in 2027 and 2028.

Trade, AI, rare earths, and Iran shape Xi-Trump 2.0 talks

Charlene Chen — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier Li-Feng He held talks in New York on September 20, 2026, joined by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and China International Trade Representative Cheng-Gang Li, as Beijing and Washington prepared for the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Jin-Ping Xi on September 24 in Washington.

Microsoft CEO expected at Trump-Xi dinner amid rising AI debate

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:43:00 GMT

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was expected to attend this week's White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, joining top executives from Apple, OpenAI, Nvidia and Qualcomm, according to people familiar with the matter. The dinner comes as the Trump-Xi summit puts AI policy, trade and technology ties under heightened scrutiny.

California orders AI safety audits and emergency shutdown planning

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:41:00 GMT

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to speed third-party AI safety oversight and independent audits, as the state moved to tighten protections in the absence of federal regulation. The order, reported by CNBC and the California Governor's Office, aimed to strengthen California's AI rules and set a standard for the country.

Taiwan firms keen on investing in US manufacturing

Rodney Chan — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:13:46 GMT

A recent survey found that 36% of nearly 120 US manufacturers have already reshored or are actively reshoring production, while more than 60% have capital investment plans for doing so. Taiwan's investment in the US is also rising, and Taiwanese firms' moves will become clearer after the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA) completes plans by the end of 2026 for overseas science parks in Texas and Arizona and begins soliciting investment.

South Korea-U.S. investment talks stall over commercial viability

Lily Hess — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:25:01 GMT

South Korea and the US have hit an impasse in final-stage investment talks over commercial viability safeguards, with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung saying that some parts are hard to accept. The deadlock is raising concerns that the months-long negotiations over South Korea's investment plans in the US could collapse.

Taiwan drone makers pursue dual-track growth on domestic defense orders, US market expansion

Willis Ke — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:14:34 GMT

Following the Legislative Yuan's passage of the Act on Strengthening Defense Autonomy and Developing the Unmanned Vehicles Industry and its subsequent countersignature by the Executive Yuan, Taiwan's drone industry is preparing for a potential new wave of government procurement, with tenders possibly emerging by the end of 2026. While the expected domestic orders could provide a boost, Taiwanese drone manufacturers are also accelerating overseas expansion to diversify their customer base and reduce reliance on local procurement.

Kaohsiung's new industrial park targets advanced packaging suppliers for the post-Moore era

Levi Li — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:04:08 GMT

Baipu Industrial Park, located on the border of Kaohsiung's Gangshan and Ciaotou districts, broke ground on September 21 after receiving approval from Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs in March 2026. More than 20 semiconductor supply-chain companies, including TSMC, attended the ceremony, with the project expected to strengthen links across southern Taiwan's semiconductor "S Corridor".

Samsung builds fab robot team, targets chip equipment maintenance

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:57:49 GMT

Samsung Electronics has formed a dedicated organization to develop and deploy robots in its semiconductor fabs, with equipment preventive maintenance (PM) expected to be the first target as the chipmaker pushes automation into work that still depends heavily on engineers.

US auto groups press Trump to block Chinese automakers from the market

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:55:00 GMT

Major US and global automakers, suppliers and dealers with factories in the United States urged President Donald Trump to keep Chinese automakers out of the American market ahead of the September 24 US-China summit. In a rare coordinated move, the industry groups warned that allowing Chinese carmakers into the US would raise security and competitive risks.

SDC president declares foldable leadership, urges Korea to defend OLED advantage

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:32:55 GMT

Facing aggressive expansion by Chinese competitors, Samsung Display (SDC) president and Korea Display Industry Association (KDIA) chairman Chung Yi expressed strong confidence in SDC's foldable panel capabilities. However, he warned that rival nations are funneling funds and expertise gained during the LCD era into OLED development. He called on South Korea to unite industry, government, academia, and research sectors to prevent a repeat of the loss of market leadership that occurred in the LCD industry.

Lattice Mach-N2 transitions to 16nm FinFET, integrating post-quantum encryption to strengthen control security

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:32:44 GMT

Lattice Semiconductor recently unveiled its next-generation secure control field-programmable gate array (FPGA) series, the Mach-N2. Built on the Nexus 2 small FPGA platform, the series features embedded flash memory, a hardware root of trust, and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) compliant with the US National Security Agency's Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite 2.0 (CNSA 2.0). It targets long-lifecycle infrastructure, such as data centers, that must proactively defend against emerging quantum computing threats.

China's smart glasses boom: AI evolution, market shakeout, macro trends

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:31:44 GMT

China's smart glasses sector is experiencing explosive growth, driven by shifting consumer habits, rapid technological advancements, and strong policy backing. However, beneath the surface lies a fundamental divide: while lightweight AI and AR glasses are surging, the once-popular audio-only glasses market is shrinking.

Qisda leverages ICT foundation to build one-stop AI healthcare platform

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:30:30 GMT

Qisda is accelerating the integration of information and communications technology (ICT) with healthcare, turning its network of hospitals and pharmacies into real-world testbeds for ICT-driven medical services. Beyond medical imaging analysis, the group is deploying AI across medical recordkeeping, nursing handoffs, and shift scheduling. By expanding into care facilities, pharmaceutical logistics, and rehabilitation equipment, Qisda is extending its reach from inpatient clinical care to post-treatment recovery and remote delivery.

Europe's hydrogen trucks chase commercialization

Charlene Chen — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:28:50 GMT

Major European truck makers and suppliers are accelerating alliances to push hydrogen vehicles and refueling infrastructure, as Europe tightens emissions rules and automakers race to avoid missing out on the hydrogen market. But hydrogen trucks still have to prove they can compete with diesel trucks on cost, while also facing pressure from battery-electric rivals.

Leading Interconnect Semiconductor starts Shenzhen advanced packaging substrate plant

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:23:40 GMT

Leading Interconnect Semiconductor, a Zhen Ding Technology subsidiary, has broken ground on an AI advanced packaging substrate project in Bao'an, Shenzhen, with total investment expected to be at least CNY12 billion (approx. US$1.79 billion). The new site is designed to add four factories and expand the company's ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver high-end flip-chip ball grid array (FCBGA) products for AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and advanced packaging customers.

Taiwan delays 2026 power rate decision as war drives fuel costs higher

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:09:24 GMT

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs delayed a 2026 electricity rate decision on September 18 after the Middle East war pushed up fuel prices and raised Taiwan Power's generation costs. The ministry said it would first seek NT$71.1 billion (approx. US$2.24 billion) in government funding, while the current tariff will stay in place through December 2026.

Microsoft AI chief says regulation is not a bad thing

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:05:55 GMT

Silicon Valley's AI safety debate is increasingly splitting into two camps; Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman says science and technology should serve humanity, that companies should not create things they cannot control, and that regulation should not automatically be seen as a bad thing.

Rebellions chips process over 4 billion tokens a day for SK Telecom

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:53:06 GMT

South Korean AI chipmaker Rebellions has expanded its neural processing units (NPUs) across four commercial SK Telecom services, with the infrastructure now processing about 14 million real-time requests and more than 4 billion tokens a day.

Physical AI opens a new growth window for FD-SOI as China builds domestic supply chain

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:42:48 GMT

AI's shift from data centers into cars, robots, wearables, and connected devices is widening the market for fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI), while China is building a domestic supply chain spanning substrates, foundry capacity, and chip design.

Tower Semiconductor to make Japan its largest optical chip base

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:24:06 GMT

Tower Semiconductor plans to make Japan its largest manufacturing base for optical communications semiconductors after expanding silicon photonics (SiPh), silicon germanium (SiGe), and advanced packaging capacity in the Hokuriku region, as demand from AI data centers accelerates.

Trump announces 'AI Force' as safety concerns and China rivalry mount

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:20:01 GMT

US President Donald Trump has announced that he will launch a new unit dedicated to AI, called the "AI Force". This proclamation follows a surge of concern among US industry leaders and the public over safety. It also precedes talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump this week, where AI is expected to be on the agenda.

Apple, Xiaomi, Qualcomm each eye edge AI ecosystem gains

Charlene Chen — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:15:49 GMT

Market sources say Apple is developing an enterprise AI server that could use 2-4 unreleased M8 Ultra processors, aimed at AI developers, large enterprises and government agencies for AI inference workloads. Apple's edge data center may also adopt NVLink. Apple and Nvidia have not responded.

First Solar withdraws 337 case, shifts TOPCon patent fight

Charlene Chen — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 06:52:17 GMT

US-based First Solar, best known for thin-film solar production, plans to withdraw its Section 337 complaint under the Tariff Act of 1930 and resume patent lawsuits against rivals. Market observers say the company still wields significant firepower in the US TOPCon patent war.

Z.ai's ZCode crisis exposes AI coding's enterprise trust gap

DIGITIMES — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 06:25:00 GMT

Chinese AI developer Z.ai has open-sourced its ZCode coding tool and is preparing a zero-data-retention option for its Model-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform after ZCode was found packaging local code repositories and attempting to upload them to the cloud.