DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Transcend sees DRAM supply potentially halving in 2027 as memory prices plateau

Levi Li — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 02:58:00 GMT

Peter Shu, chairman of Taiwanese memory module maker Transcend, expects DRAM and NAND Flash prices to plateau after stabilising in the third quarter of 2026. Further price increases appear limited, but declines remain unlikely, with DRAM still in short supply while NAND Flash availability has stabilised.

Taiwanese ICT manufacturer Wah Hong accelerates AI cooling as memory hikes hit electronics

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 02:57:40 GMT

Higher memory prices caused by tight supply weakened demand for consumer electronics, while investment in Wah Hong Industrial's thermal management division weighed on overall third-quarter performance. The company is accelerating development in AI cooling, semiconductor materials, and other high-value applications to reduce its exposure to market cycles.

Inside the Siri overhaul: Apple's performance in the AI race

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 02:43:00 GMT

Apple has reached a pivotal juncture in its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy: to modernize Siri and establish a broader AI presence. While new CEO John Ternus has publicly championed the company's privacy-centric, deeply integrated approach to AI, internal pressures highlight an urgent drive to accelerate innovation and close the gap with industry rivals.

Wistron October revenue more than doubles as AI server demand surges

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 02:38:40 GMT

Strong AI server demand drove Wistron’s October 2026 revenue to NT$402.6 billion (US$12.2 billion), up 5.73% month-over-month and 1.18 times year-over-year. Revenue for the first 10 months reached NT$3.29 trillion, increasing 99.53% year-over-year and setting a new high for the same period.

MediaTek, Qualcomm shift focus to cloud AI as smartphones stall

Lily Hess — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 02:29:19 GMT

Qualcomm and MediaTek, the two leading smartphone SoC makers, are turning their attention to cloud AI ASICs as the global smartphone market faces what could be its sharpest decline on record in 2026. At their latest earnings briefings, cloud AI dominated the discussion, while smartphone operations took a back seat.

Toyota launches robotics unit, leveraging factory data

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 02:28:57 GMT

Toyota Motor has established Toyota Robotics, a dedicated robotics division, joining major global rivals in developing robotics technologies and using data from its manufacturing sites to accelerate commercial deployment.

China's YMTC targets 70% domestic chipmaking tools, but advanced NAND still has foreign dependency

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 02:27:29 GMT

China's semiconductor equipment localisation is accelerating, with chipmakers increasing domestic procurement and local suppliers expanding into advanced manufacturing. Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) is emerging as a key example of this shift.

Semiconductor testing company KYEC keeps US AI chip testing plant on track despite election shift

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 02:16:37 GMT

King Yuan Electronics (KYEC) general manager Gauss Chang said the company's plan to establish a US testing facility in Texas remains on schedule despite concerns that a shift in control after the US midterm elections could alter AI policy. He said KYEC's long-term investment strategy is unlikely to be disrupted by short-term political changes.

India's semiconductor expansion faces testing capacity risks as OSAT investments advance

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 02:01:45 GMT

India's push to expand semiconductor assembly and packaging capacity risks outpacing the development of its chip testing infrastructure, potentially increasing costs and prolonging reliance on overseas facilities.

Nvidia cancels South Korea trip of Jensen Huang's daughter over family reasons

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:58:01 GMT

Madison Huang, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's eldest daughter and the company's senior director of marketing for Omniverse and robotics products, has canceled her entire visit to South Korea, including a planned meeting with South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT (MSIT) Bae Kyung-hoon. Nvidia cited only "family reasons" for the cancellation.

Sino-American Silicon Products posts record revenue in first three quarters of 2026 on AI, energy demand

Eifeh Strom — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:50:38 GMT

Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) is focusing on computing power and electricity, as construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers accelerates, demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) surges, and the global energy transition continues to advance. By leveraging its dual-track strategy of manufacturing and services, the company is capitalizing on market opportunities, driving consolidated revenue for the first three quarters of 2026 to a record high for the same period.

Trump says Huang should stay on as Nvidia CEO as board opens spy probe

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:47:50 GMT

US President Donald Trump said on November 8 that Jensen Huang should remain CEO of Nvidia, hours after the chipmaker's board opened an independent investigation into whether Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort following his admission of an affair with a woman US officials suspect of spying for China.

Taiwan telecom provider FarEasTone evaluates AIDC demand, has no new build plans

Kevin Wang — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:46:45 GMT

FarEasTone Telecommunications is evaluating opportunities in AI data centers (AIDCs) but has no concrete plans to build a new facility, according to company president Chee Ching. Speaking at the company's latest earnings call, Ching said that FarEasTone will assess actual market demand to consider effective strategies for utilizing resources across the corporate group.

ECS sees 4Q26 shipments plunging 56%, targets edge AI

Charlene Chen — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:46:40 GMT

Weak PC demand, customer order adjustments, product transitions, and component supply changes are sharply weakening Elitegroup Computer Systems' (ECS) 2026 OEM and channel shipment outlook. Supply-chain sources estimate the company's related shipments at about 1.92 million units for 2026, down 43% from 3.38 million units in 2025, with fourth-quarter shipments expected to fall 55.9% year-over-year.

Adlink's shift beyond industrial PC hardware unlocks stronger margins, growth

Levi Li — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:46:29 GMT

Industrial PC (IPC) manufacturer Adlink reported a 43% year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue for the first nine months of 2026, with its operating margin rising to 11% from approximately 5% a year earlier. Earnings per share (EPS) reached NT$4.83 (approx. US$0.15). The company attributed its improved profitability to greater operating scale, efficiency gains, and a shift from standalone hardware towards integrated systems and platforms.

Monitor panel prices hold in November as notebook pressure mounts

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:46:23 GMT

Monitor LCD panel prices remained stable in November as panel makers continued to adjust production and maintain a weak supply-demand balance, while notebook panel prices faced broader downward pressure as brand inventories cleared slowly and purchasing momentum weakened.

Podcast highlights: Apple hoards supplies via long-term contracts; Intel reverts 18A to Intel 3

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:46:17 GMT

Recent earnings reports from Apple and Intel highlight growing supply-chain strain driven by soaring memory costs and massive AI infrastructure build-outs. DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin identified two supply-chain signals: Apple is locking in capacity through aggressive long-term procurement, while Intel is taking the unusual step of converting 18A capacity back to the older Intel 3 node to chase urgent server CPU demand.

Elan Microelectronics pursues dual-track PC strategy as AI, ADAS, drone lines ramp up

Yunnie Cheng — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:46:12 GMT

Elan Microelectronics posted Q3 2026 revenue of NT$2.22 billion (approx. US$67.8 million), down 30.7% quarter-over-quarter and 33.1% year-over-year due to a weak PC peak season. Gross margin fell 2.7 percentage points quarter-over-quarter to 44.7%, while operating profit dropped 57.5% quarter-over-quarter to NT$296 million (US$9.1 million). The slump stemmed from H1 order pull-forwards, client inventory digestion, supply mismatches, and rising module costs with passive components, PCBs, and packaging. Touch products contributed 73% of revenue, non-touch 13%, and emerging AI lines 14%.

PMIC supplier GMT sees upside in potential AI spending slowdown

Sherri Wang — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:46:04 GMT

Taiwanese power management IC (PMIC) supplier Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT) sees a potential slowdown in cloud AI spending as an opportunity to ease wafer capacity constraints and rising memory prices that have weighed on consumer electronics demand.

PCB manufacturer Zhen Ding Tech sets new revenue record, sees 4Q26 peak to continue

Charlene Chen — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:45:57 GMT

PCB manufacturer Zhen Ding Tech (ZDT) reported record revenue for October 2026, driven by peak-season demand for mobile communications products and ramping shipments of high-end AI applications. The company expects fourth-quarter revenue to reach a yearly high as demand for optical modules and AI servers remains strong.

IC test-interface supplier WinWay hits AI, HPC record in 3Q26

Charlene Chen — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:45:51 GMT

WinWay reported record revenue and profit for the third quarter of 2026, driven by fully booked AI and high-performance computing (HPC) orders and expanded production capacity. The semiconductor test-interface supplier said shipments reached a new high, pushing cumulative revenue for the first three quarters of 2026 above NT$10 billion (US$305.4 million) and marking six consecutive quarters of record revenue.

GSEO revenue drops 20% in October 2026 on China holiday, delayed launches

Charlene Chen — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:45:46 GMT

Optical lens maker Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) reported October 2026 consolidated revenue of NT$2.126 billion (approx. US$64.9 million), down 20.41% from September and 5.78% from the same month in 2025, as China's National Day holiday and delayed customer product launches reduced shipments.

Adata revenue to dip slightly in 4Q26 as AI investment shifts overseas

Charlene Chen — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:45:39 GMT

Memory module maker Adata reported October 2026 consolidated revenue of NT$17.06 billion (US$521.6 million), up 8.5% month-over-month and 282.3% year-over-year, marking its third-highest monthly revenue on record. However, year-end customer inventory adjustments are expected to push fourth-quarter revenue below the third quarter, while revenue for the first 10 months of 2026 reached NT$134.37 billion, up 222.7% year-over-year. Adata expects its full-year 2026 operating performance to continue climbing.

Nittobo's T-Glass supply crunch deepens despite 3.6-fold capacity expansion plan for AI chips

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:45:32 GMT

Japan's Nittobo (Nitto Boseki) plans to invest an additional JPY20 billion (approx. US$127 million) to expand production of T-Glass, a specialized low-coefficient-of-thermal-expansion (low-CTE) glass fiber cloth used in advanced semiconductor packaging. The expansion will increase capacity to 3.6 times its fiscal 2025 level by fiscal 2029, reflecting persistent supply shortages and growing demand from AI chipmakers.

India roundup: India electronics manufacturing expands amid AI-driven supply constraints

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:45:22 GMT

India's electronics sector is drawing fresh investment in semiconductors, optical connectivity and manufacturing capacity, even as AI-driven component shortages threaten production, while consumer brands pursue expansion into new markets.

Exclusive: From quantum breakthroughs to industrial reality, UKSC weighs Britain's ambitions at London showcase

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:44:07 GMT

From quantum computers built on conventional silicon to semiconductor light sources promising a new generation of secure communications, the breadth of innovation on display at the UK's National Quantum Technologies Showcase offered a striking glimpse into an industry pushing beyond the established boundaries of computing.

Weekly news roundup: AI compute race intensifies as DRAM rivals diverge and chipmakers expand investments

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:41:32 GMT

This week's coverage highlights accelerating competition across AI infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing and advanced memory. Sweden launched the NVIDIA-based Sferical One supercomputer as leaders urged transformational AI adoption. DRAM makers remain divided over 4F-squared scaling, while CXMT reported sharply higher revenue and outlined 2027 growth plans. Panasonic's Taiwan plant suffered a fatality-risking explosion, Musk may reconsider Terafab control, SK Hynix expanded its AI investment portfolio, and MediaTek hired former Intel packaging chief Navid Shahriari.

Commentary: China's AI data center catch-up hinges on three US policy scenarios

Levi Li — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:39:47 GMT

The US AI data center expansion is entering a critical phase, with electricity supply and local governance emerging as major constraints. Democrat Gina Hinojosa's victory in the 2026 Texas gubernatorial election has added policy uncertainty to new data center projects already delayed by grid interconnection and environmental reviews.

Nvidia board opens independent probe after CEO Jensen Huang admits to affair

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:18:50 GMT

According to an official statement, Nvidia's board has opened an independent investigation into reports that founder and CEO Jensen Huang was targeted in a foreign intelligence effort. The move puts the leadership of the world's most closely watched AI chipmaker under formal review just as lawmakers in both US parties press for answers about China's access to sensitive American technology.

TSMC reaffirms foundry focus after report of 3D DRAM plans for Nvidia

DIGITIMES — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 01:06:10 GMT

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has pushed back on a report that it is weighing a move into advanced memory chip manufacturing, saying it remains focused on its contract chipmaking business. Industry figures in Taiwan said a large-scale entry into DRAM production looked unlikely in the near term.

US-China trade truce gains breathing room as BIS extends 50% Affiliates Rule suspension into 2027

Levi Li — Sat, 7 Nov 2026 12:42:45 GMT

The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has extended the suspension of its 50% Affiliates Rule until January 10, 2027, from the previous November 9, 2026 deadline.

WT Microelectronics Chairman says AI growth holds as auto, industrial markets recover

Charlene Chen — Sat, 7 Nov 2026 12:42:28 GMT

WT Microelectronics chairman Eric Cheng said November 5, 2026, that the long-term AI growth trend remains intact, while the automotive and industrial markets have both passed their cyclical troughs. Following its acquisition of Future, WT Microelectronics has entered the European and North American AI data center supply chains for the first time, bringing its global integration synergies into the harvesting phase.

Quantum computing company IonQ raises 2026 revenue forecast above US$500 million on commercial growth

DIGITIMES — Sat, 7 Nov 2026 12:42:15 GMT

IonQ raised its 2026 revenue forecast to US$505 million-US$515 million after reporting record third-quarter revenue of US$173.8 million, as its quantum computing business expanded across data centers, defense programs, and enterprise deployments. The results marked a 336% year-over-year increase and reflected the company’s shift from laboratory research toward commercial quantum applications in the US and global markets.

Global AI memory crunch drives Taiwan to launch advanced memory initiative

Yunnie Cheng — Sat, 7 Nov 2026 12:42:00 GMT

The boom in AI demand has triggered a global memory crunch, creating persistent supply shortages and price hikes. The market is currently dominated by Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology. While China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has expanded its mass-production capabilities rapidly, US export controls and cybersecurity concerns continue to prevent it from competing directly in the US against American and South Korean rivals.

Solidigm eyes US NAND fab as funding questions linger

Sherri Wang — Sat, 7 Nov 2026 12:41:41 GMT

Solidigm, a subsidiary of SK Hynix, is considering building a NAND flash wafer fab in the US. Funding and the investment timeline have yet to be settled, but DIGITIMES Intelligence believes the project is highly likely to move forward, given AI-driven storage demand and the prospect of US government support.