DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

MediaTek 3Q26 revenue beats forecast, maintains peak-season momentum

Eifeh Strom — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 02:44:22 GMT

MediaTek reported its September and third-quarter 2026 revenue results, with September revenue of NT$55.40 billion (approx. US$1.74 billion), down 13.69% from the previous month and up 1.97% from a year earlier. Third-quarter revenue reached NT$168.06 billion, up 10.43% quarter over quarter and 18.27% year over year, beating the upper end of its revenue forecast by about 5.2% and allowing the company to deliver the performance typically expected during the traditional peak season.

GlobalFoundries wins US$2 billion TSMC interposer deal, closing a US packaging gap

DIGITIMES — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 02:43:17 GMT

GF said on October 8, 2026, that it has signed a multi-year, US$2 billion manufacturing agreement with TSMC to produce silicon interposers for TSMC's CoWoS ecosystem at its Malta, New York fab, which GF says will become the first US-based source of silicon interposers supporting advanced packaging.

Samsung HBM4E wins NVIDIA nod for AI accelerator push

DIGITIMES — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:46:25 GMT

Samsung Electronics' next-generation 12-layer HBM4E product, a type of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), has reportedly cleared customer quality validation from Nvidia and major hyperscale data center operators. If confirmed, the result would strengthen Samsung's bid to supply memory for next-gen AI accelerators, though order timing and mass production plans remain unclear.

Interview: How AI forecasting and energy scheduling are raising the bar for green power sellers

Kevin Wang — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:43:38 GMT

As the demand for green energy surges in parallel with order volumes and production capacity, scheduling for energy storage systems has become a critical technology to solve the problem of excess power for major tech firms, according to Kelsey Kuan, general manager of HD Renewable Energy subsidiary Star Trade. In an interview with DIGITIMES, Kuan also highlighted the rising technological barriers for electricity sellers, as the business now requires AI forecasting, transfer matching, energy storage, and integrated renewable-energy capabilities.

Applied Materials, Intel target AI chip bottlenecks with interconnect scaling and Foveros 3D

Levi Li — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:42:39 GMT

AI chip manufacturing demands are accelerating development of advanced logic and packaging technologies, prompting Applied Materials and Intel to expand their collaboration on next-generation transistors, interconnects, and advanced packaging.

Innodisk, Apacer post September 2026 revenue growth on AI demand

Charlene Chen — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:41:29 GMT

Memory module makers Innodisk and Apacer both reported year-over-year and month-over-month revenue growth for September 2026, supported by steady demand from industrial control, edge computing and AI smart connectivity applications. Their cumulative revenue for the first three quarters of the year also set strong growth records.

Ample revenue slips in September as passive component demand stays strong

DIGITIMES — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:40:13 GMT

Ample Electronic, a supplier of conductive paste materials for the passive components industry, reported September 2026 revenue of NT$304 million (approx. US$9.6 million), down 0.4% from August but up 76.3% from a year earlier. The company said strong demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and related parts continued to support results, while third-quarter 2026 revenue rose to NT$879 million, up 23.6% quarter-over-quarter and 82% year-over-year.

Advantech tops US$1 billion in third-quarter revenue as edge AI orders climb

DIGITIMES — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:39:50 GMT

Advantech reported on October 7 that third-quarter consolidated revenue reached NT$32.44 billion (approx. US$1.02 billion), a record high as demand for edge AI, semiconductor equipment, and robotics stayed strong. September consolidated revenue rose to NT$10.749 billion, up 73.14% year-over-year, while cumulative revenue for the first nine months of 2026 increased to NT$78.952 billion from NT$52.961 billion a year earlier.

WinWay tops NT$10 billion in revenue as AI demand lifts third-quarter results

DIGITIMES — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:39:27 GMT

Semiconductor test interface maker WinWay Technology said AI and high-performance computing (HPC) demand, along with production-efficiency gains on some lines, drove shipments higher in 2026. The company surpassed NT$10 billion (approx. US$314.7 million) in cumulative revenue in September, a milestone it originally expected to hit in 2027, and reported record third-quarter sales as the semiconductor supply chain continued to benefit from strong AI-related spending.

Formosa Smart Energy teams up with CXIT on AI data center push

Charlene Chen — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:39:02 GMT

Formosa Smart Energy (FSET) is moving into AI data centers and will partner with Chuang-Xi Information and Technology (CXIT) to build one at Formosa Plastics Group's Mailiao industrial park, targeting Taiwanese enterprise users and Japanese cloud service providers (CSPs) in the first phase. The companies also plan to set up a CSP joint venture to run AI data center operations and computing-power services.

Inpaq reshuffles management, appoints Joyin chair as new head

Charlene Chen — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:38:34 GMT

Inpaq, part of the PSA Group, said it will eliminate the chief executive officer (CEO) position effective immediately as it adjusts its organizational structure and management responsibilities. In a related personnel change, Joyin chair Jui-Tsung Chang will serve as general manager, while former CEO and president Eunice Chen will remain a company director.

Interview: Europe's enterprise networking market returns to growth as pandemic inventory hangover clears

DIGITIMES — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 01:38:10 GMT

The European enterprise networking market has cleared its multi-year inventory digestion period. According to CONTEXT, sell-through via European distribution channels is growing in the low double digits entering 2026 across core infrastructure categories, including switches and enterprise wireless access points. That contrasts with the "heavy double-digit declines" the channel saw during COVID-19, said CONTEXT principal analyst Aaron Smith.

Largan Precision posts over 10% revenue growth in the first nine months of 2026

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 08:32:04 GMT

Largan Precision reported September consolidated revenue of NT$2.672 billion (US$83.73 million), down 1.75% from August but up 0.54% from a year earlier, according to an Oct. 8 filing. The camera lens maker said cumulative revenue for the first nine months of 2026 reached NT$19.636 billion, an increase of 10.12% from NT$17.831 billion in the same period of 2025.

Lam Research launches South Korea chip fund after 15,000-chamber milestone

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 07:42:44 GMT

Lam Research is launching its first country-specific semiconductor venture fund in South Korea after shipping its 15,000th locally manufactured processing chamber, deepening its manufacturing and technology ties with one of the world's major chipmaking hubs.

SpaceX pursues US$40 billion Nvidia chip financing while Terafab charts path to AI compute independence

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 07:37:58 GMT

SpaceX is reportedly seeking US$40 billion in financing to purchase Nvidia chips, a massive capital commitment driven by surging artificial intelligence (AI) computing demand. Viewed alongside Elon Musk's Terafab semiconductor manufacturing initiative, however, the move suggests a dual-track strategy: relying on Nvidia for near-term computing capacity while gradually reducing dependence on external suppliers over the longer term.

Ledlink hits record revenue as automotive optics and AI server components fuel growth

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 07:17:07 GMT

LED lens manufacturer Ledlink Optics reported record monthly and quarterly revenue in September and the third quarter of 2026, respectively, driven by sustained demand for automotive optical lenses and steadily increasing shipments of precision structural components for AI servers.

Bloom Energy SOFC system to support AOI's Taiwan expansion

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 07:05:01 GMT

Taiwan-based energy solutions provider Leadray Energy has partnered with Bloom Energy to deploy a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) on-site power generation system at an expansion project operated by Applied Optoelectronics' (AOI) subsidiary in Taiwan.

LG to test five commercial components in space aboard South Korea's fifth Nuri launch

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 06:58:50 GMT

LG Group is preparing to test five commercial components developed by LG Electronics, LG Innotek, and LG Energy Solution (LGES), including cameras and batteries, aboard a CubeSat carried as a secondary payload on South Korea's fifth Nuri rocket launch. The mission aims to assess whether commercially available components can operate reliably in space.

US and 14 nations issue statement on overcapacity, target semiconductors

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 06:54:36 GMT

The US and 14 other economies issued a joint statement after the G20 trade ministers' meeting in Milwaukee, pledging to work together on structural overcapacity and excess production in key industries. They singled out autos, EVs, batteries, chemicals, semiconductors and solar panels.

Google, Meta, and others commit nearly US$2 billion to open AI biology data

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 06:45:19 GMT

A new international funding push aims to build the data backbone for AI systems that could model biology, sharpen disease research, and speed drug discovery worldwide. The effort may help researchers in many countries access shared datasets, tools, and computing resources needed to predict how cells respond to disease and treatment.

Infineon completes acquisition of C2i to expand AI data center power capabilities

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 06:43:23 GMT

Infineon has finished acquiring India-based C2i Semiconductors, a maker of software-defined multiphase controllers and smart power stages used in AI data centers. The acquisition indicates the growing importance of power stability and efficiency as the number of energy-hungry AI processors rises.

AI PCs face memory squeeze as server demand takes priority

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 05:54:36 GMT

Microsoft's October 7 opening of pre-orders for Surface Laptop Ultra, featuring up to 128GB of unified memory, highlights a potential new source of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) demand as PC makers bring larger AI models and autonomous agents onto local devices. But the opportunity comes as PC shipments decline and memory manufacturers prioritize server customers, raising questions about whether high-capacity PCs can secure enough supply to become a meaningful growth market.

TSMC's third-quarter revenue rises 51% to NT$1.49 trillion as September sales stay near record

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 05:45:34 GMT

TSMC reported consolidated revenue of about NT$511.86 billion (approx. US$16.1 billion) for September 2026. That was up 54.6% from NT$330.98 billion a year earlier and down 0.6% from August, the company said on October 8.

Hanmi wins rare Samsung order amid US$5 billion chip substrate expansion

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 04:21:55 GMT

South Korea's Hanmi Semiconductor has secured a KRW24.48 billion (approx. US$18.3 million) equipment order from Samsung Electro-Mechanics, a rare deal with a Samsung Group affiliate after years of limited business following a patent dispute. The contract comes a week after Samsung Electro-Mechanics announced a KRW6.78 trillion expansion of its AI server substrate business, as demand for advanced chip packaging continues to grow.

India's chip packaging plants start exporting, but scale, skills, and subsidies test the next phase

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 04:19:50 GMT

India's outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) sector has moved from inaugurations to its first export shipments. The challenge now is scale. The new plants are small, still lean on foreign engineers and partners, and the government's second subsidy round offers less support for conventional packaging than the first. Japanese chipmakers are among the earliest customers, but they are spreading work across several Indian partners rather than building their own plants.

China pushes six-network buildout as AI strains power links

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 04:11:48 GMT

China is accelerating construction of its so-called "six networks" — water, a new power grid, computing, next-generation communications, urban underground pipelines, and logistics — as data centers driven by AI and the digital economy create new demand for electricity and infrastructure. The latest push is turning coordination between computing, power, and telecommunications into a new policy challenge.

AUO subsidiary Darwin shifts toward high-end manufacturing, explores CPO and semiconductor opportunities

Willis Ke — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 03:59:06 GMT

As AUO deepens its push into co-packaged optics (CPO), its subsidiary Darwin Precisions is also exploring opportunities in the semiconductor sector, leveraging its expertise in precision and ultra-precision machining and precision molds.

Sasken eyes reusable chip IP as India pushes beyond semiconductor design services

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 03:57:26 GMT

India-based engineering firm Sasken Technologies plans to license company-owned semiconductor interconnect intellectual property (IP) to multiple customers, marking an effort to move beyond customer-specific chip engineering work toward a reusable IP business model.

Malaysia's chip push: a new island and pressure from Washington and Beijing

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 03:55:00 GMT

Malaysia's plan to climb the semiconductor value chain is colliding with two constraints: a shortage of land in Penang, the heart of its chip industry, and mounting pressure to pick sides in the US-China technology contest. Off Penang's coast, developers are reclaiming a 2,300-acre Silicon Island from the sea to give the cluster room to expand, even as Washington presses Kuala Lumpur to police advanced chip flows and Chinese-linked firms are setting up in the state to reduce their exposure to scrutiny of China-origin goods.

Samsung to exit in-house automotive AP, focus on high-margin chips

Lily Hess — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 03:55:00 GMT

Samsung Electronics' System LSI division is reportedly planning a retreat from the automotive application processor (AP) business and launching a major restructuring, with a future focus on high-margin areas such as image sensors and mobile system-on-chip (SoC) products. Analysts say Samsung is seeking to improve profitability in its non-memory businesses through a selection and concentration strategy after years of losses at System LSI and its foundry operations.

Viking Tech lead times stretch to 6 months; orders seen into 2H27

Charlene Chen — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 03:50:27 GMT

Viking Tech said demand from AI, data centers, server power, military, and aerospace applications has kept capacity fully loaded as it enters the fourth quarter of 2026, with its book-to-bill ratio still at 1.5, though down slightly from the April peak of 1.7. The thin-film resistor maker said average lead time for both precision thin-film and standard thick-film resistors has now extended to 25 weeks, or nearly half a year, while some orders are already scheduled into the second half of 2027. The company said shortages are concentrated in 1206 and 0603 sizes.

Microsoft readies Windows for AI agents as third-party agents such as Meta's Muse spread

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 03:47:51 GMT

Beyond Surface hardware, Microsoft used its October 7 event to change how Windows runs, routes, and contains AI agents, as third-party agents such as Meta's Muse draw privacy complaints and, according to a Bank of America analyst, threaten platform owners' control of transactions. Apple and Google have expanded agent tools in their operating systems this year, and Reuters described Microsoft's push as a challenge to Apple's effort to bring more AI into personal devices.

Marvell's custom AI chip upgrade points to a broader fight over peripherals

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 03:47:04 GMT

Marvell's higher long-term target for custom AI chip revenue suggests the market for artificial intelligence hardware is widening beyond accelerators, into management chips, storage, memory, and networking. The shift could benefit Taiwanese design firms, but it also raises the bar for custom silicon expertise and customer access.

Anthropic expands cybersecurity program for advanced AI testing

Lily Hess — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 03:45:00 GMT

Anthropic on October 6 expanded its AI cybersecurity testing program, giving vetted security teams access to higher-end models with fewer safeguards. The move builds on the results of Project Glasswing and aims to equip defenders with stronger AI tools while controlling capabilities that could be misused for attacks.

European carmakers urge delay to battery localization rules

DIGITIMES — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 03:39:18 GMT

The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) and European automakers are pressing the European Commission to delay localization rules for EV batteries under the draft Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), warning that Europe's homegrown battery supply chain is still too weak to support the plan. The push comes as ACEA warns that local battery production may fall short of demand, potentially leaving some EVs ineligible for incentives under a rushed law.