DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Gogoro mourns backer Samuel Yin, who committed US$50 million before a single scooter rolled out

Joseph(C) Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:54:41 GMT

Gogoro has issued a statement mourning the death of Ruentex Group president Samuel Yin, who passed away peacefully at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in the early hours of May 26 at the age of 76.

Darfon Electronics invests in AI cooling systems maker GrAndvance

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:19:20 GMT

As demand for high-performance computing continues to rise, thermal management has emerged as one of the most critical constraints on server performance. Liquid cooling systems, once a niche solution, are rapidly moving into the mainstream. At the center of that shift is the coolant distribution unit ( CDU), which has become a strategic component as major suppliers race to secure positions in the liquid cooling supply chain.

Let there be limits—Pope Leo invokes scripture on AI's moral peril, Anthropic in tow

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:18:14 GMT

Pope Leo XIV released a major document on May 25, warning about the dangers of AI, from autonomous weapons to what he claims is its relation to "new forms of slavery" arising from the industry. An unexpected attendee of the pope's Vatican event announcing the document's release was Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah, a presence that signals the AI developer's relationship with the Catholic Church as it seeks to bolster its image as an AI company concerned with ethics.

LED maker Ennostar pivots to optical interconnects after high-value shift agin traction

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 09:02:32 GMT

Ennostar Holdings' transformation has begun to show clear results, with chairman Paul Peng saying the company's "3+1" strategy is taking shape, as higher-value applications now account for more than half of revenue. Despite continued uncertainty in the global environment, Peng remains cautiously optimistic about the second half of 2026 and expects the company to maintain relatively strong performance.

Alchip: ASIC growth may outpace the broader GPU market

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:56:49 GMT

For the past three years, graphics processing units, or GPUs, have dominated the artificial intelligence boom. But Johnny Shen, chairman of Alchip Technologies, believes the next phase of the market may belong to something more specialized.

Nvidia and Marvell CEOs to share Computex stage— How US$2 billion turned rivals into partners

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:55:22 GMT

When Nvidia quietly wrote a US$2 billion check to Marvell Technology earlier this year, it was less a financial bet than a strategic maneuver — one that converted a potential rival into a committed partner. Now, for the first time since that deal was struck, the two companies' CEOs will share a stage.

The US$16.5 Billion Bet: How Co-Packaged Optics Will Rewire AI's Backbone by 2030

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:47:51 GMT

Mastering the 140%+ CAGR of CPO Semiconductor Revenue Explosion

Inside China's chip war: How Xiaomi, BYD, and Nio are rewriting the rules

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:31:55 GMT

China's semiconductor war has been underway for seven or eight years now.

Chiplet boom puts Taiwan's InPsytech and its AI connectivity IPs in the spotlight

Emily Kuo — Tue, 26 May 2026 07:04:44 GMT

As the global semiconductor industry pivots toward chiplet-based designs — where multiple smaller chips are packaged together rather than built as a single monolithic die — the specialized intellectual property that makes those chips communicate reliably has become critical infrastructure. InPsytech, a Taiwanese IP design firm and subsidiary of Egis Technology, has staked its business on exactly that.

Wonderful Hi-Tech sees rising demand from low-orbit satellites and AI data centers

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:50:14 GMT

At its annual shareholders' meeting on May 25, Ringo Chang, chairman of Wonderful Hi-Tech, said the cable and connectivity supplier expects revenue growth to resume in 2026, with profit growth outpacing sales expansion.

Samsung's reported 900-layer V-NAND prototype puts NAND race with YMTC in focus

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:46:56 GMT

The race to dominate next-generation NAND flash memory has long been measured in layers — and Samsung Electronics appears to be pulling ahead. The South Korean chipmaker has reportedly developed a 900-layer-class V-NAND prototype, a significant leap that brings the memory industry closer to the 1,000-layer threshold as chipmakers intensify efforts to pack more storage into smaller chips while cutting power consumption.

Huawei Tau Law series 1: How China's chip industry is pivoting beyond Moore's Law

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:00:00 GMT

When Huawei unveiled its "Tau (τ) Scaling Law" at ISCAS 2026 in Shanghai, the announcement signalled more than another chip architecture update. It marked China's most ambitious attempt yet to redefine how semiconductor performance is measured in the post-Moore era.

Kinpo Electronics pushes beyond manufacturing with AI servers, satellite systems, and quantum computing

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 05:41:32 GMT

At its annual shareholders' meeting on Sunday, Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Kinpo Electronics provided new details on its transition toward higher-value ODM businesses, alongside updates on AI server racks, satellite communications systems, and emerging investments in quantum computing.

Wiwynn expands US capacity as AI server boom strains power and supply chains

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 05:41:23 GMT

Taiwan-based AI server maker Wiwynn is accelerating its global expansion as surging demand for AI infrastructure creates mounting pressure on power supply, production capacity, and critical component availability.

AMD and Nvidia deepen investments in Taiwan semiconductor ecosystem

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 04:40:21 GMT

When AMD CEO Lisa Su arrived in Taiwan on May 20, she announced plans to invest more than US$10 billion with local supply-chain partners and the island's broader semiconductor ecosystem. The goal, she said, was to help secure a long-term supply of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips.

E Ink brings BMW-backed color-changing e-paper car tech to Computex 2026

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 04:24:41 GMT

E Ink will bring its BMW-backed color-changing e-paper vehicle technology to Computex 2026, showcasing the hood structure of the BMW iX3 Flow Edition in the event’s electronic paper industry zone. The display follows BMW’s unveiling of the iX3 Flow Edition at Auto China 2026 in Beijing, where the model adopted E Ink Prism technology and moved toward mass production after more than five years of E Ink development work on vehicle surface applications.

Win Semiconductors bets on optical and satellite communications growth

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 04:08:51 GMT

Facing expanding opportunities in both optical communications and satellite connectivity, Dennis Chen, chairman of Win Semiconductors, said the company is actively advancing a range of products, including driver ICs, continuous-wave (CW) lasers, and photodiodes, while also ramping up capacity in anticipation of growing demand from next-generation networks.

Samsung's P4 HBM push could worsen DRAM crunch in 2027

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 04:00:45 GMT

Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing to allocate much of its Pyeongtaek P4 cleanroom capacity to next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) in 2027, a move that could tighten the supply of general-purpose DRAM as memory makers shift more production toward higher-value AI server products.

Intel's Rio Rancho fab becomes test case for AI-era chip packaging

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:42:35 GMT

Intel is looking to broaden its foundry strategy beyond the race for advanced process nodes, placing greater emphasis on advanced packaging and glass substrate technologies as it positions Rio Rancho — its New Mexico site — as a global hub for next-generation packaging production.

GlobalWafers rolls out phased GaN capacity expansion to ease supply crunch

Emily Kuo — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:40:10 GMT

Following GlobalWafers' shareholders' meeting on May 25, Chairperson Doris Hsu stated that the company's core compound semiconductor business, gallium nitride (GaN), is addressing strong demand for high-efficiency power solutions in AI servers. The company is also beginning to see emerging demand from diversified applications such as AI robotics. As a result, production capacity in 2026 has already entered a state of supply shortage. To meet strong demand from Japanese IDM customers, GlobalWafers is launching a continuous "30% plus 20%" expansion plan.

Huawei eyes AI storage breakthrough with DoB packaging, 245TB SSD roadmap

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:36:28 GMT

Huawei has released its Data Storage 2030 white paper, setting out a technology roadmap for the global storage industry over the next five to 10 years, as AI large language models drive data creation into what the company calls the yottabyte era.

ASML expands Taiwan hiring and operations to meet advanced chip demand

Eifeh Strom — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:32:57 GMT

Grace Wang, vice president and general manager of ASML in Taiwan, said that ASML plans to deploy extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and next-generation high numerical aperture (high-NA) EUV technologies to reduce energy consumption per wafer at the process level, while continuing to deepen its presence in Taiwan. The company also plans to hire around 1,000 new employees in Taiwan in 2026 to support customer expansion and rising global capacity demand.

Commentary: Stellantis' capital shift signals quiet reshaping of Europe's auto industry

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:29:59 GMT

In recent weeks, Stellantis, one of the world's five largest automakers, unveiled an ambitious five-year plan titled Fastlane 2030. At its core is a striking reallocation of capital: 60% of its EUR60 billion (approx. US$69.8 billion) investment program will be directed toward North America.

Analysis: Huawei's Tau Law signals a new semiconductor framework — with implications beyond China

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:04:07 GMT

As the global semiconductor industry approaches the physical limits of transistor scaling, Huawei has proposed a new framework for the post-Moore era through its recently introduced "Tau (τ) Law" and a related time-scaling theory.

Kian-Shen reports 2025 revenue decline but eyes growth in electric bus chassis and sustainable transport

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 03:00:35 GMT

Kian-Shen Industrial, a unit of Yulon Motor, reported on May 26 that 2025 consolidated revenue fell to NT$1.246 billion, a 15% decrease from the prior year, as customer labor shortages, design changes, and delayed production schedules weighed on electric bus chassis volume. Executives said mid-to-large vehicle chassis deliveries began to recover in the second half of the year but volume gains remained limited.

GlobalWafers to increase prices, targets 4Q26 shipments for square wafers, Asia capacity fully booked

Emily Kuo — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:53:20 GMT

GlobalWafers held its shareholders' meeting on May 25, where CEO Doris Hsu stated that the semiconductor market in 2026 has gradually moved beyond 2025's two extremes, when only AI and advanced process technologies dominated growth. In 2026, non-AI and traditional application markets began to recover, making market conditions thrive.

SK Hynix moves cooling directly to D2D PHY to tackle rising HBM heat challenges

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:50:49 GMT

Heat management has become a critical challenge as HBM technology advances, with higher stacking and faster speeds to meet surging global demand for AI data processing. Efficient control of power density in the die-to-die physical layer between HBM and GPUs is now central to next-generation HBM competitiveness and data center reliability.

China pushes homegrown AI stack with local chips, LLMs

Levi Li — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:36:18 GMT

Following the conclusion of the Trump-Xi meeting and amid continued delays in China approving imports of Nvidia H20 GPUs, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on May 22 sent a strong policy signal on artificial intelligence (AI) self-sufficiency, explicitly calling for greater efforts to pair domestic large language models with domestically developed computing chips.

Taiwan's quantum research enters second phase, eyeing Finland for HPQC collab

Rodney Chan — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:36:01 GMT

Taiwan's state-funded quantum technology research team will enter a second phase running from 2027 to 2031, with a focus on accelerating the transfer of research results to leading companies, according to Shangjr Gwo, who heads the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) quantum systems task force. Speaking at the 13th Taiwan-Finland Business Forum in Taipei on May 25, Gwo, convener of the Taiwan Quantum Program Office, said Finland is expected to be a key partner in advancing HPQC hybrid computing and integrating QPU, CPU, and GPU systems more effectively.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan Taiwan-bound for closed-door meetings ahead of Computex

Sherri Wang — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:32:54 GMT

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is set to arrive in Taiwan this weekend, joining AMD CEO Lisa Su and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in a high-stakes push by the world's top chip leaders to deepen ties with Taiwanese partners ahead of Computex 2026.

Taiwan MLCC makers plug into AI server demand

Charlene Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:18:58 GMT

AI servers are driving a surge in demand for high-end passive components, rapidly eating into multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) capacity and extending lead times to more than 16–20 weeks. As a result, some orders that once went to major Japanese and South Korean suppliers are gradually spilling over to Taiwan-based makers.

Wingtech sues Nexperia for US$1.2B as it fights delisting risk

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 02:18:17 GMT

Wingtech Technology, the Chinese tech company that owns Dutch semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia, has filed a civil lawsuit against Nexperia and five defendants for alleged damages worth CNY8 billion (approx. US$1.2 billion). The case is the latest development of the legal troubles between the Chinese company and its subsidiary following the Dutch government's seizure of the company in late 2025 for national security reasons.

Holy Stone Enterprise says AI power surge will deepen global MLCC shortages

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:59:10 GMT

Holy Stone Enterprise warns that AI-driven power upgrades are creating global shortages and record demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), with lead times beyond 20 weeks and tighter supply expected through 2027. The developments could reshape supply chains for servers, data centers, and high-power consumer electronics worldwide, and accelerate global investment in components.

TP-Link India begins local manufacturing of Wi‑Fi 7, aiming to boost global supply

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:52:04 GMT

TP-Link India has started local production of Wi‑Fi 7 devices, beginning with the Omada EAP770 enterprise access point, a move that could accelerate the adoption of next‑generation wireless worldwide. The decision follows India's delicensing of the lower 6 GHz band and positions the company to serve domestic and select international markets, according to The Times of India, AP7AM, and The Statesman.

Micron expands US DDR4 output as AI keeps global supply tight

Elaine Chen — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:48:35 GMT

As Micron Technology's decision to restart large-scale DDR4 production in the US grabs global attention, memory-chip executives and analysts say the move is less a revival of aging technology than a strategic reshuffling of supply aimed at safeguarding critical American industries.

Lightmatter joins TSMC on COUPE for 3D optical engines

Lily Hess — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:37:15 GMT

AI computing's massive demand for infrastructure is making interconnect and laser technologies key to overcoming power and bandwidth limits, prompting silicon photonics unicorn Lightmatter to unveil its latest laser product, Guide DR. To advance its 3D-stacked silicon photonics engine, Lightmatter is also working closely with TSMC using its Compact Universal Photonic Engine (COUPE) platform.

NTT updates tsuzumi 2 to read charts and boost numerical reasoning

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:23:31 GMT

NTT updated its lightweight Japanese large language model, tsuzumi 2, to better understand charts, graphs, and other visuals in business documents, thereby strengthening numerical and logical reasoning. The change is aimed at on-premises and private-cloud deployments that handle sensitive data, with implications for multinational firms and organizations that need secure, accurate Japanese document processing.

Advantech deepens partnerships in South Korea to push hybrid edge for manufacturing AI

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:19:50 GMT

Advantech has deepened partnerships with Nvidia, AMD, and South Korean startups to push a hybrid edge architecture for manufacturing AI, promising faster on-site inference and continuous cloud-driven model updates. Global manufacturers could use this approach to scale Physical AI across factories while managing compute, protocol, and sensor challenges for worldwide adoption.

Recharge Power to list and partner with J&V to pursue millisecond-response storage for AI data centers

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:17:37 GMT

J&V Energy Technology announced the launch of a subsidiary focused on supercomputing. It said its system-level energy storage unit, Recharge Power, will list on the emerging stock board on May 27 as the two firms target energy storage infrastructure for AI computing centers. The move responds to rising GPU power demands and aims to capture growth from the convergence of AI and energy in Taiwan and abroad.

Castrol moves into AI liquid-cooling testing and lifecycle services for data centers

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:13:06 GMT

Castrol is expanding from supplying cooling fluids to providing liquid-cooling testing and lifecycle services for AI data centers, the firm announced, as demand for faster deployment and reliable operation grows. The company said its Silicon Valley laboratory opened in 2026 to deliver load bank testing and simulation of power and liquid-cooling infrastructure before customer site deployment, targeting containerized data centers and hyperscale environments.

Chun Yuan Steel positions for growth as Toyota readies Taiwan production base

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:10:17 GMT

Chun Yuan Steel outlined strategic moves on May 25 as it pursues new growth opportunities tied to Toyota's plan to establish a Taiwan production base and to rising demand from China's southern low-altitude economy and robotics sectors. Executives said the company will prioritize automation and targeted investments rather than rapid capacity expansion, and flagged the second half of 2026 as a period when automotive materials demand should improve.

Samsung unveils industry-first 6K Odyssey gaming monitor as China ramps panel competition

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:08:11 GMT

Samsung Electronics announced a new 2026 gaming monitor lineup that includes the industry's first 6K (6,144×3,456) gaming display, positioning the company to defend high-end monitor share as China's display industry intensifies competition. The launch, disclosed in South Korean media reports and company statements, introduced four Odyssey models and highlighted partnerships and panel sourcing moves across the Korean display ecosystem.

Longwell joins Nvidia AI server supply chain and speeds Thailand expansion for AI and LEO demand

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:07:09 GMT

Longwell, a cable and connector supplier, said on May 25 that it has entered Nvidia's supply chain for the next-generation AI server platform after its high-power cables passed the latest chip platform certification and moved into market qualification and pilot production. Shipments were expected to begin in the second half of 2026, with volumes set to expand further in 2027, the company announced.

ADATA outlines cloud-to-edge AI ecosystem and cost-cutting AI Scaler at COMPUTEX 2026

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:05:36 GMT

ADATA Technology said it will present a cloud-to-edge artificial intelligence ecosystem at COMPUTEX 2026, bringing together its enterprise storage brand TRUSTA, ADATA Industrial, gaming brand XPG, and AIoT unit ATrack to showcase hardware and software integrations across data centers, PCs, and edge devices. The company announced partnerships and cross-domain integrations with Nvidia, Intel, Advantech, Asus ROG, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock, and Razer. It highlighted solutions aimed at reducing deployment costs and extending AI to smart living and mobility scenarios.

TECO completes Malaysia's Dynaciate acquisition to boost data center build capacity

DIGITIMES — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:03:33 GMT

TECO Electric & Machinery announced on the 25th that it signed an agreement to acquire about 78% of Malaysian engineering firm Dynaciate Engineering Sdn. Bhd. for roughly 200 million ringgit (about NT$1.6 billion). The closing was targeted by the end of August and the firm said the move is intended to expand TECO's data center infrastructure footprint in Southeast Asia to serve global cloud service provider customers.

Powerchip unveils 3D AI Foundry with 3D WoW DRAM stacking at COMPUTEX 2026

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 23:57:50 GMT

Powerchip announced it will present a "3D AI Foundry" showcase at COMPUTEX 2026 to demonstrate 3D wafer-on-wafer (WoW) DRAM stacking, interposers, and Si-cap integrated passive devices as part of an end-to-end offering for AI chips, addressing rising demand for GenAI and high-performance computing for memory capacity, bandwidth, and energy efficiency. The firm said it is leveraging its combined logic and memory processing capabilities, along with customer IP and product design services, to target AI workloads facing growing memory bandwidth and power constraints.

Samsung's silicon photonics push adds new layer to Korea-Dutch chip ties

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:44:43 GMT

South Korea and the Netherlands are looking to broaden their semiconductor partnership beyond ASML's EUV lithography machines, as silicon photonics (SiPh) emerges as a potential next field of cooperation amid rising power and bandwidth demands from AI data centers.

Inside China's humanoid robot boom: Price war, fractured supply chains

Levi Li — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:44:28 GMT

China's humanoid robot market is expanding rapidly, but intensifying price competition and growing concerns over product reliability are beginning to expose structural weaknesses across the supply chain.

Analysis: Nvidia's Vera CPU opens new front in data center chip race

Sherri Wang — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:44:10 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is pushing the company deeper into the CPU market, betting that the rise of agentic AI will create a new growth engine beyond the GPUs that made Nvidia the dominant supplier of AI computing hardware.

Japan's carmakers stopped fighting Chinese EVs — and started copying them

Elaine Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:43:58 GMT

As China's auto market races deeper into the electric-vehicle era, Japanese automakers that once dominated the country through powerful joint ventures are beginning to show signs of recovery after years of steep decline. Their turnaround, industry executives say, has come only after embracing a strategy once considered unthinkable: building cars that look, feel, and are priced much more like Chinese domestic brands.

Kioxia targets 2027 BiCS 10 NAND production as Samsung, SK Hynix hold back investment

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:43:41 GMT

Kioxia is targeting 2027 production of its 10th-generation BiCS 10 NAND, a move that could help the Japanese memory maker narrow its technology gap with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as the South Korean rivals delay investment in their own next-generation NAND technologies, according to ZDNet Korea.

TSMC promises faster bonus growth in 2026 after employees threaten Samsung-style strike

Eifeh Strom — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:42:56 GMT

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will reportedly cut employee bonuses by 15%, prompting some employees to voice dissatisfaction on social media. They argued that while TSMC's profits have soared, the share allocated to employee bonuses has decreased rather than increased, with some employees threatening to follow Samsung Electronics' union with a strike to fight for their rights.

Taiwan, China wafer foundry industry, 2Q 2026: Cross-strait revenues to surge over 25%

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 09:10:15 GMT

Taiwan and China's wafer foundry industry off-season was not slow, and the price hike effect will drive up cross-strait industry revenues in the second quarter of 2026 and full-year 2026.