DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

SK Hynix and Nvidia strike long-term deal to co-develop next-generation HBM

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 14:11:29 GMT

SK Group and Nvidia have announced a comprehensive partnership valued at more than $500 billion, spanning AI factory construction and next-generation memory supply, with letters of intent signed at an AI summit on Thursday.

Samsung, SK, Hyundai join Jensen Huang and Korea's President Lee at San Francisco AI Summit

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 04:34:36 GMT

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and a delegation of the country's most powerful business leaders convened with NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang in Silicon Valley this week, in a series of meetings and public appearances that cast Korea as a cornerstone of the global AI infrastructure push.

89 fabs by 2030, 50 more by 2035: chip industry spreads risk through global collab

Charlene Chen — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:48:27 GMT

AI infrastructure investment is reaching unprecedented levels, with estimates showing it will lift global semiconductor output past US$1 trillion in 2026, four years earlier than previously expected, and expand the market to US$1.5 trillion by 2030. SEMI Global Chief Marketing Officer Terry Tsao said nearly 89 fabs are in the planning or construction pipeline for 2026-2030 to meet surging AI chip demand, with another 50 fabs expected to be planned for 2030-2035.

Trumpf's stabilizing sales point to a broader recovery in industrial demand

Jingyue Hsiao — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:48:14 GMT

Trumpf said preliminary fiscal 2025/26 results showed its business stabilizing after several years of declines in orders and revenue. The German laser and smart manufacturing equipment maker reported slightly higher revenue and stronger-than-expected orders, suggesting demand may be recovering across its key markets and business lines.

PlayNitride bets on Tantium architecture, chip scaling to cut MicroLED costs 75% by 2030

Willis Ke — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:48:03 GMT

Taiwan-based PlayNitride aims to reduce MicroLED production costs by 75% by 2030 through smaller chip designs and its proprietary high-efficiency Tantium chip architecture, positioning the technology for broader adoption across consumer electronics, automotive displays, AR devices, and optical interconnects, founder and chairman Charles Li said at South Korea's Display Business Forum 2026.

Qualcomm expands Galaxy AI partnership as Samsung adopts Snapdragon across new device lineup

AI bot — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:47:50 GMT

Qualcomm is expanding the reach of its Snapdragon platform across Samsung Electronics' Galaxy ecosystem, with Samsung's latest foldable smartphones, smartwatches and next-generation smart glasses all powered by Snapdragon processors. The move highlights the two companies' growing focus on on-device AI and seamless cross-device experiences.

Rapidus links 2nm chips, HBM and advanced packaging in AI foundry strategy

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:28:06 GMT

Rapidus is treating advanced packaging as a central part of its 2nm foundry strategy, not a downstream assembly service. The Japanese chipmaker aims to connect design enablement, front-end wafer processing, chiplet integration, packaging, testing and manufacturing data through its Innovative Integration for Manufacturing (IIM-1) model.

Taiwan's chip partnerships widen beyond fabs to AI, photonics and quantum

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:50:31 GMT

Taiwan's semiconductor industry is expanding overseas while deepening cooperation with the US, Europe, and Asia across advanced packaging, AI infrastructure, research, talent, cybersecurity, and international standards.

Taiwan scholars see rising pressures in joint civilian-military research

Kevin Wang — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:50:00 GMT

Tsu-Jae Liu, president of the National Academy of Engineering and academician of Academia Sinica, has highlighted the increasing pressure on the integration of civilian and military research, as economic security and national security become entangled amid shifting geopolitical concerns.

Valeo's drone-motor deal pulls a car-parts giant into France's defense-sovereignty push

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:49:49 GMT

Defense-tech firm Harmattan AI has picked automotive supplier Valeo to develop and build an electric drone motor in France, a modest first contract that signals two larger shifts: Europe's carmakers are repurposing electrification know-how for defense, and the region is racing to wall off drone supply chains from foreign chokepoints, rare earths above all.

Huaqin's growing stake in Nexchip shows ODMs reaching upstream into chipmaking

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:49:39 GMT

Huaqin Technology, the world's largest consumer-electronics original design manufacturer, has again increased its stake in Chinese foundry Nexchip Semiconductor, underscoring how contract manufacturers increasingly view direct ownership of chip capacity as central to supply-chain security rather than a purely financial bet.

Taiwan firms push local robot dog parts, eye non-China supply chains

Lily Hess — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:48:48 GMT

As global companies rush to tap the robotics boom, Taiwan's manufacturers are focusing on a blue ocean strategy centered on components, non-humanoid designs, and non-consumer products. A recent partnership between Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and domestic companies has produced a local robot dog platform with a much higher self-sufficiency rate, signaling that Taiwanese firms can help build a non-China supply chain.

US connected-car crackdown widens from Chinese tech to ownership ties

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:46:30 GMT

US efforts to restrict Chinese technology from connected vehicles are expanding beyond hardware and software sourcing, as proposed legislation introduces ownership thresholds that could affect even automakers headquartered outside China.

SuperAlloy expands recycled aluminum push as semiconductor business nears revenue contribution

Jingyue Hsiao — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:46:08 GMT

SuperAlloy Industrial is broadening its business beyond forged aluminum wheels, with recycled aluminum and semiconductor parts emerging as new growth drivers. The shift could matter for global customers watching supply chains, low-carbon materials, and semiconductor equipment costs, as the company works to secure certifications, diversify sourcing, and expand production capacity.

NAND price rally enters plateau as supply stays tight despite weaker spot demand

Scarlett Yu — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:45:53 GMT

The pace of NAND Flash price increases has moderated in the second half of 2026, prompting speculation that the memory market may be approaching a turning point. Supply-chain sources, however, say the market is entering a high-price plateau rather than a downturn, with tight supply expected to persist even as higher procurement costs dampen spot-market activity.

China folds data centers into 15th Five-Year renewable energy plan

Lily Hess — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:41:06 GMT

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA) on the 23rd released the 15th Five-Year Plan for Renewable Energy Development, setting out renewable energy targets for 2030 and, for the first time, requiring new data centers to be planned together with renewable power projects to raise the share of green electricity use.

Commentary: OpenAI and Apple heat up AI hardware; Anthropic stands apart

Charlene Chen — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:40:48 GMT

As OpenAI extends its foundation model outward to capture every entry point, Anthropic has chosen almost the opposite path. Rather than emulate Google or Apple, Anthropic is concentrating its resources on the capabilities that only a native AI company can build, with compute still its most pressing constraint.

Chunghwa Telecom urges Taiwan to integrate low-altitude communications into key infrastructure

Rodney Chan — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:40:28 GMT

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has called on the Taiwan government to build low-altitude communications into national critical infrastructure planning as drones move toward beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and large-scale operations for defense, disaster relief, logistics, and infrastructure inspections.

Hisense expands AI strategy into energy, chips, and automotive electronics

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:40:04 GMT

Hisense outlined a broader AI strategy at its global partner conference in New York, saying it will expand beyond home appliances into semiconductors, smart energy, laser displays, and automotive electronics. The Chinese consumer electronics maker said the plan is designed to widen its AI value chain, strengthen global brand management, and improve user experience and operations.

Transcend posts record NT$11.9 billion profit in 2Q26, surpassing any prior full-year earnings

Eifeh Strom — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:39:47 GMT

Memory module maker Transcend Information posted record-high profit in the second quarter and first half of 2026. Second-quarter consolidated revenue reached NT$18.82 billion (approx. US$581.96 million), up 38.1% from the previous quarter, while gross margin rose to 77.3%. Operating profit increased 44.4% sequentially to NT$14.13 billion, and net income after tax increased 46.5% sequentially to NT$11.9 billion. Earnings per share (EPS) reached NT$27.70, with single-quarter profit significantly outperforming the company's full-year earnings in any previous year.

South Korea unveils AI cooperation agenda as Nvidia partnerships expand

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:33:16 GMT

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung launched an AI-focused visit to Silicon Valley by announcing a "San Francisco AI Declaration" aimed at promoting international cooperation in artificial intelligence, while a series of technology partnerships involving Nvidia, South Korean companies and US firms were announced alongside the visit, according to The Chosun Daily, Reuters, and Bloomberg.

South Korean leaders meet Nvidia as AI partnerships expand

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:06:45 GMT

South Korean President Jae Myung Lee, senior government officials, business executives, and researchers gathered in San Francisco this week for an AI summit with Nvidia and industry partners, highlighting South Korea's efforts to strengthen its artificial intelligence ecosystem and expand international collaboration.

Intel, China-based Lens Technology partner to explore glass substrate semiconductor packaging

DIGITIMES — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:01:10 GMT

Intel Corporation and Lens Technology have announced a strategic collaboration to explore the development of advanced semiconductor packaging technologies using glass substrates. The companies said the initiative aims to support future computing platforms by improving performance, increasing interconnect density, and enhancing power efficiency.

Google raises capex outlook as compute demand stays tight, boosting Foxconn

Charlene Chen — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:28:13 GMT

Alphabet, Google's parent company, has raised its capital expenditure forecast to US$195-205 billion and signaled a significant increase again in 2027, while openly saying that AI compute remains in short supply and demand continues to outpace investment. Market participants say the message is a clear sign that the AI data center buildout cycle has not yet peaked.

SK Hynix seeks US engineers for 3D stacked DRAM push

DIGITIMES — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:43:23 GMT

SK Hynix is recruiting engineers in San Jose to co-design 3D stacked DRAM-on-logic with US customers, extending its custom memory strategy beyond high-bandwidth memory and toward on-device AI applications.

Huawei founder endorses Tau Law as sole path for post-Moore chip development

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:29:23 GMT

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has publicly endorsed the company's τ (tau) Law as Huawei's sole technological path for advancing semiconductor development, underscoring six years of sustained investment in the approach. Rather than attempting to disrupt the existing semiconductor industry, Ren said the initiative aims to establish a sustainable path for chip evolution amid restrictions on access to leading-edge manufacturing technologies.

Taiwan's NT$210B drone bill sparks debate over defense self-reliance and industrial strategy

Willis Ke — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:12:18 GMT

The Executive Yuan's proposed special bill to fund Taiwan's indigenous defense unmanned systems program has triggered debate over whether the initiative should focus primarily on military procurement or broader industrial development. The plan would allocate NT$210 billion (about US$6.5 billion) from 2026 to 2031 to acquire coastal surveillance drones, coastal attack drones and small suicide unmanned boats, aiming to enhance the armed forces' asymmetric warfare capabilities.

IEI pairs NANO-X100 with Ryzen AI for edge AI inference

Lily Hess — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:54:41 GMT

Industrial PC maker IEI Integration joined Castec International at AMD Advancing AI 2026 in San Francisco on July 21 and 22 to showcase the new NANO-X100 4-inch single-board computer and edge AI inference applications, underscoring the two companies' collaboration on integrated edge-computing hardware and software.

Product mix optimization boosts Sinbon 2Q26 net profit up 19%

Charlene Chen — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:28:50 GMT

Benefiting from product mix optimization and a higher contribution from industrial applications, connector maker Sinbon on July 23, 2026, announced its unaudited operating results for the second quarter of 2026. Consolidated revenue and net profit after tax both hit the highest level for the same period on record, rising 16.58% and 19.02% year-over-year, respectively. However, operating profit edged down 1.76% quarter-over-quarter, weighed by higher strategic investment expenses.

Jensen Huang, Silicon Valley pushback against ban on Chinese open source AI models

Levi Li — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:27:23 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has taken an increasingly forceful position against possible sanctions from the Trump administration, arguing that US companies should remain free to use Chinese open-source AI models.

German chip suppliers deepen ties with Samsung, SK Hynix

DIGITIMES — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:19:06 GMT

Germany's Merck KGaA, TRUMPF and ZEISS are deepening their ties with South Korea's semiconductor industry amid large-scale investment in advanced chip production.

EU fines Google EUR890M in anti-trust case over Search and Google Play

DIGITIMES — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:07:02 GMT

Google has been fined EUR890 million (US$1.0 billion) under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) due to anti-competitive practices in its Google Search tool. The fine illustrates Europe's growing willingness to curb the power of US tech giants, despite diplomatic pressure from the US.

Samsung, LG showcase AI-era displays for humanoid robots

Kevin Wang — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 06:45:19 GMT

Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) have unveiled a range of display concepts for next-generation AI applications at the 2026 Korea Display Exhibition (K-Display) in Seoul, ranging from face displays for humanoid robots and AI smart glasses to hidden or retractable in-car screens, building upon the companies' focus on OLED panels for IT applications to sketch out future use cases.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics wins US$200 million AI server capacitor order

DIGITIMES — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 06:20:41 GMT

Samsung Electro-Mechanics disclosed on July 23 that it signed a KRW295.12 billion (US$200 million) supply contract with a major global company for multilayer ceramic capacitors used in artificial intelligence servers and data center systems.

India's chip plants face harder test: finding repeat customers

DIGITIMES — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 06:16:42 GMT

India's first major semiconductor customers are likely to come through existing global supply chains rather than domestic electronics brands immediately replacing imported components, according to analysts.