DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

US, China diverge on AI guardrails ahead of Trump-Xi summit

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:26:07 GMT

The US and China are moving toward different models for governing increasingly capable artificial intelligence, even as the US proposes a limited safety mechanism with China ahead of President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping's September 24 summit in Washington. AI is expected to be among the issues discussed at the meeting.

SKC raises Absolics stake to 82% as glass substrates remain in testing

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:07:57 GMT

SKC is increasing its investment in its US glass substrate subsidiary Absolics, raising its stake to more than 82%, as the South Korean materials group commits more capital to a business that remains in customer evaluation and testing ahead of volume production.

Engineering over panic: Jensen Huang's pragmatic vision for the future of AI

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:53:10 GMT

In a 46-minute interview on CBS, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang pushed back against apocalyptic warnings regarding artificial intelligence (AI). He urged the industry to focus on rigorous engineering and safe product delivery rather than apocalyptic fearmongering.

Vivo launches camera monitor accessory, stoking panel demand

Charlene Chen — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:46:43 GMT

Vivo officially unveiled its new flagship X500 series smartphones in Shanghai on September 21, along with wearable accessories including smartwatches and earphones. The X500 series is positioned around a broader push to extend image capture from still photography into video recording and content creation. Vivo has further integrated its hardware and software imaging functions, and is now testing whether the camera monitor can become a standard accessory for high-end imaging phones.

Foxtron maps overseas expansion as customers seek full EV line-up

Lily Hess — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:10:11 GMT

Foxtron Vehicle Technologies said its overseas expansion is taking shape as exports to New Zealand and Australia enter their final countdown, with a planned Poland factory with ElectroMobility Poland also drawing attention. On September 22, Foxtron Chairman Andy Lee said Europe's strict emissions rules and strong environmental awareness make it a key electric vehicle (EV) market, while localization and shared platforms are central to the company's strategy.

With Xi's Washington visit incoming, trade data show how the tariff war has reshaped US-China tech flows

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:04:00 GMT

When Chinese President Xi Jinping meets US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 24, trade will be the most measurable front of their rivalry. Since the first Section 301 tariffs took effect in July 2018, US imports of Chinese technology hardware have fallen sharply. Rare earth magnets are the exception: Washington cannot easily replace them, which gives Beijing leverage as the one-year Busan truce nears its November 10 expiry.

YMTC wins German injunctions against Micron in latest round of NAND patent battle

Charlene Chen — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:59:18 GMT

Micron is facing fresh pressure on multiple fronts after Germany's Munich I Regional Court sided with Chinese memory maker YMTC and issued two injunctions over alleged infringement. Industry sources said enforcement of the injunctions could restrict Micron's supply in Germany and reshape the European automotive and industrial-control NAND market.

Automotive display growth shifts to HUDs, passenger screens

Lily Hess — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:33:44 GMT

The global automotive display market is entering a new phase of growth, with demand shifting away from central consoles and instrument clusters toward niche applications such as head-up displays (HUDs) and front-passenger entertainment panels. DIGITIMES Intelligence analyst Jason Yang said the global automotive display shipment compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to reach only about 2.4% from 2026 to 2031, but HUDs and entertainment panels will grow 14.4% and 17.9%, respectively.

LG Electronics, Microsoft enter partnership on AI data centers, physical AI

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:24:46 GMT

LG Electronics entered a partnership with Microsoft to cooperate on a range of AI initiatives. The two firms agreed to work together on AI data centers, LG Electronics' AI data transformation, and physical AI as the company known for appliances taps into growing AI-related industries.

Samsung Display explores halftone black PDL tech to cut OLED production costs

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:17:32 GMT

Samsung Display is evaluating a new manufacturing process known as halftone black pixel definition layer (PDL) that could streamline the production of its OLED panels, industry sources disclosed to The ELEC on September 22. By integrating two separate manufacturing steps into a single photolithography process, the display maker aims to reduce costs and boost efficiency for upcoming flagship devices.

Samsung LPDDR6 validated by Qualcomm for next-gen Snapdragon platform

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:13:37 GMT

AI workloads are pushing cloud, edge, and mobile devices toward tighter power budgets and heavier data traffic, making memory efficiency a growing global issue. Samsung is positioning its new LPDDR6 as a response, with higher bandwidth, lower power use, and improved reliability for next-generation on-device AI.

Qualcomm and Google eye Agentic AI, expand partnership to GoogleBook, automotives

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:06:20 GMT

During his keynote at Snapdragon Summit 2026, Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon invited Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President of Platforms and Devices at Google, on stage to discuss the past year's developments in agentic AI and the strategic direction of their ongoing partnership. Amon emphasized that Google remains an indispensable partner to Qualcomm, noting that the relationship—built on co-developing the industry's first Android smartphone—has grown even stronger amid the broader AI transformation.

Biwin Storage commits US$672M to double down on 2.5D packaging, compute-memory integration

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:02:24 GMT

Biwin Storage Technology plans to invest CNY4.5 billion (approx. US$672 million) in the third phase of its wafer-level advanced packaging and testing project, expanding 2.5D integration and compute-memory co-packaging capacity as AI and high-performance computing lift demand for advanced packaging.

China's BeiDou eyes US$150 billion industry scale with AI, services at the core

Levi Li — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:47:29 GMT

China's BeiDou satellite navigation industry continues to expand rapidly, with applications spreading from chips and modules to end devices. Emerging technologies including artificial intelligence are increasingly being integrated with BeiDou, while the industry is shifting from hardware sales towards data, platforms, and services. Overseas markets are also emerging as a key source of future growth.

ZDT prices US$800M ECB to expand AI server PCB push

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:40:31 GMT

Printed circuit board (PCB) maker Zhen Ding Technology (ZDT) Group completed pricing of its sixth overseas convertible bond issue on September 22, raising a total of US$800 million (about NT$25.224 billion). The company plans to issue the bonds on September 29 and list them on the Singapore Exchange, with proceeds to be used entirely to replenish working capital and support technology development for high-end products.

Hotai expands MaaS push with FunNow stake

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:33:09 GMT

Hotai Motor said it will invest in lifestyle and entertainment booking platform FunNow to deepen its mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) ecosystem. The company plans to inject US$10 million (about NT$318 million) for an approximately 10% stake, while also launching a deep strategic partnership between its ChicTrip travel platform and FunNow.

Taiwan's Master Bus scales 450 kW direct-drive motor for the intercity EV market

Levi Li — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:27:53 GMT

Master Transportation Bus Manufacturing (Master Bus) is deepening its electric-bus strategy around proprietary motors and chassis.

Taiwan tire maker Cheng Shin turns 'virtual tires' into an EV development weapon

Levi Li — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:24:33 GMT

Taiwanese tire maker Cheng Shin Rubber, best known for its Maxxis brand, is nearing its 60th anniversary and using AI and digital twins to compete in a faster-moving automotive market.

Hermes-Epitek eyes CPO test revenue in 2027

Charlene Chen — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:14:58 GMT

Archie Hwang, the founder and chairman of Hermes-Epitek, appeared before the media alongside Hermes Testing Solutions Inc. (HTSI) executives. The company outlined a major push into silicon photonics (SiPh) co-packaged optics (CPO) testing and said related revenue is expected to begin contributing in 2027.

LG Energy enters Nvidia's ecosystem as it pivots batteries to data centers

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:57:52 GMT

LG Energy's battery energy storage system (BESS) has entered Nvidia's AI Factory ecosystem. Its qualification by the chipmaker comes as LG Energy is reorienting its North American battery plants toward data centers and appears poised to capture fresh demand after the US imposed restrictions on Chinese battery imports.

DeepSeek, Moonshot, the hidden cost of routing China's AI through Claude

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:53:20 GMT

China's internet regulator is reportedly investigating DeepSeek and Moonshot AI over allegations that the two companies routed millions of user interactions, including potentially sensitive government and corporate information, to Anthropic's Claude models without customers' knowledge.

Hygon takes China's CPU ambitions beyond servers, into physical AI

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:48:11 GMT

China's Hygon Information Technology is extending its processor ambitions beyond servers and data centers with the launch of its first embedded industrial CPU family, targeting robotics, machine vision, smart manufacturing, and other edge AI workloads.

Gigabyte's Giga Computing sets up AI factory in Taiwan to accelerate rack validation

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:25:20 GMT

Gigabyte's AI server shipments continue to accelerate, lifting revenue and profit while prompting capacity expansion. For the first half of 2026, revenue reached NT$249.272 billion (US$7.9 billion), up 48.4% year-over-year; net profit after tax was NT$11.875 billion (US$373.3 million), up 92.6%; and earnings per share (EPS) hit NT$17.73, all record highs for the same period.

Nvidia's 800V power shift hands Taiwan's capacitor makers a new AI segment

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:07:10 GMT

As AI computing workloads surge, demand for higher GPU and CPU performance is triggering exponential growth in data center power density and energy consumption. Nvidia's transition toward an 800V high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power architecture is driving hardware upgrades across sidecar power cabinets and battery backup units (BBUs), while spurring demand for customized high-voltage NP0 (C0G) multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs).

GLT pivots into life sciences with US-patented precast gels

Kevin Wang — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:06:53 GMT

Taiwan-based light guide plate maker Global Lighting Technologies (GLT) is deepening its pivot into life sciences through its investment in Smobio Technology, for which GLT has begun manufacturing precast protein electrophoresis gels under contract. Small-scale production began in August 2026, following the commencement of the partnership between the two companies in 2025. Monthly demand for precast gels currently sits at roughly 20,000–30,000 sheets, and is expected to grow to 200,000–300,000 sheets in the first half of 2027, according to GLT president Johnny Tsai.

Acer defends Europe's biggest PC market with top-two gaming rank in Germany

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:48:32 GMT

Acer says gaming and AI products are supporting its business in Germany and Austria, two markets that often reflect broader European PC demand. The company expects steadier conditions in the second half, while replacement cycles, higher prices, and Windows 10 support changes could shape global consumer buying trends.

China, Japan dominate over 90% of OLEDoS market, threatening South Korea's panel leadership in the AI era

Yunnie Cheng — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:48:15 GMT

South Korean display makers, long dominant in the global smartphone OLED market, remain hesitant to commit to mass production of OLED-on-silicon (OLEDoS) displays, an essential component for personal AI platforms such as smart glasses and extended reality (XR) headsets. As Chinese and Japanese rivals aggressively expand capacity and secure customer wins, industry observers warn that South Korea risks losing its foothold in next-generation displays in the AI era.

China Steel expands recycled steel into EV motor market amid growing low-carbon demand

Eifeh Strom — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:42:34 GMT

Taiwan's largest steelmaker China Steel (CSC) is actively expanding its high-recycled-content steel products, as the global automotive industry accelerates its transition toward net-zero emissions and electrification, boosting demand for low-carbon materials worldwide. The move allows the company to move beyond general industrial applications into automotive sheet metal, electric vehicle (EV) motors, high-strength fasteners, and vehicle body structures.

Qualcomm launches dual Snapdragon flagship platforms for Xiaomi, Honor

Charlene Chen — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:37:07 GMT

Qualcomm unveiled two flagship mobile platforms, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, at Snapdragon Summit 2026 in Maui, Hawaii this week, marking the company's first split of its premium Snapdragon lineup into two Elite tiers. Xiaomi, Honor, and Motorola appeared on stage as early partners, with the Xiaomi 18 Pro series and Honor Magic9 series expected to be the first devices and to launch in September.

Nexperia China turns 12-inch wafers into the backbone of its chip supply-chain reset

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:35:39 GMT

Nexperia China is accelerating production on its domestic 12-inch wafer platform as it rebuilds a locally controlled semiconductor supply chain spanning design, wafer production, packaging, and testing.

Sharp reportedly to develop universal satellite antenna for multi-network connectivity

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:28:07 GMT

Sharp is developing a compact satellite communications antenna capable of connecting to multiple satellite networks, aiming to commercialize terminals around 2030 for applications including defense, autonomous driving, and remote operation of construction machinery, according to Nikkei Asia.

Meta's Muse gains users as human support raises privacy questions

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:17:25 GMT

Meta's new personal AI agent, Muse, is drawing strong early consumer interest while a test involving human contractors highlights the challenges of making autonomous AI reliable and safe.

CME Group's GPU futures debut stalls as CFTC flags concerns

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:10:24 GMT

As artificial intelligence transitions into a primary driver of global economic growth, computing power is shifting from a basic cloud utility to an emerging financial asset class. However, Wall Street's first major attempt to turn AI chip rental rates into tradable futures contracts has run into regulatory delays.

Episil says AI demand marks structural shift in semiconductor epitaxy

Jingyue Hsiao — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 03:55:11 GMT

Episil Precision said AI-related demand is reshaping semiconductor epitaxy for the long term, with effects reaching global power and optical supply chains. The Taiwan-based maker is expanding in silicon, GaN, SiC, and GeSi to serve AI servers, optical communications, and mature-node power components worldwide.

SK hynix's venture arm moves beyond memory into optical interconnect and system software

DIGITIMES — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 03:50:22 GMT

SK hynix has launched a corporate venture capital (CVC) brand, SK hynix Ventures, and widened its investment scope beyond semiconductors and emerging technology to include AI computing, data centers, system software and optical interconnect — areas that sit beside and above its own products rather than inside them.