DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

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.

Japan's Axelspace plans mid-2026 SpaceX launch for next-gen Earth observation constellation

Elaine Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 08:15:00 GMT

Japanese space startup Axelspace has formally announced plans to launch up to seven next-generation GRUS-3 Earth-observation microsatellites in as early as July 2026 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket operated by SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base, significantly expanding the company's commercial satellite constellation.

Beyond Silicon Valley: Lam Capital's startup contest goes global

Charlene Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Lam Research's Lam Capital recently held its fourth startup competition, drawing teams from the US, South Korea, Singapore, India, and Taiwan to vie for a sizeable prize pool. US startup Lightfinder won the top prize with a proposal centered on silicon photonics and intelligent software for a chip-scale spectrometer.

BYD and Chery lead China's advance into Europe's EV market

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:45:00 GMT

Chinese automakers are rapidly gaining ground in Europe's electric-vehicle market, underscoring a transformation from low-cost challengers into formidable global competitors.

Physical AI boosts edge demand, lifting IPC order visibility

Charlene Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:30:00 GMT

According to market research firms, the global edge AI market is forecast to post a compound annual growth rate of 26% through 2032, while the overall edge computing market is expected to expand from US$131 billion to US$440 billion between 2023 and 2033, highlighting explosive growth potential and drawing in a wave of investment.

Huawei reveals post-Moore semiconductor roadmap targeting 1.4nm-equivalent chip performance

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:27:43 GMT

As the global semiconductor industry confronts the limits of Moore's Law, Huawei has unveiled a new roadmap aimed at extending chip performance growth through architecture, interconnect, and system-level optimisation rather than pure transistor miniaturisation.

Zeng Hsing boosts robotics and smart manufacturing push to underpin midterm growth

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:18:18 GMT

Zeng Hsing Industrial held its annual general meeting on May 25. It approved the 2025 business report and financial statements, the earnings distribution plan, amendments to the articles of incorporation, and a private placement to issue new common shares. The firm reported 2025 consolidated revenue of NT$8.104 billion (US$257.7 million), down 2.8% from the prior year, with pre-tax profit of NT$864 million and earnings per share of NT$5.52.

Micron maps out HBM roadmap with 2027 HBM4E debut and custom AI memory designs

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:16:36 GMT

Micron Technology said persistent supply constraints and accelerating AI demand are shaping its long-term technology roadmap, with 1-gamma DRAM, G9 NAND, and next-generation HBM products driving growth through 2027. The company is expanding EUV adoption, deepening collaboration with customers and foundry partners, and using multi-year supply agreements to support future capacity investments.

CATL weighs stake in AI startup deepSeek

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:06:49 GMT

According to several people familiar with the matter, Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL), the world's largest maker of electric-vehicle (EV) batteries, is in talks to participate in a major financing round for the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek. The prospective investment highlights how China's AI boom is forging new alliances among technology firms, industrial companies, and energy providers, all competing to build the infrastructure required for the next generation of computing.

India-based Cyient Semiconductors raises US$30 million to scale power chips for global AI markets

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:03:31 GMT

Cyient Semiconductors has secured a total of about US$30 million in financing from Edelweiss-managed funds and co-investors, comprising a US$10 million equity investment at a valuation of roughly US$500 million alongside structured debt. The deal bolsters its capital base to scale its power semiconductor and custom silicon offerings for global AI markets.

GoPro takeover talks highlight China's growing clout in cameras

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 06:53:23 GMT

GoPro's takeover talks are putting a spotlight on a broader shift in handheld cameras, as the market moves from rugged action devices toward creator-focused gimbal and 360-degree products increasingly shaped by Chinese brands.

Nvidia's reporting pivot and AMD's US$10B Taiwan bet signal a new frontier in AI chip war

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:50:38 GMT

Nvidia's structural pivot to isolate its ACIE market and AMD's US$10 billion investment in Taiwan infrastructure signal a profound realignment in the AI chip war. Both developments reflect a shared urgency to expand beyond traditional hyperscale clouds into the booming, highly lucrative global enterprise, industrial, and sovereign AI factory frontiers.

Kawasaki opens Silicon Valley physical AI center, deepening Nvidia ties

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:42:07 GMT

Kawasaki Heavy Industries has opened the Kawasaki Physical AI Center in San Jose to accelerate real-world deployment of physical AI and strengthen Japan–US collaboration in AI and semiconductors. Located in Silicon Valley, the center aims to develop practical solutions in healthcare, mobility, and manufacturing through partnerships with leading global technology firms.

Blue Origin to expand Rocket Park campus in Florida with US$600 million investment

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:40:20 GMT

Blue Origin will expand its Rocket Park campus at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida with a US$600 million investment aimed at increasing manufacturing capacity and strengthening the state's role in space-related production, Governor Ron DeSantis has announced.

Lam Research CEO: New fabs alone will not solve chip bottlenecks

Sherri Wang — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:36:41 GMT

Lam Research CEO Tim Archer said artificial intelligence and robotics can help chipmakers improve fab productivity as the semiconductor industry faces memory capacity constraints, chip-scaling limits, and growing demand for faster equipment delivery.

Nvidia's Vera CPU push lifts LPDDR outlook for Samsung, SK Hynix

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:03:58 GMT

Nvidia's decision to sell its Vera CPU as a standalone chip could create a new source of demand for low-power DRAM, adding another pressure point to the already tight memory supply chain.

Foxtron advances full-stack EV vision at 2026 shareholder meeting

Elaine Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:01:42 GMT

Foxtron Vehicle Technologies convened its 2026 annual shareholder meeting on May 22, where Chairman Andy Lee presided over the proceedings, which included the approval of the company's annual financial statements and a full board re-election of nine directors. The company also laid out its strategic roadmap for 2026, covering Taiwan and overseas markets.

AI servers drive order growth; Weltrend's fan motor driver IC visibility strong

Emily Kuo — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:00:24 GMT

At its earnings conference, Weltrend Semiconductor described the first quarter of 2026 as an exceptional one. Despite the period being historically slow, the company posted year-over-year and sequential growth. Nearly all major product lines demonstrated strong growth momentum, with server-related products standing out in particular. Order visibility is now expected to remain strong throughout the full year. Meanwhile, AI servers are becoming increasingly diversified, with demand across GPUs, ASICs, and CPUs growing almost simultaneously, underpinning a highly promising operating outlook.

Geopolitics and AI push US energy storage to record-breaking quarter

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 04:54:57 GMT

The US energy storage industry achieved its most successful first quarter of 2026 to date, driven by surging AI computing demands and growing concerns over fossil fuel reliability. According to the US Energy Storage Market Outlook (ESMO) second quarter 2026 report published by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, developers deployed 9.7 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of new storage capacity in the first quarter of 2026. This represents a 32% increase year-over-year, reflecting the sector's resilience within the domestic clean energy supply chain despite a strained political environment.

Nan Pao joint venture nears full capacity as semiconductor demand rises

Elaine Chen — Mon, 25 May 2026 04:52:54 GMT

Nan Pao Resins Chemical is accelerating its push into the high-end semiconductor materials market through a joint venture with Advanced Echem Materials Company and Trusval Technology, forming Advanced Pao Trusval Technology to target advanced packaging adhesive materials.

China launches OpenHarmony robot OS for humanoids and AI robotics

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 04:47:19 GMT

China has unveiled what developers describe as the country's first robot operating system built on OpenHarmony, underscoring Beijing's broader push to establish a domestic software and hardware ecosystem for humanoid robots, industrial automation, and embodied AI systems.

Interview: Low-cost Chinese AI servers are redrawing the global infrastructure map

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 04:40:10 GMT

Geopolitics and price are reshaping who builds the world's AI infrastructure. Across emerging markets in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, governments and enterprises are increasingly turning to Chinese server makers as an affordable alternative to US-dominated tech ecosystems — driven partly by budget constraints and partly by a deliberate push to avoid dependence on any single power.

From tech glasses to AI gateways: Smart eyewear becomes the entry point for AI agents

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 04:17:42 GMT

Lightweight and affordable smart glasses are gradually becoming popular, with related brands and third-party developers integrating AI agents onto the mobile devices.

India's electronics manufacturers seek higher-margin businesses as smartphone slowdown shrinks profits

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 04:10:12 GMT

India's electronics manufacturing industry, which has emerged as the world's second-largest mobile phone production hub after China, is facing growing pressure as slowing smartphone demand and rising component costs erode profitability, prompting manufacturers to expand into higher-margin sectors such as defense, industrial electronics, and medical devices.

AUO eyes MicroLED for short-range optical interconnects, potentially shifting data center wiring and power dynamics

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 25 May 2026 03:55:02 GMT

MicroLED short-range optical interconnects are attracting global R&D investment for their low power consumption and high-speed modulation, and AUO has formed a supply-chain alliance to pursue chip-scale optics for scale-up networking within racks. Microsoft, among other major players, is testing the approach for AI data-center links.

Anthropic-Microsoft deal could broaden ASIC demand across cloud supply chains

Lily Hess — Mon, 25 May 2026 03:50:42 GMT

Anthropic has reportedly approached Microsoft about renting AI computing power running on Microsoft's in-house chips to expand support for its Claude model business. The move is a positive sign for Microsoft and could generate momentum for the mass production of its recently unveiled Maia 200 chip, while ASIC players such as Global Unichip and Ethernet chip suppliers Marvell Technology and Broadcom also stand to benefit.

Topco and Bloom Energy install Taiwan's first on-site SOFC low-carbon data center power system

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 03:48:08 GMT

Topco Energy Service, a Topco Group unit, and Bloom Energy installed a 2.6MW solid oxide fuel cell on-site power system at a Taiwan IC design firm's Miaoli data center, creating what they called the nation's first data center using a distributed low-carbon generation model. The project began with a 1.3MW phase that entered service in January 2026 and reached full 2.6MW capacity in June, with the developers saying the installation can generate about 21.6 million kilowatt-hours annually.

AI data centers spark 800V HVDC rush for Taiwan lead frame suppliers

Levi Li — Mon, 25 May 2026 03:45:36 GMT

The shift toward 800V high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power architectures in AI data centers is driving a surge in demand for power semiconductors, boosting shipments for Taiwanese lead frame suppliers SDI Corporation and Jih Lin Technology and raising expectations for double-digit revenue growth in 2026.

Hiroca ramps global expansion and smart cockpit products to drive second-half recovery

DIGITIMES — Mon, 25 May 2026 03:45:15 GMT

Auto parts maker Hiroca said it expected operations to return to a growth track in the second half of 2026 as overseas orders and its push into smart cockpit technologies began to yield results. Executives said the company was broadening its customer base across China, North America, and Asia-Pacific and diversifying its product portfolio to reduce concentration risk tied to a single vehicle lineup and market.