DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Charts: TSMC's share of Taiwan chip manufacturing revenue falls to 81.8% as memory makers scale up

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:17:33 GMT

Foundry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) grew 37% year to date — and still lost four percentage points of the sub-sector's revenue share, because the other 26 manufacturers grew more than twice as fast.

US ban on robot dogs clears the way for Taiwan's Swancor

Charlene Chen — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:17:13 GMT

To safeguard national security and the development of the AI supply chain, the US has banned imports of advanced humanoid robots. Against that backdrop, Taiwan-based Swancor unveiled its first "Taiwan AI robot ecosystem" at Automation Taipei 2026, joining with more than 10 Taiwanese industry, technology, and academic partners to showcase applications ranging from smart inspection and public safety to smart construction, AI education platforms, commercial interaction, and long-term care companionship.

JCET hits 1.5μm TSV milestone for denser HBM and 2.5D/3D packaging

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:16:36 GMT

JCET Group has completed trial production of a 1.5μm-diameter, 17μm-deep through-silicon via (TSV) with an aspect ratio of 11.3:1, extending its advanced packaging capabilities towards denser 2.5D and 3D integration.

Charts: AI test demand drives broadest growth among Taiwan's chip equipment suppliers

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:16:01 GMT

Thirty-eight of 43 companies grew year to date at a median rate of 28.7% — the highest of any semiconductor sub-sector — with test handlers, sockets and probe cards recurring across company filings.

Elice to build South Korea's first warm-water-cooled AI data center, unveils coding agent

Sherri Wang — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:15:40 GMT

South Korean AI infrastructure provider Elice Group is expanding on two fronts, adding enterprise AI transformation (AX) solutions while building what it says will be the country's first AI data center to use warm-water cooling above 40°C.

Korean display makers step up OLED patent push as China narrows technology gap

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:15:08 GMT

Korean display makers are stepping up patent licensing and cross-border enforcement as Chinese rivals have sharply narrowed the technology and market-share gap in OLED since 2020, just as competition expands into higher-value panels for notebooks and monitors.

Nitto Denko to expand HDD baseboard capacity for AI data center demand

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:14:36 GMT

Nitto Denko said it will invest JPY28 billion (US$176.68 million) through fiscal 2028 to expand production of thin-film metal base boards for hard disk drives, raising capacity by 40% from fiscal 2025 levels. The move is aimed at meeting demand driven by AI-related data center growth.

China silicon wafer maker NSIG nears 1.2 million monthly 300mm capacity after 90% shipment jump

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:14:21 GMT

National Silicon Industry Group (NSIG) reported a 36.51% rise in first-half 2026 revenue as shipments of 300mm semiconductor silicon wafers increased more than 90%, though continued R&D spending, currency movements and inventory impairments widened its net loss.

Samsung holds off on High-NA EUV until 1nm production

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:13:56 GMT

Samsung Electronics does not expect to move High-NA EUV lithography into volume production until its 1nm-class generation, a timeline that points to around 2030, after it had earlier hoped to introduce the technology at the 2nm and 1.4nm nodes.

China's humanoid robot shipments hit 40,000 in the first half of 2026

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:12:49 GMT

China shipped more than 40,000 humanoid robots in the first half of 2026, lifting its share of global shipments to 97%, according to a development report released on August 20 at the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing. The figure marked the highest share ever recorded in the report's historical data and underscored China's growing role in the global humanoid robot supply chain.

TXC pivots to AI infrastructure as 1.6T optical modules surge

Charlene Chen — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:12:24 GMT

Quartz component leader TXC is targeting AI and automotive applications as demand grows for faster data transmission, with 1.6T optical modules expected to see explosive growth in the second half of 2026. The company aims to lift AI revenue to 20% by the end of 2026, with roughly 20-30% of that coming from optical module applications.

DIGITIMES's Colley Hwang warns Taiwan AI data center capacity lags South Korea

Lily Hess — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:10:38 GMT

The inference economy has arrived, and Taiwan's tech industry must transition from the "knowledge economy" to the "inference economy," DIGITIMES chairman Colley Hwang said on August 20 at a forum exploring future trends in the semiconductor industry. He also warned that Taiwan's AI data center capacity is about one-sixth of South Korea's.

Longcheer and Luxshare move into robot ODM

Charlene Chen — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:10:16 GMT

China consumer electronics ODMs are extending their R&D, supply chain integration and mass production capabilities into the embodied AI robot market. Longcheer announced on August 19 that it had signed an agreement with the Nanchang High-tech Zone in Jiangxi, officially establishing an embodied AI robot R&D and manufacturing base. The company said it will build end-to-end capabilities from product definition and R&D design to engineering delivery, offering ODM solutions for embodied AI products.

How credit allocation is becoming part of the AI supply chain

Yunnie Cheng — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:09:50 GMT

As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves, shifting bottlenecks reflect the maturity of the AI boom. Initial constraints emerged at the semiconductor level with GPUs, high bandwidth memory (HBM), and advanced packaging. Next came system-level challenges around networking, power, and thermal management. More recently, infrastructure limits, including transformers, grid connections, and overall power capacity, took center stage.

Column: Is 800V really 'high voltage'? —AI data centers revive an old power debate

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:09:26 GMT

High-voltage direct current (HVDC) is currently one of the hottest areas of technology and product development for AI data centers. It is not only the first layer of what Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has described as the industry's "five-layer cake," but also a concrete manifestation of the idea that computing power ultimately depends on electrical power.

Kenmec surges on AI, advanced packaging to record orders, revenue

Yunnie Cheng — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:09:03 GMT

Fueled by robust global demand for artificial intelligence and the rapid expansion of semiconductor advanced packaging capacity, Kenmec Mechanical Engineering, a subsidiary of Kenmec Group, has seen its order backlog surge to nearly NT$6.661 billion (approx. US$209.1 million). Driven by this momentum, both the subsidiary and the group overall are on track to hit historic highs in revenue and order intake in 2026.

Charts: Foxconn is losing share of Taiwan's EMS revenue as Quanta and Wistron near double

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:08:13 GMT

The sub-sector's dominant supplier grew 37.9% year to date and still ranks only seventh of 20, while the other 19 companies grew 56.9% between them.

Global server market, 2Q 2026: Supply constraints curb shipment momentum, global server shipments up 2.8% in 3Q26

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:21:53 GMT

In the second quarter of 2026, global server shipments were below prior expectations, growing 3.8% quarter-over-quarter. The main reason was tight supply of key components such as memory, CPU, and IC substrate, which curbed overall system shipment momentu

Why Chinese automakers are racing into humanoid robots

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:18:06 GMT

As subsidies for China's new energy vehicle market gradually wind down and automaker margins continue to narrow, Beijing is shifting policy support toward embodied AI and humanoid robotics. That change is encouraging Chinese automakers to redeploy technologies originally developed for smart EVs and accelerate their push into humanoid robots.

Aurotek targets humanoid robot rollout gap with Physical AI push

Yunnie Cheng — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:35:00 GMT

Aurotek Corporation is accelerating its push into the robotics market, unveiling its first lights-out factory solution integrating multi-brand, multi-form-factor robots at Automation Taipei.

Samsung and Hyundai expand alliance from EV batteries into software-defined vehicles

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:10:01 GMT

Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Group have widened their partnership across electric vehicle batteries, software-defined vehicles, and robotics. Genesis' upcoming GV90 is expected to use Samsung SDI's square batteries. According to News1, the large electric SUV is scheduled to launch in September, extending Samsung SDI's role in Hyundai Motor Group's supply chain beyond the Hyundai IONIQ 3 and Kia EV2.

Samsung gains foundry pricing power as 4nm capacity stays tight through 2027

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:01:03 GMT

Samsung Electronics is gaining pricing power in its foundry business as AI and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) demand tightens advanced-node capacity, with its 4nm lines reportedly fully booked through 2027 and some customers being steered toward 5nm production.

China reportedly delays germanium, quartz clearances, impacting Taiwan optics and aerospace suppliers

Levi Li — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:55:10 GMT

China has reportedly delayed customs clearance for critical materials — including germanium, quartz-based materials and neodymium magnets — since 2025, lengthening delivery times for Taiwanese aerospace and optical suppliers and, in some cases, costing them orders.

China tightens grip on global LCD market as TV panel share tops 70%

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:55:00 GMT

The global LCD panel industry continues to consolidate around Chinese manufacturers, whose share of the LCD TV panel market has remained firmly above 70% and is gradually approaching 80%. Their presence in LCD monitor panels is expanding just as rapidly, having surpassed 70% in the first half of 2026.

AI boom lifts Taiwan tax revenue forecast to record NT$3.52 trillion in 2027

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:38:49 GMT

Taiwan's government expects central tax revenue to reach NT$3.522 trillion in 2027, up 42% from the 2026 budget estimate, driven by continued growth in AI-related manufacturing and investment. The forecast, released by the Ministry of Finance, reflects rising revenue from a stronger industrial base, robust capital spending and increased market activity tied to the island's role in global AI hardware production.

Nvidia physical AI executive Madison Huang appears at Beijing WRC after LG Seoul visit

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:30:00 GMT

Two days after visiting LG Electronics' robotics hub in Seoul, Nvidia executive Madison Huang was in Beijing on August 20 for the 2026 World Robot Conference (WRC), highlighting the increasingly visible role she is playing in Nvidia's physical AI and robotics partnerships across Asia.

Unitree post-IPO: Chairman Wang weighs profit, scale and 80% home-robot threshold

Levi Li — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:08:05 GMT

Unitree Robotics' August 19 listing on China's STAR Market brought the humanoid robot maker into the public-market spotlight, but attention quickly spread beyond its share price. The company's listing reception that evening drew investors, technology figures and venture capital executives, reflecting how Unitree has accumulated interest across technology, capital markets and the broader public.

AMEC profit jumps 300%: China chip equipment maker expands beyond etch with US$520M plan

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:20:00 GMT

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. China (AMEC) posted a 300% surge in first-half 2026 profit and announced a CNY3.5 billion (US$520 million) capacity expansion, accelerating its shift from an etch specialist into a broader semiconductor equipment supplier.

AI drives network equipment demand as parts shortages deepen

Charlene Chen — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:55:00 GMT

AI data center expansion and rising demand for enterprise network upgrades continue to lift the network equipment market, giving several vendors better order visibility. But surging prices for key components such as memory and PCBs, along with hyperscalers drawing heavily on supply-chain resources, are squeezing parts availability for other electronics and adding another layer of uncertainty to second-half operations.

Nexcom brings together dozens of partners to build open AI robotics ecosystem

Eifeh Strom — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:55:00 GMT

Industrial computer (IPC) maker Nexcom International on August 19 officially unveiled its RoboWIZ AI Robotics Open Platform concept at the 2026 Automation Taipei exhibition, bringing together Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Compal Electronics, German technology partner Synapticon, and dozens of key component partners from Taiwan and overseas to pursue commercialization opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI) robotics.

SK Hynix's new HBM team lands in Nvidia and AMD's backyard — co-design is becoming the way to win HBM4 orders

Joseph(C) Chen — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:44:00 GMT

SK Hynix is reported to be assembling a high-bandwidth memory (HBM) design team in Silicon Valley, a move that would deepen its co-design work with major US chip customers. Analysts see it as evidence that HBM competition is shifting into a customized, jointly developed phase.

Analysis: Google keeps Sunfish at Broadcom, Zebrafish at MediaTek — Marvell's US$12.2bn warrant buys a category nobody was defending

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:25:28 GMT

One word in Marvell Technology's August 19 filing decides how the Google agreement should be read. The custom silicon programs, it says, attach to the tensor processing unit (TPU) ecosystem. Attach, not replace.

Qualcomm targets NT$10,000 entry-level PCs as 4 brands adopt

Charlene Chen — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:20:00 GMT

Qualcomm is moving into the entry-level PC market with its Snapdragon C platform as Apple's US$599 MacBook Neo and surging DRAM and NAND costs squeeze low-priced Windows laptops from both ends. The chipmaker is aiming to give PC brands a lower-cost alternative and help them defend a segment that has become increasingly hard to profit from.

Commentary: How iPad Air became a catalyst for IT OLED expansion

Yunnie Cheng — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:40:26 GMT

Apple kicked off the tablet OLED era in 2024, introducing Tandem OLED in the iPad Pro to overcome bottlenecks in display lifespan and brightness. The iPad mini followed, set to adopt OLED in the second half of 2026, though with annual shipments hovering at just 2 million units, its impact is largely symbolic. Market research firm UBI Research noted that tablet OLED growth has largely stalled through 2024 and 2025, with OLED costs remaining the primary hurdle: panels currently run roughly twice the price of LCD alternatives, and narrowing that gap is widely viewed as the primary prerequisite for expanding OLED adoption in IT applications.

Jusung, PSK China sales plunge over 40% amid China's chip self-sufficiency drive

DIGITIMES — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:21:34 GMT

Jusung Engineering and PSK each lost more than 40% of their China revenue in 2025. The similarity ends there.