Soaring memory prices have pushed some IC design firms to develop and manufacture their own SRAM as a substitute for DRAM, while electronics assemblers and brand manufacturers that still need DRAM face challenges in passing on higher costs and securing supply through long-term contracts.

Samsung Electronics' next-generation semiconductor process data was allegedly removed without authorization by a university-industry research partner in South Korea, raising concerns over security vulnerabilities in industry-academia collaborations. The researcher, who reportedly retained Samsung employee access while working on the project, was indicted after allegedly transferring extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography information to a personal cloud account for use in the collaboration.

Taiwan's AI and semiconductor stocks have delivered substantial gains for foreign investors, who have recently taken profits, converted the proceeds into US dollars, and repatriated them, driving the New Taiwan dollar lower.

Memory module maker Team Group reported record third-quarter results for 2026, with earnings per share soaring 1,482.55% year-over-year, while its board approved plans for a new plant in New Taipei City that is scheduled to begin production in the second quarter of 2027 and increase total capacity by about 50%.

LG Electronics used its third-quarter earnings call on October 28 to add physical milestones to its two main AI bets. In data center cooling, it named a US production site and new Korean lines, and listed the Nvidia qualifications its liquid-cooling units have won. In robotics, it outlined an actuator production ramp, a robot-data hub opening this quarter, and a plan to enter the home humanoid market around 2030. It did not provide a revenue target for either business.

Foxconn Technology Day (HHTD) is set to take place at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center on October 30, with "Accelerating Intelligence" as its theme for 2026. While AI infrastructure and smart manufacturing will feature prominently, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) remain a major focus of industry attention.

South Korean chip designer Global Technologies (GT) has secured a place in Hyundai Motor and Kia's supply chain with its first automotive semiconductor product, a smart LED module for interior ambient lighting developed with Hyundai Mobis. The product, called ID804, is scheduled to enter mass production in the second half of 2026.

As AI spreads across industries and everyday life, the experience of using it is becoming increasingly measurable, routable, and billable. The rapid proliferation of models is turning AI consumption itself into a metered business, with enterprises paying not only for access to models but for the tokens generated, processed, and managed around them.

Samsung Electronics' latest results show AI infrastructure demand increasingly determining the group's earnings, with soaring semiconductor profit offsetting continued losses in its consumer-device division. The company said a sharp expansion in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) sales and rising memory prices drove another record quarter, while its outlook pointed to supply pressure further as customers expand AI investment.

Samsung Electronics subsidiary Harman International has expanded its manufacturing operations in Suzhou, China, to produce automotive computing platforms and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), with production scheduled to begin in 2027.

Japan is preparing to shift operations of its flagship H3 rocket from the state space agency to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), a move aimed at cutting launch costs and making the country's main launcher a more credible rival to SpaceX in the commercial market.

Taiwan's carbon pricing system is entering a new phase after collecting its first carbon fees in 2026 from 240 companies and 461 factories, generating approximately NT$4.97 billion (US$153.1 million). At the current rates, the carbon fees that Taiwan collects will not be enough to fund carbon removal.

US AI startup Anthropic has formally filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), identifying competitive pressure from Chinese AI companies, model distillation, and cross-border technology restrictions among its operational risks.

Samsung SDI has signed a follow-on 1GWh contract to supply energy storage systems (ESS) to US power developer Alpha Omega Power (AOP). The batteries will be made in Indiana and delivered by the end of 2026, the latest sign that South Korean battery makers are winning US business by manufacturing locally.

2026 will be a breakout year for Taiwan's economic growth, with GDP expanding at a double-digit rate—more than twice China's growth rate, according to a consensus among economic research institutions. Over the next six months, the electronics and machinery sector is expected to remain resilient, while securities, textiles, chemicals, and petrochemical raw materials could weaken.