An ongoing investigation into alleged AI server smuggling has once again put Taiwan's motherboard industry under the spotlight. Veteran motherboard maker Albatron Technology has become a focal point after its general manager, Alex Lu, and an employee of Super Micro Computer (Supermicro) were detained without visitation rights as part of the investigation.
Samsung Electronics used its annual foundry ecosystem event on July 1 to signal that its contract chipmaking business is regaining momentum, laying out a longer-term manufacturing roadmap alongside signs of firmer near-term demand.
China's power semiconductor makers are entering a broader price-hike cycle, as AI server demand, raw material inflation, and tight mature-node capacity force suppliers to defend margins after years of low-end price wars.
Memory suppliers are renegotiating high-bandwidth memory contracts, and PC brands say price increases may slow later this year. For global buyers, that relief could be short-lived, as supply-chain sources warn that shortages tied to artificial intelligence demand are likely to keep memory markets tight through 2027.
Socionext announced that it would develop a high-performance compute chiplet using TSMC's A14 process technology, positioning the project as a platform for next-generation custom silicon aimed at AI data center infrastructure.
China's display makers, led by BOE Technology (BOE), are pushing deeper into semiconductors, with BOE advancing glass substrates, and a 12-inch wafer fab reportedly slated to begin mass production in the second half of 2026. Industry analysts say China is extending display technologies built up with strong government backing into semiconductors as the US tightens restrictions, adding pressure on South Korea's chip and panel industries.
Despite rising concerns over memory price hikes, Apple's PCB supply chain has seen little change to the company's 2026 order pull-in schedule as of the second quarter, according to people familiar with the PCB industry.
Qualcomm recently launched its Dragonfly platform, signaling a deeper push into cloud artificial intelligence and intensifying competition with MediaTek. For global readers, the move highlights how chip suppliers are jockeying to win long-term contracts from major cloud providers, where design wins can shape revenue, supply chains, and future AI infrastructure.
As the AI wave drives rapid growth across the global semiconductor industry, the upstream electronic materials supply chain has become a key bottleneck for AI-related shipments. To keep pace with AI investment, Qnity was spun off from US chemical giant DuPont and listed independently in November 2025.
