In a podcast, DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin said hybrid bonding is drawing fresh attention at SEMICON Taiwan 2026 and could become a key driver of advanced packaging capacity expansion in 2027 to 2028.

AI and high-performance computing (HPC) demand is extending order visibility for Taiwanese semiconductor equipment supplier Scientech into 2028, while capacity constraints may force the company to become more selective about orders in 2027.

AI and high-performance computing (HPC) demand is changing the semiconductor industry's technology and investment priorities. As chip power consumption, computing density, and data transfer requirements rise rapidly, competition is no longer limited to front-end process scaling; 3D stacking, advanced packaging, high-density interconnects, thermal management, and memory technologies are also becoming more important.

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) has recruited 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Arieh Warshel to work in Taiwan, and the National Development Council (NDC) has issued him an Employment Gold Card enabling him to work and reside in Taiwan. It is the first time a Nobel laureate has received the card since the program began.

Dutch equipment maker ITEC used Semicon Taiwan to promote a die-bonding architecture that it says triples throughput over earlier versions of the design by removing the largest source of idle motion in chip assembly: the return trip.

As Semicon Taiwan kicked off at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced that, based on forecasts compiled from multiple research institutions, Taiwan's semiconductor industry output could top NT$8 trillion (approx. US$252.6 billion) in 2026. Advanced equipment and materials, historically local industry weak points, are also making remarkable gains, with domestic equipment output projected to reach NT$270 billion (US$8.5 billion).

System integration remains a key hurdle as the AI chip industry pushes for higher power efficiency and faster transmission speeds, drawing intense attention to when short-reach optical communications between racks and chips will enter practical use. Industry players say the maturity of system integration is still the main consideration for commercialization.

TSMC is steering the future of artificial intelligence toward high-density three-dimensional advanced packaging designed to mimic the architectural connectivity of the human brain, as traditional two-dimensional silicon scaling approaches its physical limits, a top TSMC executive said at SEMICON Taiwan 2026.

Silicon photonics (SiPh) is emerging as a core theme at SEMICON Taiwan 2026, and while the sector is still in an early, fast-growing stage, production-line investments are already under way. As optical makers move into co-packaged optics (CPO), the source and capability of laser equipment are becoming critical to whether they can secure market share.

Marketech International Corp. (MIC) posted record results in the second quarter of 2026, with consolidated revenue of NT$21.2 billion (approx. US$668.6 million), up 48.2% quarter-over-quarter and 74% year-over-year, and net profit after tax of NT$1.8 billion, up 61.8% quarter-over-quarter and more than 350% year-over-year. Earnings per share were NT$8.17.

TSMC is calling for future HBM and DRAM designs to become more compatible with X-ray inspection, as increasingly complex advanced packaging makes buried defects harder to detect while raising concerns over radiation exposure to sensitive memory devices.

Trustworthy supply chain concerns are extending beyond semiconductors to drones and other autonomous systems, now emerging as national strategic industries. At a Semicon Taiwan 2026 side forum, defense and industry experts from Taiwan and the US called for stronger production capacity, standardized interfaces, testing infrastructure and predictable government procurement to turn Taiwan's supply chain strengths into a globally trusted base for unmanned systems.

A decade ago, when Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was developing the world's first NVLink-enabled deep learning system, the DGX-1, the tech industry was deeply skeptical about the future of artificial intelligence (AI).

South Korea is turning a semiconductor-driven tax windfall into a broader technology investment push, directing record fiscal firepower toward chips, Nvidia's Vera Rubin computing platform, AI data centers, robotics and the power and water infrastructure needed to support them.

Samsung is expanding its Vietnam footprint beyond smartphones, with semiconductor testing, high-end chip substrates, OLED displays and R&D emerging as the next pillars of its presence in one of its largest global manufacturing bases.

MSScorps saw August 2026 revenue post a new single-month high, as global artificial intelligence (AI) computing power continues to expand, driving demand for advanced process technologies, high-performance computing (HPC), advanced packaging, and high-speed optical interconnects, further raising the importance of semiconductor analysis services.

Trusval Technology is riding AI- and high-performance computing-driven semiconductor expansion overseas, but Taiwan's fab engineering firms face tougher labor shortages, regulations, materials constraints and rising costs abroad. Co-CEO Chu-chiao Kung said the company is turning years of high-spec project execution for leading advanced-process customers into global competitiveness.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The global semiconductor industry is hitting a physical wall. As artificial intelligence demands push architectures toward three-dimensional packaging, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) stacks, and complex hybrid bonding, traditional inspection tools are going blind.

Chunghwa Precision Test Technology said demand for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) is driving a surge in advanced testing interface business, while ASIC revenue is set to grow rapidly and catch up with GPU sales. CEO Shui-Ke Huang said GPU products remain the mainstream in the HPC chip market and the company's main revenue source, with US customers also serving as its largest clients.

Singapore-based semiconductor packaging equipment maker Kulicke and Soffa (K&S) said AI demand is spreading into adjacent applications, lifting 2026 orders for wire bonding equipment and driving shipments to a record high, while the company continues to expand its advanced packaging business.

To meet next-generation high-speed optical interconnect demand, fiber array units (FAU) are moving from traditional one-dimensional layouts to high-density two-dimensional (2D) architectures, raising the bar for hole positioning accuracy, micro-hole size, packing density, and process stability. At SEMICON Taiwan 2026, semiconductor equipment maker E&R Engineering unveiled a new ultra-high-precision laser micromachining platform with integrated high-precision motion control, laser drilling, and micromachining technologies.

Kyocera held a ceremony on September 1 to mark the completion of its Nagasaki Isahaya Plant in Kuremo-machi, Isahaya, Nagasaki. The company says the new manufacturing site will anchor its push into semiconductor-related products. Total investment will reach approximately JPY68 billion (US$424.70 million) by the end of March 2029, according to the company's announcement.

Rising semiconductor packaging and testing demand is exposing space and logistics constraints at existing plants. Kenmec Mechanical Engineering is targeting the upgrade market with a smart-factory solution combining automated material handling systems (AMHS), overhead hoist transport (OHT), and AI-powered digital twins, allowing packaging and testing facilities to automate without extensive reconstruction.

Gary Huang, vice president and head of Asia-Pacific research and business development at Yole Group, said the imbalance is already showing signs of what he described as supply-chain "decoupling."