Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) will maintain its existing strategy following the sudden death of Chairman Frank Huang and expects business to improve quarter by quarter in the second half of 2026, Acting Chairman Brian Shieh said on August 4th.
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said humanoid robots have become a key symbol of the country's emerging manufacturing sector, claiming that 8 of every 10 humanoid and quadruped robots sold globally are produced by Chinese companies. The remarks came at a July 31 press briefing and also highlighted progress in IC design, semiconductor equipment, wafer fabrication, and packaging and testing.
China has revised its regulations on the protection of integrated circuit (IC) layout designs, introducing stricter registration requirements, stronger enforcement measures and clearer commercialization rules as Beijing steps up efforts to strengthen its domestic semiconductor industry amid ongoing US technology restrictions.
TSMC has announced that Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), its subsidiary in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture, has resumed normal operations following production disruptions caused by the recent Kumamoto earthquake.
Asia Optical reported record operating profit for the second quarter of 2026, as consolidated revenue, gross profit and operating profit all increased from a year earlier. The company said the result was supported by three growth drivers that it expects to sustain momentum into the third quarter.
MA-tek announced on July 31, 2026, that it will sell 80% of its Shanghai subsidiary for about CNY1.9 billion (US$281.4 million), as global semiconductor supply chains are reshuffled and demand surges for AI, high-performance computing (HPC), advanced process nodes, advanced packaging, and silicon photonics (SiPh). The deal is expected to close and be recognized in revenue by the end of 2026.
Renesas Electronics plans to gradually end production at its Takasaki factory in Japan over the next two to three years while strengthening research and development there. The move reflects wider supply-chain strain in legacy semiconductor manufacturing and could affect customers, workers, and global users of analog and power chips.
Apple reported its best-ever third-quarter results for fiscal 2026, but its guidance for the fourth quarter showed much slower growth than in the prior quarter. CEO Tim Cook said the shortage of advanced-node capacity for mobile SoCs is the biggest limit on the company's expansion.

