South Korea is looking beyond semiconductors and artificial intelligence for its next generation of strategic industries, naming seven technology fields it plans to cultivate over the next 10 to 20 years.

Global auto sales in the first half of 2026 show Toyota still firmly in first place, while the gap between No. 2 Volkswagen and No. 3 Hyundai Motor has narrowed sharply. Volkswagen's heavy dependence on China has dragged sales lower, while Hyundai has held up through diversified geopolitical exposure, local production, and a flexible product mix. Market attention is now turning to whether Hyundai is on the verge of overtaking Volkswagen for the No. 2 spot.

J&V Energy Technology said its first-half 2026 results were lifted by growing energy storage projects and green power trading, with consolidated revenue reaching NT$3.498 billion (US$108.74 million). The Taiwan-based renewable energy group said gross profit rose 67% year over year to NT$570 million, while operating profit increased 195% to NT$109 million.

Century Iron and Steel Industrial (CIS) and Century Wind Power (CWP) held a joint investor conference on August 13. Driven by a significant increase in the revenue contribution from offshore wind foundation engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects beginning in 2026, CWP said it expects revenue to reach new highs in both 2026 and 2027, with profit in 2026 also poised to set a record.

The "Net Zero City: International Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technology Seminar on New Low-Carbon Power Solutions for AI and Semiconductor Industries," jointly hosted by the Taiwan-US Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Industries Promotion Alliance (TUCA) and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER), convened on August 12 in Kaohsiung. The event focused on leveraging Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies to support the low-carbon transition of the semiconductor and AI sectors amid surging electricity demand.

Taiwan began charging companies for carbon emissions in 2026 as part of its push toward net-zero by 2050, with the initial filing deadline closing June 1. A total of 461 regulated factories and 240 companies have paid in full, generating NT$4.97 billion (US$154 million) in carbon fees, with the semiconductor industry paying the most: 45%, or NT$2.2 billion. The Ministry of Environment (MOENV) is also advancing a pilot phase for the emissions trading scheme (ETS) as Taiwan works to align with international carbon markets.