A slower US build-out of AI infrastructure after the Democratic Party's midterm sweep could cost China more economically than it gains strategically, Bloomberg Economics said, because the hardware export boom propping up China's growth this year rests on US data center construction.

Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa has announced plans to suspend new data center approvals until the state establishes legal safeguards for residents, power supplies, and the environment, while also urging the state government to pause land deals that could involve SpaceX. The policy could reshape investment plans by major technology companies in one of the US's fastest-growing AI data center regions and a key base for Tesla and SpaceX.

Taiwan-based Primax Electronics plans to increase the share of its business-to-business (B2B) operations over the next five years, expanding beyond traditional PC peripherals into artificial intelligence (AI), smart security, automotive and robotics applications. With public safety and surveillance projects already secured through 2029, the company expects these higher-value businesses to underpin sustained double-digit growth.

The Democratic Party's sweeping victory in the US midterm elections has raised concerns that data-center construction and the broader AI supply chain could slow. However, supply-chain sources said that while opposition to data centers has intensified, AI development is unlikely to lose momentum because it has become central to national competitiveness, regardless of which party controls the US government.

Server chassis maker Chenbro Micom reported a 5.4% quarter-over-quarter decline in revenue for the third quarter of 2026, as inventory adjustments following aggressive customer pull-ins during the first half and shortages of key electronic components at the system level affected complete-system shipments. Chenbro said its full-year operating scale will still exceed that of 2026.

The midterm election results reshaped the US Congress and the local political landscape. It also introduced new uncertainty for the rapidly expanding AI industry. Democratic victories in both chambers of Congress and in data-center hubs including Texas, Georgia and Ohio reflected voter frustration with tech giants' heavy consumption of electricity and water while shifting some costs onto local communities.

China-based optical communications provider Innolight has advanced its next-generation AI optical interconnect strategy. Tower Semiconductor and Innolight said their first jointly developed near-package optics (NPO) product, built using Tower's PH18M silicon photonics process, has entered early production at Tower's California facility in the US.

Sumitomo Bakelite reported a 47.2% year-over-year increase in attributable net profit to JPY19.561 billion (US$123 million) for the first half of fiscal 2026, as AI server demand drove growth in semiconductor packaging materials. Revenue and operating profit rose 22.7% and 57.9%, respectively, prompting the company to raise its full-year net profit forecast to JPY35 billion in late October.

AI data centers (AIDCs) are shifting from state recruitment showcases to a highly sensitive issue in the 2026 midterm elections, as rising power demand, household electricity costs, and local approval authority converge. Although candidates supporting data center construction "pauses" have emerged across key states, newly elected US governors remain divided on implementation and generally favor regulation over outright bans.

Meta has acquired AI coding startup Conductor to strengthen its developer tools and multi-agent collaboration capabilities as it competes for the developer market. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the deal but did not disclose its value, according to Axios and TechCrunch.

AMD has signed an agreement with South Korean companies FuriosaAI and MangoBoost to build a heterogeneous AI computing cluster in Seoul by spring 2027, while separately discussing potential cooperation with DEEPX on low-power AI chips for robotics and industrial applications.

Addressing Taiwan's declining birth rate and the semiconductor sector's expanding demand for elite expertise, Macronix International Chairman Miin Wu has announced plans to donate at least US$2 million alongside his wife to establish a top talent development fund at his alma mater, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The initiative aims to partner with Stanford University to select one top NCKU student annually for advanced studies in the US, connecting Taiwan's next generation of technology leaders with cutting-edge global insights.

Chicony Electronics reported unaudited consolidated revenue of NT$5.647 billion (US$172 million) for October 2026, down 9.1% month-over-month and 24% year-over-year. Persistent global PC component cost pressure, cautious purchasing by brand customers, and continued corrections in second-half PC shipments reduced demand, prompting the company to prioritize profitability, premium product shipments, and expansion beyond traditional PCs.

UK-based AI computing infrastructure startup Nscale, backed by Nvidia, is planning a US$35 billion initial public offering (IPO) in 2026. However, Microsoft, one of its major customers, has reportedly decided not to exercise an option to expand its computing capacity lease at a Texas data center.

Chunghwa Telecom is expanding its Google partnership by bringing the latest Google AI services to consumers, with the aim of achieving 200,000 subscribers in the first year, according to Chunghwa Telecom Consumer Business Group president Hsueh-hai Hu. The focus will be on converting existing Google One users to higher-tier plans by combining cloud storage with AI features.

Hewlett Packard (HP) has appointed Emma Walmsley, the former head of drugmaker GSK, as its next CEO, ending a search that began after the company named an interim leader earlier this year.

Goldman Sachs and Apollo Global Management have reportedly begun approaching potential investors about purchasing parts of a US$40 billion deal to finance SpaceX's leasing of Nvidia chips. The firms are seeking to complete the transaction quickly in the wake of Democratic victories in this week's midterm elections, which some worry could slow the growth of AI development.

Japanese electronic components giant Kyocera reported record revenue of JPY1.08 trillion (approximately US$6.83 billion) for the first half of fiscal 2026 (April to September 2026), up 8.8% from the same period a year earlier. Operating profit and net income also grew by 32% to 56%. The results prompted Kyocera to raise its fiscal 2026 outlook for the second time, increasing its full-year revenue forecast to JPY2.12 trillion, 9% above its initial projection.

Coherent is positioning itself as the optics supplier with no stake in the chip wars, two days after Marvell Technology agreed to acquire one of its closest rivals.

Qisda posted October consolidated revenue of NT$19.39 billion (US$590.8 million), up 13.47% year-over-year but down 1.85% from September, as its AI infrastructure, AI solutions, and smart manufacturing, and AI healthcare businesses all recorded double-digit growth from a year earlier.

US chipmaker Qualcomm will present its latest developments in 6G and AI agent-powered devices at the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE), held from November 5 to 10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. The exhibition will mark the first public display of what Qualcomm describes as the world's first 6G terminal prototype conforming to the latest 3GPP definition.

Apple has opened testing of its China-specific Apple Intelligence service with the iOS 27.3 developer beta released on November 4, integrating Alibaba's Qwen model into Siri. The full version is expected in December, as Apple works to close the gap in its generative AI offerings in China.

South Korean AI software developer Moreh says AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs running its inference software delivered more than twice the throughput of Nvidia B200 GPUs in company tests, as South Korea moves ahead with plans to build AI infrastructure combining AMD processors with locally developed chips.

Chinese AI developers are losing a key route to advanced US chips, renting them in data centers outside China, as Washington and US companies stretch American controls over compute well beyond US borders. The squeeze falls heavily on Southeast Asian data center operators that built capacity around Chinese demand. Beijing, meanwhile, is pressing its own tech giants to rely less on American hardware.

Syntec Technology is actively advancing its global production capacity expansion and artificial intelligence (AI) technology deployment. The company announced on November 4 that its Suzhou Plant 2 in China, Malaysia Plant 2, and new facilities in India are expected to be completed and begin relocation in phases starting in February 2027. As the new sites gradually become operational, the company expects its overall capacity in 2027 to reach roughly 2.6 times its current level.