Amid the turmoil on the global stage in recent years, Pegatron chairman TH Tung has highlighted three major challenges in the short to mid-term, including updates to the US's reciprocal tariff policies, exchange rate fluctuations that may have further long-term impacts, and competition from China, Japan, and South Korea. For Taiwanese manufacturers, some may need government policy support as they further seek overseas expansion, while those remaining rooted in Taiwan will need to enhance automation to maintain their competitive edge amid fierce market pressures.

Zolix, a major Chinese supplier of precision optical instruments and mechanical control technologies, is expanding its domestic and international presence despite macroeconomic challenges, including tariffs. The company has established branches in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Xi'an, while also maintaining distributors in France, Poland, and South Korea.

On the evening of September 8, 2025, Xiaomi issued an internal notice that abruptly ended Wang Teng's rapid nine-year rise within the company. The under-40 executive, who had served as general manager of Xiaomi's China marketing division, was officially terminated for "leaking confidential company information" and "conflicts of interest."

South Korea's information and communications technology (ICT) exports in August 2025 reached a record high for the period compared to previous years. Due to rising memory semiconductor prices and increased investment in artificial intelligence server infrastructure, semiconductor export values also reached an all-time high.

ASM Technologies, an India-based publicly listed company in engineering design-led manufacturing, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Tamil Nadu to invest INR2.5 billion (approx. US$28.38 million) in the state.

Server ODMs are significantly expanding their production capabilities to meet the surging demand in the artificial intelligence (AI) market. Mike Yang, EVP at Quanta, revealed efforts to increase capacity at facilities in the US and Thailand, with a new plant in Mexico set to begin production in early 2026. The scale of orders has grown beyond prior expectations, driving this intensified expansion.

The global artificial intelligence (AI) boom is not only driving demand for AI servers and AI data center hardware construction but also pushing high-voltage direct current (HVDC) to become the future mainstream in power supply due to the AI sector's massive energy consumption. This shift is accelerating investments from power grids, heavy electrical equipment, and power supply manufacturers, while the technical and capital barriers are expected to trigger a new round of market shakeouts.

Although the AI glasses market has yet to experience clear explosive growth, major system manufacturers, brands, and startups are continuously increasing their resources and development efforts for new products and solutions. Chipmakers share this high level of anticipation toward the technology trend, marking a stark contrast from their previous cautious stance regarding short-term mass adoption.

According to Ddaily, Samsung announced it will expand its India Innovation Campus (SIC) program from four states to ten this year, aiming to train 20,000 students, six times last year's intake. The program, aligned with India's "Make in India" and "Skill India" initiatives, covers AI, IoT, big data, and coding, with potential to feed talent into Samsung's Noida facility, the world's largest smartphone plant.

Panasonic Group's subsidiary, Panasonic Industry, announced plans to construct a new factory in central Thailand with an investment of JPY17 billion (approx. US$115 million). The facility will produce multilayer circuit board materials specifically designed for artificial intelligence (AI) servers, addressing the surging global demand driven by generative AI technologies.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of September 8–September 14.

Pegatron chairman TH Tung attended the Taoyuan Enterprise Summit on September 12, during which he shared his views on the economic climate for the second half of 2025. Despite initial concerns about the impact of US reciprocal tariffs in the first half of the year possibly extending into the second half, strong upstream component orders in July and August indicate that there is still momentum in the consumer market. With the peak consumption season approaching, Tung expects that the second half could usher in a "calm autumn."

Lite-On Technology commemorated its 50th anniversary as chairman Tom Soong urged swift transformation as the rapid AI surge reshapes global competition. The firm plans to double overseas R&D staff while partnering with Cloud Gate Dance Theatre to blend AI and art, symbolizing its commitment to innovation and cultural synergy.

As the smartphone market nears saturation, smart glasses are emerging as the next frontier for AI-enabled wearable devices. Foxconn is positioning itself beyond contract assembly by investing in local augmented reality (AR) technology company Jorjin and leveraging subsidiary Omniguider to develop application solutions, signaling a comprehensive approach to the evolving AI glasses market.

Despite ongoing US sanctions that constrain its smartphone sales overseas, Huawei said it has held the No. 1 position in global wearable device shipments for two straight quarters.

Apple's recently launched iPhone 17 series has garnered significant global attention, with Chinese media focusing on the comparison between China and India in the company's supply chain. Reports highlight that despite India's growing involvement, China remains an indispensable part of Apple's manufacturing and supply network.

Apple's new generation AirPods Pro 3 earbuds are reportedly equipped with a photo detector (PD) in each unit, built by Taiwan-Asia Semiconductor (TASC), allowing the Taiwanese company to expand its presence in Apple's supply chain. Although the specific application of the component has not been officially confirmed, industry insiders speculate that it is related to the newly added heart rate sensing feature.

Senior Indian semiconductor officials said on September 11, 2025, that Foxconn remains "completely upbeat" about its expansion plans in India despite being forced to send Chinese workers back to China earlier this year, describing the disruption as manageable amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

A new player has joined Taiwan's humanoid robot supply chain, with leading automation system supplier Mirle teaming up with food giant I-Mei Foods and controller maker Syntec to form a new joint venture targeting the unmanned vehicle market. Their self-developed humanoid robot made its debut at SEMICON Taiwan 2025, serving as a prelude to future operations that will expand into robot dogs and drones.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressed optimism on September 11, 2025, that a significant trade deal with Taiwan is within reach, raising hopes that temporary tariffs on Taiwanese goods could soon be lifted.

Mexico has announced a plan to raise tariffs of up to 50% on more than 1,400 products imported from China and other Asian countries, a move aimed at protecting domestic industries while navigating complex geopolitical and trade dynamics.

Hiwin Technologies is strengthening its presence across major global markets, including China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Europe, Israel, Russia, and the US. This broad expansion seeks to position the company closer to its key customers in the semiconductor and robotics sectors, particularly emphasizing China's emerging "low-altitude economy" as a strategic area.

Texas Instruments (TI) CEO Haviv Ilan stated at the 2025 Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference that the data center market is the fastest recovering among all sectors, with the company's revenue from this segment growing over 50% annually. He projects that in 2025, data center operations will generate US$1-1.2 billion in revenue.

Abico Asia and Ability Enterprise, subsidiaries of Abico Group, previously co-invested NT$300 million (approx. US$9.9 million) in Agility Robotics. Agility Robotics recently announced that it has received investment from Nvidia during its Series C funding round.