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Tuesday 21 April 2026

Taiwan has more than 260,000 job vacancies, with manufacturing accounting for 32.4%

Taiwan's artificial intelligence (AI) servers and advanced-process chip manufacturing businesses are booming, with related manufacturing industries also benefiting. According to a survey by Taiwan's Ministry of Labor (MIL), labor turnover rates in the manufacturing industry are relatively low, while vacancy rates and recruitment periods are comparable to the overall industry average, indicating a stable workforce structure.

Tuesday 21 April 2026

Seiko Epson unveils long-term vision for sustainable growth

Seiko Epson, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2025, recently launched a long-term vision plan, the Engineered Future 2035, addressing AI, geopolitical shifts, and digital transformation challenges. The company emphasized using return on invested capital (ROIC) as a key management metric to optimize capital allocation, realign its business portfolio, and concentrate resources on growth sectors to enhance operational performance and core value.

Tuesday 21 April 2026

Middle East conflict drives Shin-Etsu Silicone price hike; Topco to follow suit

Global energy and petrochemical supply chains are facing disruption from the Middle East conflict, driving up costs from crude oil to downstream industrial materials. These shifts threaten manufacturers and consumers worldwide as companies like Shin-Etsu Chemical and distributors such as Topco Scientific (TSC) adjust prices and supply to manage rising raw-material costs.

Tuesday 21 April 2026

Apple's leadership shift signals a deeper bet on engineering-led innovation over disruption

On April 20, Apple announced that John Ternus, currently the senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will succeed Tim Cook as the company's CEO on September 1, 2026. The transition ends Cook's 15-year CEO tenure, during which Apple's market value grew from US$350 billion to US$4 trillion.

Tuesday 21 April 2026

Apple puts its chip architect in charge of all hardware as CEO transition looms

On April 20, 2026, Apple announced that Johny Srouji — the executive behind its custom silicon revolution — has been elevated to the newly created role of Chief Hardware Officer. Srouji, who previously served as Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, will now also oversee the Hardware Engineering division formerly led by John Ternus, who is set to succeed Tim Cook as Apple's CEO on September 1, 2026.

Tuesday 21 April 2026

UALink 2.0 strengthens AI interconnect standards but lags behind NVLink in deployment

The UALink Consortium has released version 2.0 of its universal interconnect standard, building on the initial 1.0 launch in April 2025 with enhanced AI accelerator communication and computation capabilities. The latest update introduces "in-network computing," reduces latency, and improves bandwidth efficiency to better support distributed AI training and inference workloads.

Tuesday 21 April 2026

AI reshapes memory supply; Global Electronics Association warns that traditional procurement strategies will fail

The Global Electronics Association has released a report highlighting how AI demand is redistributing memory supply, causing extended lead times, rising prices, and increased market uncertainty for electronics manufacturers worldwide.

Monday 20 April 2026

Taiwan's high growth and low inflation stand out amidst global economic downturn

As global research institutions downgrade their economic forecasts for 2026 in the wake of the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran, Taiwan has stood out as a rare exception to the worldwide downturn. Even with oil and natural gas prices surging amid shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, Taiwan's economy grew by 13.19% in the first quarter of 2026, following an impressive 8.68% growth in 2025. Meanwhile, consumer price index (CPI) inflation is expected to stay at a low 1.98%, thanks to government intervention.

Monday 20 April 2026

US's China containment shifts Taiwan firms' investment strategies

Taiwanese companies are shifting investment and repatriation patterns as the US-led containment policy and global resistance to Chinese tech firms reshape cross-strait business dynamics, potentially affecting supply chains, foreign investment flows, and technology partnerships worldwide, and prompting multinationals and policymakers to reassess exposure to China across manufacturing and finance sectors.

Monday 20 April 2026

Lens supplies 132 core components for Honor humanoid robot program, reinforcing role in embodied intelligence manufacturing

Lens Technology supplied 132 types of core metal structural components for Honor's humanoid robot program, underscoring its expanding role in embodied intelligence manufacturing and signaling increased global industrial capacity in robot production, supply-chain integration, and overseas facility expansion that could affect robotics availability and development worldwide.

Monday 20 April 2026

China's humanoid robot half-marathon highlights rapid advances in autonomy and system integration

A humanoid robot half-marathon held in Beijing's Yizhuang development zone on April 19, 2026, has highlighted the rapid evolution of robotics technology, with autonomous machines demonstrating major gains in speed, stability, and decision-making compared with the previous year.

Monday 20 April 2026

Weekly news roundup: Samsung launches voluntary retirement; Qualcomm moves into custom DRAM with CXMT

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of April 13-19, 2026:

Monday 20 April 2026

Mirle, UAT form robotics venture for global expansion

Automation solutions provider Mirle announced plans to establish a joint venture with United Alloy-Tech Company (UAT), aiming to capture opportunities in the global automation and robotics market.

Monday 20 April 2026

India roundup: China's supply-chain squeeze tests India's industrial rise

India's push to build a domestic advanced manufacturing ecosystem is facing renewed pressure as China tightens control over critical battery and EV technologies, while TCL considers restructuring its India TV unit and Taiwan's Rapidtek partners with India's HEX20 in satellite development, according to DIGITIMES reports. Separately, the UK has confirmed GBP380 million in support for Tata's Agratas battery plant in Somerset, underscoring intensifying global competition to secure EV and advanced manufacturing supply chains.

Sunday 19 April 2026

Wage protests in Northern India disrupt electronics output as Uttar Pradesh raises pay

Worker protests broke out in mid-April across the Noida–Greater Noida industrial belt, a major center for smartphone and electronics manufacturing, disrupting factory operations and prompting a government response. The demonstrations were concentrated in industrial zones such as Phase-2 and Sector 60, where thousands of workers gathered to demand higher wages and improved working conditions.

Sunday 19 April 2026

Kemflo strengthens water resilience for semiconductor fabs

As the global electronics and advanced semiconductor manufacturing sectors expand in 2026, the stability of semiconductor and electronics plant utilities systems has become critical to meeting new factory construction schedules. Kemflo Group CEO Eugene Lin pointed out that, leveraging its integrated strengths across water resources, industrial water treatment, and metal products, Kemflo is establishing itself as an indispensable high-end water treatment partner amid labor shortages in plant operations.

Saturday 18 April 2026

Commentary: Humanoid robot marathon highlights four industry benchmarks

Embodied AI is moving out of the lab and into real-world environments at increasing speed. The humanoid robot half-marathon scheduled for April 19 in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (E-Town) is framed as a public race, but functions more as an industry stress test, compressing a full stack of technologies into a 21-kilometer trial.

Saturday 18 April 2026

Largan expects full capacity in 2H26; FAU customer details remain undisclosed

Leading optical lens manufacturer Largan Precision held its first-quarter 2026 earnings call on April 16, reporting consolidated revenue of NT$15.54 billion (approx. US$492.37 million) for the quarter. The company cited seasonal factors and market fluctuations for the roughly 10% decline from the fourth quarter of 2025, while noting 7% year-over-year growth.

Friday 17 April 2026

Commentary: Robots are selling, but profits are not; data is the real prize

Capital is still pouring into humanoid robotics in 2026, but the industry's financials are telling a more complicated story.

Friday 17 April 2026

Evalue launches 640kW ultra-fast charger, expanding fast-charging capacity

Taiwan's Fortune Electric Value Company (Evalue) has launched a 640kW ultra-fast DC charger capable of charging 800V EVs in 15–20 minutes, with support for up to five simultaneous charging guns. The launch could accelerate the buildout of charging infrastructure capacity globally as operators prioritize fast-slow charging mixes and scale partnerships to meet rising EV demand and reduce emissions.

Friday 17 April 2026

Aurotek launches three AI robots to boost Taiwan's smart automation market

Aurotek's unveiling of three new intelligent robots on April 16, developed with partner Pudu Robotics, signals broader options for global industries seeking automation. The system targets cleaning, inspection, and material handling, promising faster deployment, improved operational resilience, and potential labor-cost mitigation for manufacturers, logistics, and facility managers worldwide.

Friday 17 April 2026

Foxconn Industrial Internet surpasses Huawei in 2025 revenue, driven by AI servers

Foxconn's industrial arm, Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), has ridden the AI server boom to become a revenue leader, illustrating to global manufacturers how advanced production capability and supply‑chain control can translate surging AI demand into market share, influence capacity-location decisions, and strengthen bargaining power across international technology supply chains and investment strategies.

Friday 17 April 2026

China outlines AI-led investment push and industrial upgrading under new five-year plan framework

China is preparing a new round of large-scale investment and industrial upgrading centered on AI infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and strategic emerging industries, according to a briefing by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) at a State Council Information Office press conference on April 17.

Friday 17 April 2026

Foxconn shifts US plant from simulation to operation with AI-driven factory setup

Foxconn's US AI factories could reshape global electronics supply chains by accelerating US-based AI server production and offering a replicable smart factory model for overseas sites. The company's digital twin and data-driven approach promise faster plant construction, higher yields, and improved equipment and energy efficiency worldwide.

Thursday 16 April 2026

China tightens rules against foreign supply chain decoupling

The Chinese government has introduced sweeping regulations that authorize investigations and penalties against foreign companies that decouple from China's supply chain. The new rules arrive as global supply chains face mounting geopolitical pressure and China's export surplus continues to grow.

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