As quantum technology, one of South Korea's national strategic technologies, gradually shifts from government-led R&D to the private sector, growing AI computing workloads have brought quantum processing units (QPUs) into the spotlight. Quantum equipment maker SDT stated that the proportion of government funding in its R&D budget has significantly declined, with demand steadily shifting toward private-sector customers.

As artificial intelligence (AI) moves beyond its infrastructure build-out phase, the industrial PC (IPC) sector anticipates 2026 as a key year for scaling AI from centralized cloud setups to diverse edge computing environments. This transition marks a turning point in which AI-powered edge devices become integral to real-world operations across the manufacturing, medical, transportation, defense, and public safety sectors.

As frontier AI models reach practical usability, competition is shifting from incremental improvements in model performance to a broader battle over distribution, application integration, and cost-effective deployment, according to DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin. Developers are now racing to secure access to end users via devices and platforms, marking a new phase in AI competition that is expected to last for the next several years.

As AI adoption accelerates, global and US economies in 2025 have been increasingly driven by technology companies' investments in AI infrastructure. Analysts warn that next year's AI server demand will depend on whether deployed AI can generate revenue, distinguishing "good AI" from "bad AI" with unclear monetization.

2025 proved turbulent for downstream applications and end-user devices. Tariffs and geopolitical tensions dominated the first half, while AI gained momentum later in the year. Global market unpredictability pushed many brands—particularly in China, the epicenter of geopolitical tensions—toward domestic markets and self-sufficiency.

Taiwan-based tech products distributor Weblink International is riding a surge in memory prices and robust demand for AI servers, positioning the company for strong growth in 2026. President Dave Lin said both segments continue to face supply constraints, but remain among Weblink's most promising growth drivers.

The rapid expansion of AI data centers is triggering unprecedented electricity demand, placing Taiwan's power grid under growing strain. Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) Chairman Wen-sheng Tseng warns that land scarcity, urban density, and climate risks are converging into a critical infrastructure challenge.

Tatung held an extraordinary shareholders meeting on December 30, where its board was comprehensively reshuffled with nine directors (including three independents), and non-compete restrictions on the newly elected directors were lifted.

Facing multi-year waits for electrical grid connections, data center operators supporting artificial intelligence (AI) workloads are turning to an unexpected supplier: supersonic jet engine manufacturer Boom Supersonic. The Colorado-based company, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, recently secured an order to deliver 1.2GW of power generation capacity to data center operator Crusoe, pivoting part of its aerospace technology to the energy sector.

As 2025 draws to a close, the global semiconductor industry has undergone a fundamental transformation marked by heightened geopolitical tensions, supply chain restructuring, and an unprecedented surge in AI-driven demand. What distinguishes this year from previous cycles is the shift from aspirational roadmaps to hard-edged execution, where manufacturers must deliver not just technological advancement but reliable, scalable production under increasingly complex constraints.

Facing US restrictions on high-end computing products, China is restructuring its AI chip industry by advancing GPU, TPU, and NPU technologies simultaneously. Domestic firms struggle to match Nvidia's software ecosystem but seek breakthroughs with TPUs for efficiency and NPUs for edge applications.

Taiwan Mobile's AI data center (AIDC) in Guishan in northern Taiwan is already fully leased after it officially began operations in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the company's president, Jamie Lin. The company expects the AIDC to start contributing revenue from January 2026, with profitability achievable within its first year of operation.

Amid ongoing US export restrictions, Chinese company Zhonghao Xinying plans to launch its second-generation self-developed Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chip in 2026. Industry observers predict multiple new Chinese TPU firms will emerge over the next five to 10 years, driven by growing demand for AI inference computing.

As 2025 concludes, Taiwan's information and communication technology (ICT) and electronics sectors have experienced significant export growth driven by AI-related demand, particularly from the United States. This comes according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). Despite record-breaking trade surpluses and rising foreign-exchange earnings, industry surveys indicate varying confidence about future prospects.

Infineon is leveraging its technological strengths to expand into cutting-edge applications in AI data centers and robotics. The company is currently collaborating with Nvidia to develop power systems for next-generation AI racks, featuring direct current (DC) voltages up to 800V.

Foxconn's operating structure is clearly shifting. Previously driven mainly by consumer electronics cycles, it is now gradually tilting toward AI servers, cloud, AI infrastructure, and high-performance computing (HPC). With continued investment and deployment in emerging businesses such as electric vehicles (EVs), results are expected to surface in 2026.

Set-top box maker Skardin Industrial confirmed that it has recovered a portion of its bad debt from an Argentine client, recognizing approximately NT$110 million (US$3.5 million) in bad-debt reversal gains, which have significantly strengthened operating cash flow. The company plans to continue advancing its transformation strategy, focusing on green energy, internet data centers (IDC), and resilient communications modules as its next growth engines.

Data centers are entering a new phase of infrastructure upgrades in 2026, feeding off generative AI under Nvidia's leadership. While silicon photonics (SiPh) and co-packaged optics (CPO) technologies are still in the deployment stage, the optical communications industry is expected to move into commercialization by 2026.

In 2025, the global electronics supply chain transformed due to rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), boosting servers, chips, and cooling sectors. Geopolitical tensions, export controls, and multi-location approaches also reshaped the supply chain to improve flexibility and risk management. The DIGITIMES Asia news team has summarized the top 10 key developments from this shift.

Taiwanese pneumatic components maker Chelic said it is redirecting its growth strategy toward semiconductors, liquid cooling, and robotics, as new sensing and energy management products move into customer testing with revenue contributions expected to begin in early 2026.

The space industry is undergoing a profound transformation. What was once the domain of government agencies has become a strategic battleground. Commercial innovation, military priorities, and economic competition now converge beyond Earth's atmosphere.

Rising global investment in artificial intelligence is accelerating data center construction. This is intensifying demand for power, cooling, and energy storage equipment, reinforcing reliance on Chinese-made components even as governments push to diversify supply chains.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are drawing significant attention because of their flexible and rapid deployment capabilities as AI's electricity demand continues to skyrocket. Kaori Thermal Technology, a key supplier to SOFC fuel cell leader Bloom Energy, stated that customer demand remains strong, enabling both capital and workforce expansion. The company said its 2026 capex will be the largest since its founding, and its headcount is set to increase by more than 40%.

Gallium nitride power devices are rapidly penetrating AI data centers as soaring electricity demand forces operators to rethink power efficiency and density. The shift is pushing US and European power semiconductor suppliers to accelerate partnerships and product development.

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) is expanding its AI and infrastructure footprint by establishing a shared AI exhibition space and research and development office at Kaohsiung's Pier F on December 22, 2025. The company will also assist Kaohsiung in building Taiwan's first city-level generative sovereign AI demonstration base.