Demand from high-tech companies for new research and manufacturing sites remains strong, prompting Taiwan to advance plans to expand Longtan Science Park by 104 hectares as the government seeks to accommodate continued growth in AI and semiconductor industries.
When Chinese President Xi Jinping meets US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 24, trade will be the most measurable front of their rivalry. Since the first Section 301 tariffs took effect in July 2018, US imports of Chinese technology hardware have fallen sharply. Rare earth magnets are the exception: Washington cannot easily replace them, which gives Beijing leverage as the one-year Busan truce nears its November 10 expiry.
China's internet regulator is reportedly investigating DeepSeek and Moonshot AI over allegations that the two companies routed millions of user interactions, including potentially sensitive government and corporate information, to Anthropic's Claude models without customers' knowledge.
China's Hygon Information Technology is extending its processor ambitions beyond servers and data centers with the launch of its first embedded industrial CPU family, targeting robotics, machine vision, smart manufacturing, and other edge AI workloads.
Gigabyte's AI server shipments continue to accelerate, lifting revenue and profit while prompting capacity expansion. For the first half of 2026, revenue reached NT$249.272 billion (US$7.9 billion), up 48.4% year-over-year; net profit after tax was NT$11.875 billion (US$373.3 million), up 92.6%; and earnings per share (EPS) hit NT$17.73, all record highs for the same period.
Taiwan-based light guide plate maker Global Lighting Technologies (GLT) is deepening its pivot into life sciences through its investment in Smobio Technology, for which GLT has begun manufacturing precast protein electrophoresis gels under contract. Small-scale production began in August 2026, following the commencement of the partnership between the two companies in 2025. Monthly demand for precast gels currently sits at roughly 20,000–30,000 sheets, and is expected to grow to 200,000–300,000 sheets in the first half of 2027, according to GLT president Johnny Tsai.
Acer says gaming and AI products are supporting its business in Germany and Austria, two markets that often reflect broader European PC demand. The company expects steadier conditions in the second half, while replacement cycles, higher prices, and Windows 10 support changes could shape global consumer buying trends.
Qualcomm unveiled two flagship mobile platforms, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, at Snapdragon Summit 2026 in Maui, Hawaii this week, marking the company's first split of its premium Snapdragon lineup into two Elite tiers. Xiaomi, Honor, and Motorola appeared on stage as early partners, with the Xiaomi 18 Pro series and Honor Magic9 series expected to be the first devices and to launch in September.
