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Thursday 22 January 2026
AI PC battle heats up as Nvidia and MediaTek join forces
Despite uncertain macroeconomic trends and rising memory prices with constrained supply, PC brands, suppliers, and research firms remain pessimistic about 2026 PC demand. However, competition in the AI PC segment is intensifying rapidly.
Thursday 22 January 2026
GlobalWafers chair sees Taiwan's semiconductor edge, says AI is irreversible
On January 21, 2026, GlobalWafers chairwoman Doris Hsu spoke to the media about the recent US-Taiwan tariff agreement, which lowers Taiwan's reciprocal tariffs to 15% without stacking most-favored-nation (MFN) rates. This makes Taiwan the first country to secure tariff relief under Section 232. Both sides also plan to expand supply chain investment cooperation. Hsu called this a very positive outcome for Taiwan's overall industry and said it has eased market concerns.
Thursday 22 January 2026
GlobalWafers eyes quarterly revenue growth in 2026; chair sees better market than last year
GlobalWafers chairman Doris Hsu told the media on January 21, 2026, that the company's global expansion plans are starting to pay off, with subsidiaries in Niigata and Utsunomiya, Japan, as well as Denmark, all hitting record revenues in 2025. Niche products like gallium nitride (GaN) stood out for their strong performance. Hsu also outlined GlobalWafers' 2026 strategy and shared her outlook on market conditions.
Thursday 22 January 2026
EMS watch: Celestica and Flex double down on platform-led data center builds; Sanmina and Jabil expand through M&A and diversified portfolios
Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers are sharpening their competitive positions around AI-era infrastructure, shifting attention from cyclical end markets to longer-cycle platform builds for cloud, networking, and data centers. Recent company updates from Celestica, Sanmina, Jabil, and Flex show a common playbook: move up the value chain, standardize repeatable system designs, and invest in power, thermal, and integration capabilities that shorten deployment times for hyperscale customers.
Thursday 22 January 2026
EMS watch: Chinese EMS champions reshape their playbooks around AI hardware, autos, and global delivery
A cluster of China's leading electronics manufacturers and component suppliers is entering the new year with a clearer division of labor across the AI device wave, automotive electrification, and globalized manufacturing. Recent company filings, investor communications, and post‑autumn analyst commentary point to a common theme: growth is being pursued less through single-product cycles and more through platform capabilities—vertical integration, module-level design, and cross‑sector customer expansion—while capital market actions and overseas footprints are being positioned as strategic amplifiers.
Thursday 22 January 2026
Taiwan advances second-phase quantum strategy, betting on hybrid computing and global partnerships
Taiwan's government is moving its quantum technology development program into a second phase, centered on building a national-level heterogeneous hybrid computing platform that integrates high-performance computing (HPC) with quantum computing (QC). Based in southern Taiwan, the system is intended to accelerate real-world applications through international cooperation, leveraging the country's strong semiconductor manufacturing expertise.
Thursday 22 January 2026
Luxshare faces alleged ransomware attack, putting Apple and Nvidia data at risk

China-based electronics manufacturing giant Luxshare Precision has been hit by a major cybersecurity incident, with a ransomware group claiming it breached the company's internal systems and stole large volumes of sensitive engineering and operational data tied to products for leading technology clients, including Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, Meta Platforms, Qualcomm, and LG Electronics. If confirmed, the incident could pose risks to the global consumer electronics supply chain.

Thursday 22 January 2026
EMS watch: Taiwanese EMS/ODMs dominate global rankings as 2025 revenue set to surge, DIGITIMES estimates
Taiwanese electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and original design manufacturing (ODM) companies continue to dominate the global industry, with combined revenues of the world's top 20 players projected to climb sharply in 2025, according to estimates compiled by DIGITIMES.
Thursday 22 January 2026
Commentary: China's NPI edge comes under pressure
Geopolitical uncertainty shows little sign of easing, driving continued adjustments across the global consumer electronics supply chain. In manufacturing, the industry is moving beyond simple capacity dispersion and entering a new phase marked by the geographic redistribution of engineering capabilities. Recent market reports that Google plans to relocate portions of new product introduction (NPI) work for select high-end smartphone models to Vietnam starting in 2026 have drawn close attention across the industry.
Thursday 22 January 2026
Cloud ASIC shipments set to surge in 2026; memory capacity remains key risk
2026 is shaping up as a breakout year for cloud application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) shipments. Not only has Broadcom secured mass production projects with multiple major cloud service providers (CSPs), but Taiwanese firms MediaTek, Alchip, and GUC also have new products entering mass production. These developments are expected to deliver solid revenue contributions despite ongoing market uncertainties.
Thursday 22 January 2026
Google's TPU strategy said to give Inventec larger role in AI server manufacturing

Servers built around custom AI chips, known as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), have emerged as a focal point of the global server supply chain.

Thursday 22 January 2026
Commentary: post-CES global expansion strategies for Chinese brands like TCL and Lenovo
CES 2026 made it clear that Chinese brands are entering the global consumer electronics industry through concrete operating results. Its leaders are no longer stopping at exposure but are beginning to pursue deeper brand building and market management. From TCL Electronics' plans to form a joint venture with Sony, to Lenovo operating CES almost on par with top-tier international brands, what these moves reflect is not simply an effort to amplify marketing presence. It is a test of whether companies have the product strength, supply chains, and long-term investment capacity required to support global expansion.
Thursday 22 January 2026
Taiwanese firms prepare for silicon photonics and CPO packaging opportunities as AI data center continues growth
As generative AI technologies scale up, the semiconductor industry is poised for a significant transition from copper-based interconnects to optical solutions to meet the stringent requirements of AI data centers. Nvidia has targeted 2026 as the initial commercial launch window for silicon photonics (SiPh) technology, signaling a strategic shift that will reverberate throughout global semiconductor supply chains. Taiwanese packaging and testing firms, among others, are positioning themselves to capitalize on the burgeoning market for ultra-high-bandwidth, energy-efficient AI infrastructure.
Thursday 22 January 2026
EMS watch: The year AI servers broke the EMS rankings
The global electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and original design manufacturing (ODM) sector posted significant revenue growth in 2025, fueled primarily by expanding generative AI infrastructure.
Thursday 22 January 2026
Nanya expects memory shortage through 1H27 amid surging demand
Strong memory demand propelled Nanya's profits to soar in the fourth quarter of 2025, with president Pei-Ing Lee highlighting sustained AI and general server needs driving a robust DRAM market into 2026. Customers are overbooking and seeking long-term agreements (LTAs), eyeing to secure sufficient supply.
Thursday 22 January 2026
QCT eyes AI supply chain integration battle with full-spectrum server strategy
AI has sparked a significant boom in the server industry, turning system manufacturing into a supply chain battle. For ODMs, success now hinges on deep collaboration with chip partners to integrate hardware, systems, and customer requirements effectively.
Thursday 22 January 2026
BTL capitalizes on AI server testing capacity shortage
To strengthen computing power reserves, the capexs of the four major cloud service providers (CSPs) are expected to remain strong in 2026 and support industry development. These investments are cascading downstream, creating large-scale AI server deployment projects that not only boost the performance of upstream and downstream electronic components and system assembly factories, but also drive pre-shipment electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) verification demand as product power design moves toward a megawatt-level high-power trend. This has accelerated the influx of professional electronic testing firms.
Thursday 22 January 2026
Taiwan machine tool industry poised for growth as US-Taiwan tariff agreement takes effect
The Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA) held its annual outlook press conference on January 20, 2026, highlighting the impact of the recent US-Taiwan tariff agreement on the sector. The agreement, which prevents tariff stacking at a 15% rate, is expected to enhance the competitiveness of Taiwan's machine tool industry, aligning it with major players such as Japan and South Korea.
Wednesday 21 January 2026
AI servers and chips push Taiwan December exports to record highs
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) reported on January 20, 2026, that strong demand for IC manufacturing and AI servers propelled export orders to new heights in December 2025. With most IC manufacturing and AI server shipments originating from Taiwan, overseas production by Taiwanese firms—in China, Vietnam, Mexico, and elsewhere—has declined to 46.5%.
Wednesday 21 January 2026
Commentary: Taiwan secures most-favored-treatment with tariffs but loses investment edge in China and Vietnam
On January 16, 2026, Taiwan and the US finalized a trade agreement that cuts tariffs on Taiwanese exports to the US to 15% without stacking. The US also pledged most-favored-nation status and duty-free quotas for Taiwan under Section 232 semiconductor-related tariffs regardless of future rate changes. This outcome reflects Taiwan's technological strength and raises questions about whether Taiwanese firms investing in China and Vietnam will now consider reshoring amid improved US-Taiwan trade terms.
Wednesday 21 January 2026
Davos 2026: AI takes center stage as leaders debate compute, control, and consequences
AI dominated the corridors and side events of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos this week, with executives, policymakers, and researchers converging on a shared view: AI is no longer a speculative technology, but a foundational economic force. From the cost of compute and energy to export controls, edge devices, and labor-market disruption, Davos 2026 revealed an industry moving from experimentation to structural impact.
Wednesday 21 January 2026
Asus phases out mobile phones but stays in market due to Google deal
Asus announced on January 2, 2026, that it will not launch new smartphones in 2026, marking a strategic retreat from the mobile phone segment after more than two decades. Chairman Jonney Shih emphasized that Asus will continue to support existing smartphone users while reallocating resources toward longer-term strategic areas.
Wednesday 21 January 2026
US tariff easing slows supply chain shift to Southeast Asia
The US has finalized reciprocal tariffs with several countries, but supply chain sources say customer attitudes toward relocation vary. While server supply chains moving to North America continue to gain momentum, the pace of consumer electronics production shifts—such as notebooks relocating to Southeast Asia—has clearly slowed. The main reason is that increased costs from relocation are now close to the tariffs paid when producing in China, reducing the incentives to move.
Wednesday 21 January 2026
Column: Japan bets on deep-sea rare earth mining to break China's supply grip
On January 12, 2026, Japan's scientific drilling vessel Chikyu slowly departed port, heading toward the waters near Minamitorishima Island, about 1,900km southeast of Honshu. This mission is not merely a scientific expedition but a critical test tied to Japan's national economic security and the restructuring of global critical mineral supply chains.
Wednesday 21 January 2026
Google Chromebook aims for steady 2026 shipments despite memory supply challenges
Supply chain sources report that Chromebook shipments have stabilized under Google's support. Despite facing a memory market turmoil, Google has set a full-year shipment target of 19.5 million units for 2026, matching 2025 levels. Intel, Qualcomm, and MediaTek remain optimistic about Chromebook demand and continue launching new platforms to expand their market share.