Market sources say Xiaomi is expanding its in-house XRing chip lineup. Beyond developing the next-generation XRing O2 on TSMC's N3P process, the company also plans to extend these processors into "non-smartphone" products to further raise its level of self-reliance.

If today's AI data centers are blazing "powder kegs" of heat, IBM was the visionary that prepared the "fire extinguisher" half a century ago. While Nvidia's top chips now require water cooling to operate, few realize that this technology's "biological father" actually dates back to IBM in the 1960s. Today, we explore this groundbreaking US patent 3,524,497 ("Patent 497") and its blue-cooling revolution spanning over 50 years.

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, China's major exhibitors prominently showcased products under the banner of "innovation," drawing significant attention on the show floor. However, some observers noted that many Chinese products closely resemble existing concepts from global companies, with industry insiders accusing Chinese firms not only of imitation but also of repackaging copied designs as independently developed innovations.

For years, smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) headsets were among the most visible attractions at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), peaking in 2025 when they dominated the exhibition floor. At CES 2026, their presence was noticeably reduced. This does not point to an industry slowdown. Rather, it signals the sector's exit from the "concept phase" and its entry into a market defined by price competition and practical commercialisation.

Notebook hinge maker Jarllytec said that its confirmed orders for the 2026 3C product lines include one new China-branded foldable smartphone model, which is scheduled to enter mass production and shipment in the first half of the year. The company is also pursuing orders for new models in the second half. New laptop models from US-based laptop brands are expected to ramp up shipments in the first half, along with continued contributions from high-priced China-branded foldable notebooks. The LCD-related business is expected to remain relatively moderate.

GSEO announced that its consolidated revenue for December 2025 reached NT$2.63 billion (approx. US$83.3 million), up NT$361 million from November's NT$2.269 billion, representing a month-over-month increase of 15.92%. Compared to December 2024's NT$1.449 billion, this marked an 81.50% year-over-year growth. The company's cumulative consolidated revenue for the entire 2025 was NT$24.987 billion, rising by 7.78% year-over-year.

Biotechnology firm Elixiron Immunotherapeutics is the only company in Asia to have twice received "Part the Cloud" grants sponsored by the US-based Alzheimer's Association and Bill Gates, securing roughly NT$60 million (US$1.9 million) in non-dilutive funding.

Taiflex Scientific, a flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) supplier, has begun a transition toward three new material businesses, led by fine-pitch materials used mainly in display panels and camera lenses. Fine-pitch products were the primary driver of revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2025. Despite exiting the automotive-related business due to margin pressure and market risk, Taiflex lifted full-year revenue beyond NT$10 billion (approx. US$330 million), marking its highest level in seven years.

CES 2026 revealed two clear paths in the global notebook market. While Apple continues to push the MacBook Pro toward extreme thinness, major PC vendors such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo are collectively pivoting toward modularity and repairability, with the intention of rebuilding competitiveness by extending product lifespans.

At CES 2026, leading South Korean corporations such as LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, and Samsung Electronics drew attention by focusing on robot actuators—critical components that function as joints in humanoid robots. Industry experts highlight actuators as a key growth market, as a single humanoid robot requires over 100 actuators to ensure performance and manage costs. This focus aligns with the growing interest in physical artificial intelligence applications across sectors.

Humanoid robots demonstrated more advanced intelligence and dominated CES 2026. However, they have yet to enter large-scale commercialization and widespread adoption. In contrast, various functional robots are already thriving, including increasingly sophisticated robot vacuum cleaners, pool-cleaning robots, and lawn-mowing robots. Innovation did not disappoint at CES this year, with many competing in the smart home space.

Largan Precision, a leading optical lens manufacturer, held its earnings call on January 8 to announce its fourth-quarter 2025 and full-year 2025 financial results. Benefiting from new product pull-ins by customers, the company posted consolidated full-year 2025 revenue of NT$61.15 billion (US$1.94 billion), up 3% year over year and surpassing the previous record of NT$60.75 billion set in 2019. However, gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2025 unexpectedly fell below 50%, slipping to 47.8%.

The smart glasses sector marked a clear transformation at CES 2026, moving beyond the chaotic showcase of numerous startups seen in 2025 to a more streamlined exhibition featuring fewer but larger booths and heightened visitor interaction. Attendees demonstrated greater enthusiasm for trying on devices and exploring practical applications compared to last year's cautious approach.

Multiple indicators suggest Google will re-enter the smart glasses market in 2026, more than a decade after exiting the category. The company is expected to partner with Samsung to launch a new generation of smart glasses built on the Android XR platform, signaling a renewed push into augmented reality and wearable computing.

As Taiwan's semiconductor and AI server industries rapidly expand—led by TSMC and major hardware manufacturers—the government is accelerating infrastructure planning to secure industrial land, water supply, and green energy, while balancing domestic capacity constraints with overseas investment.

HCmed Innovations is accelerating its push into the high-value respiratory therapy market, leveraging Taiwan's electronics engineering strengths to build advanced nebulizers as drug-device combination products under a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) model. With demand already exceeding capacity, the company is planning a major production expansion while preparing for a mainboard listing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

A sudden temperature drop in early 2026 has led to a notable increase in demand for smartwatches and fitness bands, alongside rising sales of warming home appliances in Taiwan, according to data from e-commerce platform PChome. The cold weather surge has driven consumers toward health-focused technology and protective products.

Benefiting from government initiatives to enhance grid resilience, green energy projects, and expanding investments in AI and semiconductor sectors, Taiwan's wire and cable industry is expected to report a record high output value for 2025. Established market demand remains stable while major cable manufacturers accelerate expansion into emerging blue ocean markets such as drones, low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and submarine cables.

South Korean startup WARP Solution is advancing the commercialization of radio frequency (RF) wireless power transfer (WPT) chips and components, via applications such as electronic shelf labels (ESL). The company has already begun collaboration and validation efforts with consumer electronics brands such as Samsung Electronics and is showcasing its products at CES 2026, aiming to expand partnerships worldwide.

Taiwan's Qisda Group is accelerating its push into healthcare by backing emerging health brand TSA International, which is preparing to enter the capital markets while scaling a dual-engine strategy spanning human health and pet wellness.

Cooling module manufacturers delivered strong operational results in 2025, driven by rising demand for liquid cooling solutions for artificial intelligence (AI) servers. Industry players such as Auras Technology, Asia Vital Components (AVC), and Fositek all posted record-high revenues.

Boston Dynamics and Google DeepMind announced a new AI partnership at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, aiming to integrate advanced AI foundation models into humanoid robots and accelerate their deployment in industrial environments. The collaboration will combine Google DeepMind's Gemini Robotics models with Boston Dynamics' next-generation Atlas humanoid robot, marking a significant step toward more capable, general-purpose humanoids.

At CES 2026, AI glasses and automotive electronics emerge as the two most promising growth sectors, with Chinese companies positioned at the intersection of these technology trends. Advances in AI model computing efficiency, hardware miniaturization, and favorable policies are accelerating the mass-market adoption of related products.