China's Unitree Robotics has slashed its humanoid robot prices sharply, in stark contrast to the industrial robot market, where prices have remained stable, and orders have continued climbing to record highs. The divergence has intensified debate over whether AI robots will first break through via humanoid or non-humanoid models.
Gem Terminal Industrial Co. said its strategic transformation into specialty copper materials drove record quarterly profits in the first quarter of 2026 and positioned itself to pursue AI server cooling and high-end conductive applications. Executives presented results at the 2025 annual general meeting on June 23 and highlighted integrated production capabilities spanning casting, extrusion, rolling, and milling that underpinned the improved financial performance.
The rising chance of a 2026 super El Niño, combined with surging power demand from AI data centers, is intensifying pressure on power systems and the grid. Bloom Energy said in a new report that on-site power generation is the answer for meeting data center electricity needs, and suppliers such as Kaori and Acbel Polytech are also upbeat on fuel-cell demand.
Industrial gas manufacturer Nippon Sanso Holdings announced it will raise prices for all helium products in the Japanese market starting in July 2026, with an average price increase of more than 30%. Affected products include helium used in key applications such as semiconductor front-end process wafer cooling and medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment. The move is mainly driven by geopolitical instability in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump has signed Executive Order 14411, titled "Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation," launching a broad federal initiative aimed at strengthening America's leadership in quantum computing, sensing, and networking technologies. The order outlines a whole-of-government strategy to accelerate commercialization, expand research capabilities, and safeguard national security as global competition in quantum technology intensifies.
IBM has announced a partnership with OpenAI aimed at helping enterprises defend against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats by integrating frontier AI into security operations and workflows. The collaboration comes as organizations face a growing challenge from attackers that are also leveraging advanced AI tools to accelerate cyberattacks.
Tata Electronics, Apple's exclusive iPhone assembler in India, confirmed a major data breach on June 23, 2026, weeks after the WorldLeaks hacking group posted stolen internal records for sale on dark web forums, Reuters revealed.
LG Group dispatched senior executives to Nvidia's headquarters in Santa Clara, California, on June 22, 2026, to negotiate expanded cooperation in physical AI and robotics, following a leadership meeting between the two companies in Seoul on June 8, 2026. The delegation comprised more than 30 people from LG affiliates to explore commercialization opportunities, priority projects, and a partnership model that integrates the group's core capabilities.
AI-driven memory price spikes are presenting a challenge for Samsung's smartphone business, with rising component prices eroding the affordability of its budget phones. At the same time, Samsung is seeking to use its new AI features to encourage new device purchases as memory prices dampen smartphone sales globally.
Japanese bathroom fixture maker Toto is deepening its commitment to the semiconductor industry, unveiling plans to invest JPY80 billion (approx. US$495.3 million) over the next five years to expand production of advanced ceramic materials used in chip manufacturing. According to a Nikkei Asia report, the company aims to support future-generation semiconductor processes in the 1nm range, extending a business that has become a major profit driver amid the AI boom.
Among the highlights of COMPUTEX 2026 was a color-changing e-paper concept car jointly developed by BMW and E Ink Holdings. With its surreal, sci-fi appearance, the vehicle drew the attention of tech enthusiasts in droves.
