With Chinese and US leaders expected to meet on October 18 during the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, allegations involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's extramarital affair and supposed links to Chinese espionage continue to escalate. China's state-run Global Times questioned whether the closely timed media reports and congressional actions reflect political maneuvering behind US technology policy toward China.

Samsung Electronics said on November 12 it had moved up the planned opening of its new high-bandwidth memory (HBM) packaging plant in South Korea by one year to June 2028 to meet rising demand for AI server memory.

DIGITIMES observes that as AI accelerators continue to grow in size, substrate dimensions are gradually moving beyond 100x100mm. Warpage issues in organic substrates have also become increasingly pronounced, prompting industry players to invest in the development of different core-layer materials. Glass, which offers excellent flatness and an adjustable coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that can be brought closer to that of silicon, can help reduce warpage. As a result, it has emerged as a closely watched core-layer solution and a key focus of future technology development.

Taiwan’s glass fiber exports to South Korea rose 54.0% year-over-year in the first nine months of 2026 as demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced packaging expanded. South Korea has also become Taiwan’s largest trade deficit partner, with Taiwan’s deficit reaching US$59.37 billion in the first 10 months of 2026, more than double its US$25.39 billion deficit with Japan.

DB HiTek's third-quarter 2026 results point to continued strength in its core foundry operations, even as a steep decline in net income shows that operating momentum did not carry through to the bottom line. The South Korean chipmaker said demand for power semiconductors kept utilization at virtually full levels, while a richer mix of high-voltage products supported selling prices. It is now preparing to add capacity, though the ramp will depend on customer demand and investment decisions.

Taiwan-based Ta Liang Technology, a printed circuit board (PCB) equipment manufacturer, said its order visibility for PCB and semiconductor equipment extends through 2027, with its PCB equipment backlog reaching four digits and production scheduled for every month of next year. Average lead times stand at five to six months, while the book-to-bill ratio for semiconductor equipment remains above 2.

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) announced on November 10 that it will expand manufacturing and shipment-inspection equipment at its Thailand subsidiary to increase capacity for BT (Bismaleimide-Triazine) laminates used in semiconductor packaging. The new line is scheduled to begin construction in April 2027 and start operations in October 2028, targeting growing demand from data centers, servers and high-density IC substrates.

A semiconductor chip no thicker than a fraction of a human hair might seem insignificant beside the powerful silicon processors driving the world's AI revolution. Yet at Pragmatic Park in North East England, these tiny, flexible devices represent a different vision of computing: one where intelligence gradually becomes embedded in the objects people touch, wear, and use every day.

As global foundry capacity expands and market dynamics shift, competitive pressures have intensified significantly across major manufacturing regions, particularly in mature process nodes, where regional suppliers are rapidly building domestic production capacity. In an interview with DIGITIMES, Jun Kotani, director of business strategy at Tekscend Photomask, shared detailed insights into how the company is defending its commercial leadership through a combination of cost optimization, technical innovation, and strategic geographic positioning.

China is advancing its domestic semiconductor ambitions while continuing to access restricted US AI processors, exposing the limits of Washington's export controls and the challenges facing Beijing's pursuit of technological self-sufficiency.

Faced with sluggish end-user demand, chronic overcapacity, and intensifying market competition, global display manufacturers are under pressure to reinvent themselves. In Taiwan, leading panel makers are accelerating asset optimization and cross-domain technology integration to unlock new growth drivers.