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Feb 21, 09:50
Commentary: Samsung to reclaim the world's no.1 semiconductor position in 2026

Samsung Electronics and Intel have alternated for years as the world's largest semiconductor company. From 2011 to 2023, Samsung and Intel each claimed the top spot four and nine times, respectively. However, following the rise of generative AI, the world's largest semiconductor company in 2024 and 2025 shifted to Nvidia.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won recently traveled to the US for a series of high-level meetings with CEOs from Nvidia, Broadcom, Microsoft, Meta, and Google. The strategic focus extends beyond expanding high-bandwidth memory (HBM) sales; it aims for a head start in the design phase collaboration for next-generation AI chips, aiming to capture key leadership in future AI accelerator architectures.
On February 19, India formally joined the US-led Pax Silica coalition at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, signalling closer strategic cooperation with Washington on semiconductors, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence supply chains.
India's most ambitious semiconductor project, a Tata Group-led wafer fabrication plant in Gujarat, is reportedly facing further delays, raising questions about the pace of the country's push to build a domestic chip industry.
The rules of winning in AI are changing, and one of the semiconductor industry's most prominent executives is calling time on the old playbook.
When chipmakers spend big, it is usually the machines that cost the most. Process equipment — the lithography tools, deposition systems, and etch chambers that define the bleeding edge of semiconductor manufacturing — has historically commanded the largest share of TSMC's capital budget. Facilities and civil construction matter, but they have rarely led the bill. That conventional wisdom is now being tested.
Taiwan's AI server supply chain started 2026 on firmer footing, according to January revenue data from 14 PCB, CCL, ASIC design, and IC testing firms. Year-over-year growth confirms continued AI server demand, while month-over-month shifts point to shipment timing, project concentration, and base effects rather than a change in end demand.
Global medical technology is rapidly shifting from hospital settings to everyday life, advancing toward precision medicine and long-term health management. Driving the boom in wearable medical devices are four key components that industry experts expect will unlock new blue-ocean opportunities in healthcare technology.
A proposed US tariff and duty-exemption framework could force Korean memory suppliers to accelerate US fab investments or risk losing AI server market share, according to DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin, speaking on a DIGITIMES podcast.

Singapore maintained its position as the world's fourth-ranked financial center in the 2025 Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), reflecting a strategy centered on capital security, rule of law stability, and long-term industrial positioning.

US-based Qualcomm plans to invest up to US$150 million in Indian startups through a new AI-focused fund, underscoring its strategy to expand on-device and sector-specific artificial intelligence in one of the world's fastest-growing technology markets.
Major printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer Zhen Ding Technology (ZDT) held its year-end party on February 13, where chairman Charles Shen announced that full-year 2025 revenue reached NT$182.52 billion (US$5.81 billion), up 6.33% from 2024, setting a new record high. Growth was mainly driven by gradually realized benefits from high-end product segments, including servers, optical communications, and IC substrates.