AMD CEO Lisa Su pushed back against concerns of an AI bubble on May 22, saying demand is "absolutely real" and that the industry remains in an early phase of growth.
AIC's expansion from analog ICs into fiber-optic components and other products, and its inclusion in a major US cloud service provider's supply chain, extend order visibility to the first quarter of 2027, signaling global demand pressures and supply-chain implications for cloud infrastructure suppliers and telecom equipment markets worldwide.
Broadcom, Applied Materials, GlobalFoundries, Meta, and Synopsys are partnering with UCLA Samueli to create a US$125 million Semiconductor Hub to accelerate research and workforce development in AI-driven chip technologies, promising global impacts on computing speed, energy efficiency, and applications from healthcare to transportation while strengthening US competitiveness and innovation globally.
Amid the continued crowding-out effect of artificial intelligence (AI) demand, IC distributor WPG Holdings said memory shortages and rising prices are weakening end-product sales momentum, and forecast that smartphone and PC production will shift from flat growth to a decline in 2026.
AI-driven demand and other emerging technologies kept Taiwan's export momentum strong in the first quarter of 2026, with exports reaching US$195.74 billion, rising 51% year on year. Economic growth hit 13.69%, the highest quarterly growth in 39 years. Taiwan's GDP is forecast to reach NT$32 trillion (US$1.02 trillion) in 2026.
Forcelead Technology said it expects stable operations through 2026 as it rolls out a touch-TDDI product and pursues new automotive display opportunities, a development with implications for global suppliers and aftermarket channels as automakers adopt more advanced cockpit features. The company aims to protect margins while expanding beyond its core display business.
Tata Group's semiconductor facility in Assam is expected to begin production soon, marking a significant milestone in India's push to build a domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry and strengthen its standing in global technology supply chains.
Specialty memory design company AP Memory is positioning itself to capture growth momentum from stack silicon capacitors (S-SiCap). The company said its discrete S-SiCap products, also known as discrete silicon capacitors (IPD), will begin small-volume shipments in the second quarter of 2026, making it the first supplier qualified for Intel's embedded multi-die interconnect bridge (EMIB) advanced packaging solution, as shipments gain strong momentum.
Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing to shift more of its gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor strategy toward foundry services after struggling to secure customers for its own GaN devices and modules, according to The Elec.
Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong quietly visited Taiwan on May 21 and met with MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai, according to semiconductor supply chain sources, in a move aimed at expanding Samsung's foundry business by securing another major customer after deals with Tesla and renewed work with AMD. Samsung declined to comment, and MediaTek had not issued an official response by press time.
AMD said it plans to invest more than US$10 billion in Taiwan's technology ecosystem to accelerate AI infrastructure development, while also revealing a new strategic direction centered on an elevated fanout bridge (EFB) packaging ecosystem.
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