At the Sustainability Environment Asia Conference 2026, Gunalan Kaniasan, principal for water resources in Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJC) at AWS, outlined strategies for water sustainability across the Asia-Pacific region. As data center demand grows, AWS is actively collaborating with governments and utilities to introduce recycled-water alternatives, navigate regulatory barriers, and test water-credit mechanisms.

At GATE 2026, Kaizhong, a major Chinese commutator maker, used its display to showcase how its automotive business has laid the groundwork for expansion into data centers, dexterous hands, and drones. The company is also targeting new opportunities in Southeast Asia as Chinese automakers deepen their regional footprint.

Efforts to curb the illicit trade of advanced AI hardware to China have intensified following a series of indictments and probes targeting the supply chain.

The Global Automotive and Technology Expo 2026 (GATE 2026) officially opened on August 26, spotlighting efforts to deepen Malaysia's local supply chain, accelerate technology adoption and position the country as ASEAN's leading automotive and smart mobility hub. Cooperation between China, Malaysia and other ASEAN countries drew particular attention at the event.

The Global Automotive and Technology Expo 2026 (GATE 2026) officially opened on August 26, spotlighting efforts to deepen Malaysia's local supply chain, accelerate technology adoption and position the country as ASEAN's leading automotive and smart mobility hub. Cooperation between China, Malaysia and other ASEAN countries drew particular attention at the event.

GATE 2026 is set to bring together automakers, suppliers, and technology firms in Kuala Lumpur as Southeast Asia deepens its focus on electric vehicles, smart manufacturing, and industrial upgrading. The event's scale and timing could make it a key indicator of where the region's auto supply chains are heading next.

TPK Holding is accelerating its move from consumer touch panels into semiconductors, with its Through Glass Via (TGV) pilot line in Taoyuan, Taiwan set to begin operations in August or September. The company is also working with leading outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers on the project, while its new Thailand production base aims to complete trial runs by year-end and begin volume production in early 2027.

Notebook brands that rushed into Southeast Asia for manufacturing are moving production back to China, as the cost gap remains too wide and the impact of substitute tariffs has proved limited, according to supply chain sources. The shift is expected to affect Taiwan original device manufacturers (ODMs) serving new customer lines in Vietnam and Thailand.

Thailand-based precision sheet metal manufacturer Jinpao Precision Industry delivered strong results in the second quarter of 2026. Fueled by orders for artificial intelligence (AI) server racks, power cabinets, and energy storage-related structural components, second-quarter consolidated revenue hit NT$1.20 billion (approx. US$37.71 million), while gross margin improved to 42.1%, both reaching new highs. Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter were NT$4.41.

Vietnam is considering plans to turn Bac Ninh, a major Samsung Electronics manufacturing hub, and Quang Ninh into centrally administered cities as the country builds out its northern electronics, semiconductor and logistics base.

OCI Holdings is turning to thinner solar wafers to raise output from its Vietnam operations by nearly 40% without adding production lines, as demand from US customers outpaces existing capacity.

Ken Phua, former Arm China co-CEO, spent 25 years abroad building someone else's business model. He came home to Singapore to build his own.

Samsung Electronics may move part of the general-purpose DRAM and NAND packaging and testing now handled at its Cheonan and Onyang sites in South Korea to Vietnam, potentially freeing domestic backend capacity for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), according to DealSite.

Vietnam has launched the Haiphong Free Trade Zone to draw high-value investment into northern port city of Haiphong, with semiconductors, precision manufacturing, and other strategic industries at the center of the plan. Officials said the new zone is part of a broader effort to make the port city a globally competitive coastal hub for logistics and the marine economy.