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Monday 10 August 2026
Semiconductor material prices surge across silicon wafers, specialty gases and advanced packaging
Demand for advanced processes and packaging continues to rise, while the Middle East conflict is lifting energy and raw-material costs and tighter Chinese controls on strategic-mineral exports are disrupting high-purity material supplies. Together, these forces are raising prices for silicon wafers, tungsten hexafluoride (WF6), sputtering targets, electronic-grade chemicals, helium and advanced packaging materials.
Monday 10 August 2026
Taiwan sees limited chip impact from new US polysilicon tariff

The US signed a presidential proclamation on August 6 (ET) imposing a 15% tariff on polysilicon and related products from all countries, with the new measures set to take effect on December 4, 2026. Taiwan's Executive Yuan said the decision was expected to have limited impact on the island's solar sector and highlighted exemptions available to semiconductor-related firms with US investments.

Monday 10 August 2026
Ex-SK Hynix employee gets 18 months for leaking chip secrets to Chinese firms

The Seoul High Court has upheld an 18-month prison sentence for a former SK Hynix employee who leaked trade secrets tied to CMOS image sensor (CIS) technology to Chinese companies while seeking new employment, including with Huawei chip unit HiSilicon.

Monday 10 August 2026
From fabs to feedstock: Washington moves electronics supply-chain controls upstream

A cluster of measures signed and drafted since late July has shifted the center of gravity in US supply-chain policy away from finished electronics and toward the raw materials that feed them.

Monday 10 August 2026
DeepSeek takes Unitree stake to pair AI models with humanoid robots

DeepSeek has invested CNY140.8 million (approx. US$20.8 million) in Unitree's Shanghai IPO and agreed to jointly develop AI models for humanoid robots, linking one of China's highest-profile AI developers with the country's leading robotics contender at a critical stage of Unitree's public-market debut.

Monday 10 August 2026
India roundup: Chip push broadens as localization and capacity remain works in progress
India is accelerating its bid to build a broader semiconductor and electronics ecosystem, combining new packaging capacity, longer-term tax incentives and deeper localization with efforts to expand its chip workforce and sovereign AI capabilities. Investments by ASIP, Dixon, Rashi and global technology partners highlight a strategy increasingly focused on higher-value manufacturing.
Monday 10 August 2026
Kinko July revenue jumps to 12-year high on optical demand
Kinko Optical reported July consolidated revenue of NT$524 million, the highest level in nearly 12 years, as Taiwan's optical industry entered its peak season. The result rose 93.16% from the same month a year earlier and 21.17% from the previous month.
Monday 10 August 2026
Ability Enterprise July revenue hits decade high on stronger optical module shipments
Ability Enterprise posted July revenue of NT$1.159 billion, up 10.5% from June and 64% from a year earlier, reaching its highest monthly level since December 2016. The Taiwanese optics maker also reported cumulative revenue of NT$6.95 billion for the first seven months of the year, a 53% increase from the same period last year.
Monday 10 August 2026
Aurotek profit jumps on embodied AI and semiconductor automation demand
Aurotek Corporation reported stronger second-quarter and first-half 2026 results on August 6 as demand rose for embodied AI solutions, semiconductor foundry and advanced packaging equipment, high-end AI server manufacturing equipment, and service robots used in logistics and inspection. The Taiwan-based supplier said the mix of higher-value products lifted profitability across its business lines.
Monday 10 August 2026
Column: Greening the Gobi Desert—how China built Inner Mongolia's wind power ecosystem

Driven by global net-zero commitments and China's "dual carbon" goals of peaking carbon emissions before achieving carbon neutrality, Inner Mongolia is rapidly transforming from a traditional resource-based economy into a strategic hub for renewable energy and AI computing infrastructure.

Monday 10 August 2026
South Korea charges into the humanoid robot race as conglomerates mobilize

The global humanoid robot race is heating up, with the US and China battling for technological and market leadership, but a third force is rapidly emerging.

Monday 10 August 2026
China’s new renewable rules drive a surge in hydrogen investment
China’s tighter renewable-energy compliance rules have opened the way for green hydrogen, green ammonia, and green methanol to be included in the country’s minimum renewable-energy consumption framework, amid a sharp rise in investment. In the first half of 2026, investment in China’s hydrogen sector increased by more than 160% year-on-year, outpacing the other cited energy infrastructure categories.
Sunday 9 August 2026
Commentary: From free flow to tight control — how tech talent became a national security asset

Tech talent has moved from being simply a hiring priority to a matter of national security. As major economies increasingly tie talent to competitiveness and national security, control over its cross-border movement is tightening. That shift is visible today: Taiwan's Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau is probing 17 companies accused of illegally recruiting tech talent in Taiwan, China is preparing to tighten exit controls on key technical workers, and the US continues expanding semiconductor and AI export controls and research security reviews.

Sunday 9 August 2026
Greenfiltec posts first-half loss as activated carbon costs squeeze margins
Greenfiltec reported first-half 2026 consolidated revenue of NT$311 million, up 18.35% from a year earlier, but the Taiwan-based airborne molecular contamination (AMC) filter supplier swung to a net loss of NT$140 million. The company said higher shipments of high-end filters for semiconductor customers lifted sales, while surging activated carbon costs cut into profitability.
Sunday 9 August 2026
Ajinomoto rides advanced packaging boom as ABF demand surges

Ajinomoto raised its full-year forecast on August 6 as growing demand for AI servers and high-performance computing lifted sales of electronic materials used in semiconductor package substrates, highlighting how advanced packaging is shifting more value upstream into specialized materials.