AI investment has boosted semiconductor demand, with TSMC reporting a third-quarter 2025 revenue of US$33.1 billion. Strong advanced packaging demand, supported by Nvidia GPUs, benefits OSAT firms like ASE.

Tesla has started preparing for the production of its next-generation AI6 chip at Samsung's wafer foundry. Observers believe the company will first handle core technology development and other preliminary tasks in South Korea before ramping up mass production at Samsung's Taylor plant in Texas.

Yageo chairman Pierre Chen announced the successful acquisition of Japan's Shibaura Electronics and immediately traveled to Tokyo for a joint press conference with Shibaura president Akira Kasai, marking a new milestone in their partnership aimed at expanding presence in the Americas and Europe.

Samsung Electronics has officially released its first extended reality (XR) headset, the Galaxy XR, priced at KRW2.69 million (approx. US$1,882). It targets the mid-to-high-end market segment, falling between Meta's Quest 3 and Apple's Vision Pro.

Malaysia has reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate with both China and the US to develop rare earth processing technologies, according to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). The government emphasized its invitation for China to join efforts in building rare earth processing capabilities amid growing global demand and supply concerns. Malaysia possesses significant rare earth resources but lacks the specialized expertise and technology to fully exploit them.

Samsung Electronics will begin mass production of its next-generation mobile application processor (AP), the Exynos 2600, in November 2025, according to several South Korean media outlets. Reports indicate the Exynos 2600 is highly likely to be used in the upcoming Galaxy S26 series smartphones. Notably, the neural processing unit (NPU) performance of the Exynos 2600 is reportedly more than six times faster than Apple's A19 Pro.

China's smartphone market, which had slowed due to extended replacement cycles and market saturation, showed unexpected resilience in the first half of 2025. Supported by government subsidies for ICT terminal products, a wave of new device launches from major brands, and the boost from generative AI (GenAI) technologies, total smartphone shipments through July declined only slightly by 1.1% compared to 2024.

Homeplus Digital hit a record high in broadband subscriptions in the third quarter of 2025, largely driven by the addition of the international streaming brand Disney+, which significantly boosted broadband service applications during the quarter.

Kuozui Motors, a subsidiary of Hotai Group, will begin producing Toyota's key MPV models, Noah and Voxy, in Taiwan for export to Japan starting in the second quarter of 2026, according to sources familiar with the matter. This move marks a significant revival in Taiwanese automotive exports after years of limited activity.

Sales in Taiwan's scooter market may drop by about 5% in 2025, but are expected to recover in 2026, according to Sanyang Motor chairman Ching-yuan Wu during an interview on October 21, 2025. Wu further stated that Sanyang aims to complete capacity expansion by 2027 and push annual global scooter sales toward one million units. In addition, the four-wheel market may see better sales in 2026 than this year, but overall uncertainty remains high.

A recent survey conducted by the Smart Mobility Association Taiwan (SMAT) reveals that over 80% of Taiwanese respondents are calling for more decisive government action to promote electric scooters. The survey, released on October 20, 2025, also found that more than half of the participants believe both central and local governments lack sufficient motivation, and that current subsidies have limited effectiveness in accelerating the electrification of Taiwan's motorcycle sector.

Advancing RE100 commitments has become a critical goal for the global tech industry, but South Korean companies face complex processes and steep costs in power purchase agreements (PPAs), pushing many toward simpler green premium schemes with limited carbon reductions. Industry and academia are now looking to Taiwan's offshore wind auction strategy as a successful model that reduces corporate procurement pressure.

Taiwan's low-carbon energy solution provider United Renewable Energy (URE) announced on October 20 a new senior management structure, initiating an upgraded corporate governance and operational transformation phase. The changes aim to enhance the company's agility and innovation in decision-making amid intense market competition.

China's rare earth exports plunged in September 2025, reflecting deepening tensions between Beijing and Washington as the world's dominant supplier of strategic minerals tightens its grip on resources essential to electric vehicles, defense equipment, and advanced technologies.

Tron Future and Huneed Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to jointly develop and market advanced maritime anti-drone systems for both manned and unmanned platforms. The agreement was signed during the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX 2025), South Korea's biennial defense trade show.

The standoff between China and the US continues, escalating global geopolitical risks and fueling stronger demand for military resources across nations. Nam Liong Global has been actively investing in the research and development of technologies for military equipment and safety protection systems, covering products such as bulletproof gear and emergency medical rescue items.

Chinese drone maker DJI had once dominated over 70% of the global consumer drone market and as much as 90% in the US. However, Taiwan's domestic drone makers in recent years have begun to shine in the dual-use (civilian and military) market. The industry's production value surpassed NT$5 billion (approx. US$163 million) in 2024 and is expected to exceed NT$10 billion in 2025.

China's national subsidy program is nearing its end, and consumer spending momentum has slowed down. During the National Day holidays, TV sales volume and prices both declined. With weakening panel pull-in momentum, the industry is not optimistic about TV sales for the upcoming Singles' Day shopping festival.

LG Display (LGD) is reportedly planning to invest in production line conversion in 2026 for Apple's next-generation iPhone. According to the latest reports from Korean media, LGD began placing orders for related equipment in the fourth quarter and is expected to start installing them in the first quarter of 2026.

Global sensor leader ams OSRAM and LED powerhouse Nichia have expanded their two-decade intellectual property (IP) partnership through a new cross-license agreement. Signed by ams OSRAM CEO Aldo Kamper and Nichia President Hiroyoshi Ogawa, the pact grants mutual access to thousands of patents in gallium nitride (GaN) LED and laser technologies and, for the first time, extends coverage to advanced LED packaging and module designs such as matrix headlamp systems.