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Jun 8, 11:30
SpaceX's Google deal highlights shift from AI model ambitions to infrastructure monetization
SpaceX's multibillion-dollar cloud agreement with Google underscores a growing shift in the AI industry from building proprietary models to monetizing computing infrastructure. The deal not only secures a major recurring revenue stream ahead of SpaceX's IPO but also highlights persistent demand for AI capacity as technology companies race to meet surging enterprise adoption.
The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has announced the signing of an authorization, assessment, and service agreement with the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) for the "Green Uncrewed Aircraft Systems" (Green UAS) program. Taiwan will become an AUVSI-recognized third-party assessment body and the first overseas accredited Green UAS evaluation organization outside the US, opening a direct path for Taiwanese companies to obtain certification and enter the US market.

As artificial intelligence drives an insatiable demand for computing power, China is beginning to look beyond terrestrial data centers and edge computing toward a new frontier: space.

Anduril Industries and Taiwan's Metal Industries Research and Development Center signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen collaboration on unmanned aerial vehicle key technologies, executives announced during a recent visit that included a stop at Computex 2026. The agreement targets AI autonomous systems, drone manufacturing, supply-chain localization, and the construction of non-red supply chains to boost Taiwan's international cooperation and global competitiveness in the drone sector.
Taiwan's state-owned defense research body, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology (NCSIST), has unveiled three military robot dog variants developed on a platform from US firm Ghost Robotics, highlighting its ability to integrate mission payload systems. The showcase underscores Taiwan-US technology cooperation and NCSIST's push to build a non-red supply chain.
As Europe and the US fall short of expectations for the automotive electrical/electronic architecture (E/EA) transition, traditional tier-1 suppliers are accelerating diversification efforts to offset slowing automotive growth. Among them, France-based Valeo, one of the world's top-15 automotive parts suppliers, is leveraging its automotive expertise to expand into faster-growing sectors including AI data center infrastructure, defense, robotics and small-mobility solutions.
Taiwan Mobile told shareholders on May 29 that direct-to-cell satellite services are not an urgent need for Taiwan and that the satellite-to-phone business model still requires proof, while the company outlined priorities around AI infrastructure, power-supply risks, and data-center expansion. Executives said continuing terrestrial base-station buildout limits direct-to-cell (D2C) utility for everyday use, and that direct satellite links are more suited to emergency communications and wartime scenarios.
A defense industry forum in Taiwan signaled growing interest among US military tech companies in Taiwan's supply chain, particularly as a new era of warfare defined by AI and unmanned systems takes shape. Speakers at the event noted a need to shift from governments relying solely on traditional weapons procurement to supply chain integration between companies.
Myson Century, a Sun Yad Group company, has acquired five companies over the past 10 months, including Y-S Electronic, GCC, Ever-Clear, TL Biotech, and Dacome International through Hsin-Li Chemical Industrial. Myson Century chairman Jhang You-Ming said the company will keep pursuing acquisitions, especially in the drone sector, and expects to acquire more domestic firms in 2026.
AUO said its automotive business has entered a high-growth phase, with annual orders for in-vehicle products now exceeding current-year revenue. The company expects revenue benefits from orders secured over the past two years to begin in the second half of 2026 or 2027, supporting growth at AUO Mobility Solutions.
The Trump administration is in talks to provide funding to several US drone companies, in a move that would mark a stronger federal push to expand domestic drone manufacturing and reduce the cost of battlefield systems that have become central to modern warfare.
SpaceX's IPO prospectus details an early-stage "Terafab" initiative to build large-scale AI chip manufacturing capacity. Still, the company warns of significant execution uncertainty, unfinalized partnerships, and capital intensity risks. The plan, still in preliminary form, depends on future agreements and could face delays, cost overruns, and supply-chain constraints.