As global companies rush to tap the robotics boom, Taiwan's manufacturers are focusing on a blue ocean strategy centered on components, non-humanoid designs, and non-consumer products. A recent partnership between Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and domestic companies has produced a local robot dog platform with a much higher self-sufficiency rate, signaling that Taiwanese firms can help build a non-China supply chain.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has taken an increasingly forceful position against possible sanctions from the Trump administration, arguing that US companies should remain free to use Chinese open-source AI models.
Industrial PC (IPC) maker Advantech is deepening its collaboration with AMD, unveiling a next-generation AI and edge computing server platform at AMD Advancing AI 2026 that is powered by the latest AMD EPYC 9006 series processors. Through a full board-to-system product lineup, the company is extending AI applications from data centers to the edge.
Washington is opening a new front in its technology contest with China, moving beyond chips and artificial intelligence models to target humanoid robots and other autonomous systems over national security and data privacy concerns.
Stripe is in talks to acquire AI model-routing startup OpenRouter in a deal that could value the company at around US$10 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter. The report said an agreement could be announced soon, although negotiations could still collapse or another bidder could emerge. The acquisition would significantly expand Stripe's ambitions beyond payments into AI infrastructure.

