Intelligent Asia 2026 opened on August 19 at TaiNEX 1 and TaiNEX 2 in Taipei, with industry and government speakers repeatedly returning to one theme: Taiwan should use its manufacturing depth to anchor more production locally while connecting domestic suppliers more closely with global markets.
Marvell Technology is set to deepen its role in Google's AI infrastructure through an expanded agreement to develop custom chips, in a deal that could generate roughly US$120 billion in revenue for the chipmaker through fiscal 2033 if Google meets purchasing targets tied to the warrant, according to Reuters.
While robotics companies worldwide vie for business opportunities, Chinese vendors currently account for more than 90% of global humanoid robot shipments and occupy all five top positions by shipment volume, demonstrating China's strong position in humanoid robot development.
Taiwanese precision machinery makers are targeting robot joints, actuators, and transmission components as an entry point into the emerging humanoid robotics supply chain, with a wave of new products set to debut at Automation Taipei 2026.
More than half of Taiwanese companies surveyed by TAITRA reported being negatively affected by the US-Iran conflict, with rising costs emerging as the biggest concern as geopolitical tensions disrupt energy, raw material, and supply chain conditions.
Amber Enterprises India's planned entry into smartphone manufacturing could mark a further step in India's effort to move beyond final assembly and build domestic capabilities in electronic components and materials.
Pan-International, a Foxconn Group connector and component maker, held an investor conference on August 18, 2026, to report its operating results for the second quarter of 2026 and outline its plans for the second half of the year and 2027. General manager Ming-Feng Tsai said the company's AI server products had entered the pilot production stage and were expected to begin ramping up shipments in October. Along with the gradual rollout of its axial flux motor (AFM) technology, the two growth engines would keep full-year 2026 revenue on track for double-digit growth from 2025. Looking ahead to 2027, as the two new businesses fully launch and additional contributions come from key AI server components, revenue could see explosive growth.
Mobile humanoids became Rainbow Robotics' biggest revenue source in the first half of 2026, while ROBOTIS posted rapid actuator growth and Doosan Robotics expanded its North American automation business, showing how South Korea's physical AI push is beginning to generate sales even as profitability remains uneven across robot makers.
Samsung Electronics has begun operating a dedicated physical AI research lab focused on humanoid control and manipulation, according to South Korean news outlet Edaily. The move extends its robotics push from hardware investment into the AI and control technologies needed for robots to operate in real-world environments.
South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) has drawn fresh attention after joining a cornerstone investment in the Hong Kong IPO of Chinese optical communications maker Zhongji Innolight. The investment came at a time when the company had already been placed on the US Department of Defense's list of Chinese Military Companies (CMC). The case has reignited debate over how large public pension funds assess geopolitical and regulatory risk. Money Today reported that the move comes as US-China tech competition extends beyond chips, equipment, and supply-chain controls into global capital markets.
Nvidia has unveiled a US$500 billion artificial intelligence (AI) compute financing plan with six Wall Street giants—Goldman Sachs Group, Blackstone, Apollo Global Management, KKR, BlackRock, and Brookfield—highlighting its push to win new startup customers and the growing complexity of its financing structure. The plan also underscores its strategic split from rival Broadcom and rising concerns over a possible industry bubble.
India is moving into the next phase of its electronics manufacturing strategy, using its progress in downstream assembly as a base to build domestic capabilities in components, materials, and manufacturing equipment.
