The 2025 Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS) began on March 3, co-organized by TAITRA and TAMI. Notable attendees included President William Lai and foreign diplomats. In his address, TAITRA chairman James Huang highlighted the crucial role of machinery in driving innovation across industries, emphasizing that AI-equipped machine tools will spearhead the next industrial revolution.

LG Group chairman Kwang-mo Koo traveled to India to assess the company's R&D, production, and distribution as LG commemorates 30 years in the market. This visit aligns with LG's strategy to expand in India while managing risks associated with US-China tensions.

AI-capable PC shipments hit 15.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024, accounting for 23% of all PC shipments during the quarter, according to the most recent data from Canalys, which is now a part of Omdia.

Despite external pressures such as tariffs and geopolitical uncertainties, electroacoustic component manufacturer Merry Electronics remains resilient, focusing on diversification and revenue-driven growth. Allen Huang, CEO of Merry, believes that as the share of new customers and products continues to rise in the coming years, the impact of external factors will become relatively minor.

On March 5, Giga Computing, a subsidiary of Gigabyte, announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with South Korea's SK Telecom and SK Enmove. The three parties will collaborate to drive innovation in AI data center (AIDC) and high-performance computing (HPC) technologies, accelerating the application of next-generation liquid cooling solutions in data centers.

Chicony Power Technology, a prominent player in the power supply solutions market, is projecting a cautious start to 2025, with the first quarter likely to be subdued due to ongoing political and geopolitical challenges. However, the company remains hopeful for a stronger performance throughout the year, driven by the launch of high-value product lines, the acquisition of new customers, and the gradual ramp-up of new production capacity in Thailand.

Jabil Inc. has unveiled its 2024 Sustainability Progress Report, showcasing its significant advancements in meeting its five-year sustainability objectives. The report underscores Jabil's achievements in cutting operational greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste sent to landfills, and contributing to the well-being of the communities where its employees reside and work.

Compal Electronics has partnered with the Kalyani Group's electronics division to enter the Indian market. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to develop server operations using local manufacturing, aligning with the Make in India policy.

The Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS) 2025 is, for the first time, centering on robots as a primary theme, with keynote addresses from executives of prominent enterprises, including THK CEO Akihiro Teramachi.

Largan Precision reported a consolidated revenue of NT$47.35 billion (approx. US$1.4 billion) for February 2025, marking a historical high for the same period. Although this figure represented a 4% decline from January's NT$49.47 billion, it showed a significant growth of 40% compared to NT$33.90 billion in February 2024.

Foxconn reported a revenue of NT$551.4 billion (US$16.8 billion) for February 2025, marking a new high for this period. This figure represents a month-over-month increase of 2.36% and a year-over-year growth of 56.43%. Cumulatively, the revenue for the first two months of 2025 reached NT$1.9 trillion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 24.63%, also setting a record for this timeframe.

As manufacturers worldwide embrace AI, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to automate operations, Akihiro Teramachi, Chairman and CEO of Japan's THK Group, has cautioned against using automation as a pretext for laying off employees.

The Trump administration is escalating trade tensions, slapping a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico while increasing China's tariffs by 10%. The move is accelerating supply chain migration, with PC brands shifting production to Southeast Asia and server makers in Mexico pivoting to Texas.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Finance have initiated discussions on imposing anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made graphite electrodes.

India's Dixon Technologies is considering expanding its manufacturing operations in Uttar Pradesh, a key hub for mobile phone production. The company aims to start producing display modules by late 2025 and is leading this expansion by manufacturing 4K TVs for an Indian brand.

Delta Electronics anticipates that overall group revenue will be good in the first half of 2025, outperforming the same period in 2024, driven by continuous AI-related demand. The outlook for the second half is less clear due to various uncertain factors in the market; however, AI-related revenue is expected to continue growing.

Facing economic headwinds and escalating trade tensions, China is refocusing on its tech sector, with President Xi Jinping recently convening a rare symposium with high-tech entrepreneurs. This move signals Beijing's renewed commitment to technological innovation and industrial upgrades as key drivers of economic growth.

US President Donald Trump's new 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, along with a doubling of duties on Chinese goods to 20%, took effect on Tuesday, sparking fresh trade tensions with the country's top three trading partners. In response to the US fentanyl overdose crisis, President Trump escalated the 10% tariff on Chinese imports imposed in February, doubling it to 20%. The tariff measures were implemented at 12:01 a.m. EST (0501 GMT), just hours after Trump announced that the three nations had not done enough to halt the influx of the deadly fentanyl opioid and its precursor chemicals into the US.

The annual Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS) opened on March 3, 2025, showcasing key technologies developed by organizations funded by the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). According to MOEA officials, TSMC's ongoing expansions in Taiwan have increased the demand for photomasks, which has subsequently led to the development of the world's first H-beam laser welding technology at the southern branch of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

The networking industry is poised to enter a period of growth. April Huang, Chairperson of Alpha Networks and Hitron, recently pointed out that the phase of customer inventory adjustments will wrap up in the second half of 2025. She explained that while 2024 is a year of anticipation, 2025 will mark the arrival of clear signals of strong customer demand, with some components already experiencing shortages.

Major cloud service providers (CSPs) are rolling out quantum computing chips, pushing original design manufacturers (ODMs) to ramp up their quantum initiatives. While commercial quantum computing may still be three to five years away, ODMs recognize a familiar pattern from the cloud and AI booms—early adopters gain the edge, while latecomers risk falling behind.

Chicony Power Technology demonstrated remarkable revenue and profit results for 2024, even amid high inflation and geopolitical influences that have pressured the power supply industry due to lower demand for PCs and consumer products. The company stated that applications related to PCs, cloud intelligence, and consumer electronics will maintain stable gross margins, with contribution from cloud intelligence applications exceeding 50%.

Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC) announced on February 27 that the composite index of economic indicators for January 2025 dropped by four points to 34, signaling a shift to a yellow-red light, indicating an economic slowdown.

The AI/AR glasses market is drawing attention at CES 2025, with shipments expected to surge before 2030. Coretronic Intelligent Robotics, having spent over six years developing AR glasses technology, plans to begin shipments in the third quarter of 2025, ramping up mass production in 2026. Unlike consumer-focused rivals, Coretronic is targeting industrial and logistics applications.

Kaynes Technology, a leading Indian electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, is planning strategic acquisitions in Japan and Taiwan to expand its global footprint and enhance manufacturing capabilities.