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Monday 18 May 2026

TI says safety will decide 800V AI data center adoption and supplier wins

Pradeep S. Shenoy, a computing technology expert at Texas Instruments's (TI) US headquarters, recently shared his views on 800V architectures for AI data centers in a media appearance. He said 800V solutions will not see broad adoption in AI data centers in 2026, but rollout will accelerate year by year from 2027.

Monday 18 May 2026

Apple Watch blood pressure alerts drive TASC demand as 2026 redesign looms

Apple has added a new high blood pressure notification feature to Apple Watch, sharpening the device's health-management appeal. Market watchers expect a major redesign of high-end Apple Watch models in the second half of 2026, which could boost end-market shipments by 20% to 30% from 2025 as incoming CEO John Ternus takes over on September 1.

Monday 18 May 2026

Hiwin doubles robotics revenue share in 1Q26 on semiconductor automation demand

Taiwan precision motion-control leader Hiwin Technologies is accelerating growth on the back of semiconductor automation and robotics demand, with robot-related products emerging as a rapidly expanding revenue driver as the company deepens its push into wafer-handling systems, logistics robots, and humanoid robot components.

Saturday 16 May 2026

AI server tracker: Rising server demand leads to high revenue growth for rail kit makers

Growing demand for AI is driving appetite for server components across cable connectors, cases, and rail kits. This wave has led most major Taiwanese players in the industry to record rising annual revenues, with some exceptions. Rail kit makers in particular have posted strong annual growth as AI servers claim a larger share of their business.

Friday 15 May 2026

China keeps tight InP export controls despite Trump-Xi talks

As the US and China continue to clash over geopolitics and critical materials supply, industry sources say China's restrictions on indium phosphide (InP) substrates for optical communications remain unchanged and are widely seen as part of Beijing's effort to counter US-led AI development.

Friday 15 May 2026

TTI targets global ADC market with upstream next-gen linker and payload platforms

Taiwan-based Tripartite Therapeutics, Inc. (TTI) is positioning itself at the forefront of the global antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) race with a proprietary technology platform aimed at overcoming long-standing barriers in targeted cancer therapies. Ahead of its listing on the Taipei Exchange's Emerging Stock Board on May 20, the company says its integrated linker and payload technologies could help international drugmakers develop safer, more effective, and commercially scalable ADC treatments.

Friday 15 May 2026

Fiber shortage deepens as orders for Chinese vendors extend to 2027

The global optical fiber market is shifting from a traditional telecom cycle into a new phase of structural shortage, driven by rapid AI infrastructure expansion and dense cloud data center construction. Prices and capacity are rising together as demand for fiber, a core material for data transmission, keeps climbing.

Friday 15 May 2026

Metalens technology reaches key turning point, as DUV, DLW, NIL processes compete for advantage

Metalens technology is now moving from proofs-of-concept toward targeted applications in smart glasses and machine vision, as its extreme thinness makes it well-suited for use cases with miniaturization demands, even if physical dispersion remains an issue for full-color imaging. The three main manufacturing technologies now in use are deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography, laser direct writing (DLW), and nanoimprint lithography (NIL), of which MetaOptics currently leads in DLW production, while Taiwan-based players are pursuing NIL manufacturing.

Friday 15 May 2026

Edge AI is transforming wearables into proactive health and sensing platforms

Edge AI is accelerating across consumer devices and is increasingly embedded in wearables, reshaping smartwatches, earbuds, and smart rings into proactive sensing and response endpoints, industry research showed. Market analysts describe this shift as unfolding now and expected to deepen through 2032, with wearables moving from passive connected accessories to devices that sense, understand, and act on user status and environment in real time.

Friday 15 May 2026

Column: The new space arms race is being fought with AI, lasers, and autonomous satellites

The emerging space arms race toward 2030 is no longer defined simply by the number of satellites nations can launch into orbit. Increasingly, it is being shaped by breakthroughs in advanced communications, artificial intelligence (AI), orbital logistics, and rapid launch systems, technologies that could redefine military power in space over the next decade.

Friday 15 May 2026

Taiwan touch panel makers post mixed 1Q26 results on consolidation and uneven demand

Taiwan's touch panel makers posted mixed first-quarter 2026 results. TPK Holding led the sector after consolidating display driver IC maker Ilitek, boosting revenue, margins, and net profit despite ongoing core operating losses. In contrast, GIS Holding remained in the red amid weak demand visibility, while YoungFast Optoelectronics increasingly relied on electromechanical and gaming-related products to cushion softness in its traditional business.

Friday 15 May 2026

AI server tracker: Optical module suppliers show mixed momentum as AI networking demand reshapes market

Taiwan's optical module supply chain delivered mixed April 2026 results, reflecting uneven demand patterns across AI infrastructure and data center networking markets. According to the latest data, the overall April revenue reached approximately NT$2.1 billion (US$66.6 million), down 7.4% month-over-month but still up 1.2% year-over-year. Cumulative revenue for the sector remained strong, rising nearly 20% year-over-year.

Thursday 14 May 2026

China's fiber optic industry evolved from catch-up to supply chain scale

As demand for AI data centers, high-speed transmission, and cloud infrastructure continues to rise, the fiber-optic industry has once again become a focal point in the global market, with China's supply chain playing a critical role in the expansion. From heavy reliance on overseas technology and materials to building a complete industrial cluster and becoming a major global supplier, China's fiber-optic industry has undergone nearly half a century of technological catch-up and supply-chain growth.

Thursday 14 May 2026

NSK-NTN merger to create the world's largest bearing maker

Japan's NSK and NTN have agreed to pursue a merger that would create the world's largest bearing maker, as rising costs, slowing demand, and Chinese competition push Japan's industrial suppliers toward consolidation.

Wednesday 13 May 2026

PixArt targets 2Q26 growth as gaming mouse and console demand offset weak PC sales

IC design firm PixArt Imaging said on May 12 that its three core business areas will post strong growth in the second quarter of 2026, with revenue expected to rise by the double digits quarter over quarter. The company said better-than-expected game console shipments lifted first-quarter 2026 results above its earlier forecast, helping offset a weak PC market.

Wednesday 13 May 2026

Y.S. Tech sees strong high-end cooling demand, but new plant costs weigh on profit

Y.S. Tech reported that demand for high-end networking IT cooling and automotive orders lifted consolidated revenue to NT$1.129 billion in the first quarter of 2026 and operating profit to NT$41.97 million, increases of 14.45% and 24.26% year-over-year respectively, while quarterly after-tax profit fell to NT$38.27 million with earnings per share of NT$0.48 due to new plant entry costs and equipment depreciation that began in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Wednesday 13 May 2026

China CPU vendors seize AI inference surge as Intel, AMD supplies tighten

The global race for AI computing power continues to intensify, beyond ongoing GPU shortages. CPUs, long viewed as secondary components in servers, are once again becoming critical parts of data center infrastructure due to the rapid rise of AI inference and AI agent applications.

Wednesday 13 May 2026

GLT shifts to auto and medical markets as display revenue drops to 1%

Global Lighting Technologies (GLT) has moved away from its traditional display business and is now focusing on optical microstructures for automotive, wearables, and biomedical applications, with display revenue accounting for just 1% in the first quarter of 2026. Chairman Man-Shiang Lee said the company has expanded its core technology into new fields and will reposition itself around optical microstructures in 2026.

Wednesday 13 May 2026

AI server tracker: GUC surges ahead as Faraday and Alchip face slower 2026 start

Taiwan's ASIC and design services sector is showing sharply diverging fortunes in 2026, with new monthly revenue data highlighting strong momentum for GUC while rivals Faraday and Alchip face a slower start to the year.

Tuesday 12 May 2026

Trade talks to test US-China leverage on rare earths, tariffs, and AI

US President Donald Trump is set to travel to China this week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for trade talks. The meeting comes at a time when both powers are grappling with technological competition, trade tensions, and the Middle East conflict. Many observers are not expecting a transformative outcome, but rather a continuation of small gestures to tamp down a trade war that erupted last year.

Tuesday 12 May 2026

PC chip demand stays murky in 2H26 as pre-buying clocks key

Demand for PC, notebook, and other IT application chips in the first half of 2026 remains relatively strong, driven not only by memory and CPU shortages and price increases, but also by solid pull-in demand for peripheral chips. Many industry players say the current buying momentum is stronger than in a typical seasonal low and reflects customers' expectations that component costs will keep rising. By past patterns, inventory digestion would usually emerge in the second half, but chipmakers now cannot say for sure whether customer orders will see a major correction.

Tuesday 12 May 2026

Aurotek posts record first-quarter revenue and profit as robot demand surges

Aurotek Corp. reported record results for the first quarter of 2026 as rising demand for smart manufacturing robots drove consolidated revenue and profit higher. The company said the results reflect its transition from an equipment and component supplier into an AI smart robot integrated solutions provider.

Tuesday 12 May 2026

E Ink eyes 25% growth in 2026 on surface push

E Ink expects its operations to keep growing in 2026, with chairman Johnson Lee saying the e-paper maker sees revenue growth of 20-25% as applications expand across e-readers, e-notebooks, electronic shelf labels (ESLs), and digital signage. He said retail digitization and outdoor surface applications will be the next major growth drivers.

Tuesday 12 May 2026

Viking AI revenue jumps to 12% as resistor lead times stretch to 15 weeks

Viking, a major maker of automotive thin-film resistors, said AI-related revenue rose quickly to 12% in the first quarter of 2026 from less than 5%, helped by stronger shipments for data centers, server power supplies, and other applications. The company also said resistor lead times have stretched from five weeks to about 15 weeks as AI demand tightens capacity.

Tuesday 12 May 2026

AcBel Polytech teams with OmniOn and Kinpo Group to target AI power-supply market

AcBel Polytech reported record first-quarter consolidated revenue in 2026, driven by rising demand for enterprise and data-center power, but flagged muted near-term profit performance due to product-mix shifts and delayed shipments of some high-power products. The firm said first-quarter consolidated revenue was NT$8.581 billion (US$273 million), up 20.5% year-over-year and down 6.7% sequentially, and that April revenue was NT$3.152 billion, up 34.61% year-over-year and up 0.19% month-over-month.

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