New players are joining the supply chain competition as China's major memory chip manufacturers have rapidly developed. It seems to challenge the market positions of Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology.

As global manufacturing continues to shift away from mainland China, companies with established operations in Southeast Asia are seeing major opportunities emerge. Tony Chou, managing director of Cal-Comp Electronics (Thailand) (CCET), emphasized that while the current environment presents favorable conditions, maintaining readiness for various changes remains crucial.

Taiwan-based electronics distributor WT Microelectronics has steadily expanded its global distribution network following the completion of its acquisition of Future Electronics. The company is optimistic about a recovery in automotive and industrial applications in the first half of 2025, which, along with its sustained momentum in artificial intelligence (AI) product lines, is expected to contribute significantly to profit growth.

Donald Trump pledged Sunday to delay enforcement of a national security law that threatened to ban TikTok, but it's not clear that the app's Chinese parent company has satisfied the requirements necessary to extend the deadline to find a possible buyer and avoid a permanent shutdown.

Taiwan's emerging focus on humanoid robot development presents opportunities for local firms to partner with US companies, despite the challenges of capital-intensive production. The island's manufacturers excel in producing key components essential for both industrial and humanoid robots, offering strategic advantages for collaboration, particularly with US firms that lack robust component supply chains.

OpenAI is expanding its robotics division with ambitious plans to develop and mass-produce advanced general-purpose robots that integrate proprietary AI models with custom-designed hardware.

India hits bottlenecks in its efforts toward developing a display manufacturing ecosystem. Tata Electronics is making progress in acquiring Pegatron India and reportedly talking with Android smartphone vendors for contract manufacturing collaboration.

These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories in the week of January 13 – January 17.

Microsoft Corp.'s US$13 billion investment in OpenAI raises concerns that the tech giant could extend its dominance in cloud computing into the nascent artificial intelligence market, the Federal Trade Commission said in a report released Friday.

As the Legislative Yuan nears the end of its current session, opposition parties have proposed significant cuts and freezes to the 2025 central government budget. At a press conference on January 16, Premier Jung-tai Cho warned that these reductions would weaken Taiwan in five critical areas: technological development, national security, civil service performance, government communications, and overall national competitiveness.

AI cloud computing will remain the primary growth driver for the tech industry in 2025, while the outlook for consumer AI applications remains mixed, largely hinging on whether users can be convinced of the need to replace their devices, according to sources at IC design houses.