Cable and connector maker BizLink expects steady demand for high-performance computing (HPC) and semiconductor production equipment (SPE) to drive growth in 2025, with chairman Roger Liang decidedly optimistic about quarter-by-quarter growth this year, in contrast with the cautious optimism held previously.

Statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) indicate that Taiwan's overseas production ratio in January was 44.8%, a year-over-year decrease of 4.2pp. If Taiwan's major server ODMs relocate abroad or if TSMC increases its investments in the US, this indicator will certainly reverse and rise.

Fueled by strong demand from mobile phone and security control (SEC) clients, TSMC's optical component manufacturing subsidiary, VisEra, reported a robust performance in the fourth quarter of 2024. This surge helped propel the company's full-year revenue to surpass the NT$10 billion (approx. US$305.51 million) milestone, setting a new record in its history.

Ant Group is recruiting developers for AI-equipped humanoid robots as it prepares to enter the field. According to Chinese media outlets Jiemian News and South China Morning Post, Shanghai Ant (Mayi) Lingbo Technology, an Ant Group subsidiary, is hiring humanoid robot systems and application software engineers, hardware architecture engineers, motion control software engineers, and finished machine/hardware specialists, for job positions in Shanghai and Hangzhou.

Taiwan's first domestically produced intelligent chemotherapy dispensing robotic arm, developed by panel maker Innolux in collaboration with Chi Mei Hospital in Tainan, has reached a significant milestone—successfully dispensing over 1,000 chemotherapy prescriptions.

The surge of artificial intelligence (AI) is prompting Taiwanese networking companies to seize emerging opportunities. Accton is actively expanding into areas such as all-optical communications and AI accelerators, while Senao Networks has teamed up with Intel to enter the standard server market. Sercomm is also diligently exploring growth potential in sectors like the smart grid and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Google is reportedly preparing to open its first self-owned retail store outside the US, with India as its chosen market following Apple's retail strategy. However, the company must first meet local sourcing requirements before moving forward.

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, has fueled growing attention toward low-cost models in the AI industry. Ubitus Founder and CEO, Wesley Kuo, believes that lower training costs will drive up demand for inference-end services. As more language models showcase "chain of thought" (CoT) abilities, the computational power required for these processes will increase, leading to a continued rise in GPU demand.

Wireless communication testing laboratory Sporton International is expected to maintain growth momentum in 2025, with consolidated revenue for the fourth quarter reaching NT$1.126 billion (US$34.4 million), a consolidated gross margin of 50%, and a consolidated pre-tax net profit of NT$386 million. The post-tax net profit stood at NT$295 million, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 3.87%. For the entire year of 2024, consolidated revenue is projected to be NT$4.555 billion, with a consolidated gross margin of 50%, a consolidated pre-tax net profit of NT$1.677 billion, and a post-tax net profit of NT$1.29 billion.

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, has inaugurated its second data center in Thailand, expanding its infrastructure to meet the rising demand for cloud services and generative artificial intelligence (AI). The expansion aligns with Thailand's digital innovation and sustainability goals. According to The Nation, this development represents a significant expansion of Alibaba Cloud's footprint in Southeast Asia.

DeepSeek has rapidly emerged as a transformative force as the impact of affordable AI models continues to accelerate. James Yang, President and COO of Innolux, highlighted that DeepSeek is driving a shift in AI computing power and costs, moving them from the realm of exclusivity into the mainstream. If perfected, AI could shed its high-end status and become deeply embedded in everyday applications. In essence, lower costs could lead to higher volume, sparking widespread demand across various industries.