Despite a slowdown in demand for electric vehicles (EV) that has complicated efforts to localize lithium battery production in the US — and even cast doubt on the viability of some joint ventures between automakers and battery makers — another opportunity is rapidly coming into view.
The 2026 International Symposium on VLSI Technology, Systems and Applications (VLSI TSA) kicked off on April 14, gathering over 800 semiconductor professionals worldwide. The conference focused on next-generation core areas including GenAI inference acceleration, wafer-level computing, and terahertz wireless communication, while also delving into quantum computer system architectures and extending the reach of semiconductors to AI-driven cardiac analysis and other smart healthcare applications.
Japan dominates the global market for semiconductor equipment and materials — a strategic chokepoint that its neighbors and partners have long sought to learn from, not just rely on. Taiwan, home to the world's most advanced chip fabrication ecosystem, has spent years building closer ties with Tokyo in materials science. Now, that partnership is entering a more ambitious phase.
AUO has announced that its Board of Directors has approved a restructuring plan for its energy business's organization and investment framework, aiming to consolidate internal and external energy-related resources within the group. By corporatizing the energy business into a more specialized and focused platform, AUO seeks to enhance operational efficiency and market competitiveness.
Rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran in late February 2026 drove a sharp rally in global crude oil and petrochemical feedstock prices, including ethylene and propylene, lifting prices across the petrochemical chain. Against expectations of potential supply disruptions, customers moved quickly to rebuild inventories, boosting first-quarter revenues for Taiwan's major petrochemical producers, according to earnings releases on April 10.
A blockage of the Strait of Hormuz following conflict between the US and Iran is raising energy supply risks for Southeast Asia, with import-dependent economies most exposed. If the conflict continues, the region's recent gains from supply chain shifts could begin to erode.
EVE Energy, one of China's largest battery makers, has reported strong profit growth expectations for the first quarter of 2026, as rising demand for energy storage — fueled in part by the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure — continues to reshape the industry.
As concerns over energy security converge with the push for low-carbon transition, energy storage has emerged as a central arena in the global energy shift—and China's companies are moving quickly to claim a larger role.
South Korea has been actively advancing the development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology in recent years. The government, together with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), is moving forward with next-generation i-SMR standard design certification and site selection for the first plant. Private-sector player Doosan Enerbility is taking the lead in positioning itself in the global SMR contract manufacturing market, backed by its largest-ever order volume.
Industry sources report that the recent supply concerns over semiconductor-grade helium triggered by the US-Iran conflict have eased, as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix secured long-term contracts ensuring stable access to the critical gas.
EVE Energy, one of China's largest battery manufacturers, said on April 7 that it expected strong profit growth in the first quarter of 2026 as demand for energy storage batteries continued to expand.
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