South Korea is looking beyond semiconductors and artificial intelligence for its next generation of strategic industries, naming seven technology fields it plans to cultivate over the next 10 to 20 years.
Global auto sales in the first half of 2026 show Toyota still firmly in first place, while the gap between No. 2 Volkswagen and No. 3 Hyundai Motor Group has narrowed sharply. Volkswagen's heavy dependence on China has dragged sales lower, while Hyundai Motor Group has held up through diversified geopolitical exposure, local production, and a flexible product mix. Market attention is now turning to whether Hyundai Motor Group is on the verge of overtaking Volkswagen for the No. 2 spot.
Mitsubishi Motors will launch its new all-electric SUV, the ASX VR-e, in Australia and New Zealand in the fourth quarter of 2026, with the model supplied through contract manufacturing by Foxconn-backed Foxtron Vehicle Technologies. The move marks the first time a Taiwan-made EV will enter the sales channel of a global legacy automaker under a white-label arrangement.
Tata's leadership transition may shape the pace of one of India's biggest industrial bets. The group's planned spending on chips, clean energy, and AI data centers is entering a critical stage, but a shift toward tighter capital discipline could slow expansion and alter priorities worldwide.
J&V Energy Technology said its first-half 2026 results were lifted by growing energy storage projects and green power trading, with consolidated revenue reaching NT$3.498 billion (US$108.74 million). The Taiwan-based renewable energy group said gross profit rose 67% year over year to NT$570 million, while operating profit increased 195% to NT$109 million.
Century Iron and Steel Industrial (CIS) and Century Wind Power (CWP) held a joint investor conference on August 13. Driven by a significant increase in the revenue contribution from offshore wind foundation engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects beginning in 2026, CWP said it expects revenue to reach new highs in both 2026 and 2027, with profit in 2026 also poised to set a record.
The "Net Zero City: International Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technology Seminar on New Low-Carbon Power Solutions for AI and Semiconductor Industries," jointly hosted by the Taiwan-US Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Industries Promotion Alliance (TUCA) and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER), convened on August 12 in Kaohsiung. The event focused on leveraging Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies to support the low-carbon transition of the semiconductor and AI sectors amid surging electricity demand.
AI-driven power demand is surging, and Delta Electronics Chairman Ping Cheng said microgrids and energy resilience are becoming the next key battleground for AI data centers and the broader electrification push. Speaking at the Delta Sustainable AI Summit, he said that, for the first time in 2026, global electrification and net-zero emissions will be discussed at the same level during UN climate talks, making Delta's business transformation path clearer.
Ina Energy said it plans to add 80MW of new solar grid capacity over the next two to three years as corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs) become a larger part of its business. The Taiwanese renewable energy developer said the long-term contracts have helped build steadier cash flow as it continues to develop solar and solar-plus-storage projects.
Google's planned AI data center in Andhra Pradesh, India, has drawn its first major opposition, with environmental groups protesting over water rights and wildlife concerns. The project, announced in October 2025, calls for US$15 billion in investment over five years and includes participation from Adani Group.
Driven by global net-zero commitments and China's "dual carbon" goals of peaking carbon emissions before achieving carbon neutrality, Inner Mongolia is rapidly transforming from a traditional resource-based economy into a strategic hub for renewable energy and AI computing infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump said imports of polysilicon and related products threaten national security and ordered new trade measures aimed at lifting domestic production. The proclamation reflects a broader effort to reduce the US's reliance on foreign supply for solar manufacturing, semiconductors, and other advanced technologies.
