AI development has become the key growth driver for NAND flash storage applications, leading to a significant surge in computing power and "storage capacity." According to Tai Wei, CEO of China Flash Market (CFM), the NAND market is swiftly emerging from the shadows seen in 2024. NAND costs are expected to stabilize in the second quarter before rising generally in the third quarter.
Wiwynn, a leading server manufacturer, has expressed an optimistic outlook for its 2025 operations, a perspective bolstered by robust growth not only in AI servers but also in non-AI servers, commonly referred to as General Servers. Notably, the company has dramatically escalated its capex, surging from NT$4.8 billion (approx. US$146 million) in 2024 to an ambitious NT$18 billion. This substantial increase will fund expansion initiatives across facilities in Texas, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Mexico.
Intel is actively reaching out to the server supply chain to establish a major cooling alliance, utilizing its developed superfluid cooling technology. The unsung heroes behind this initiative are Taiwanese cooling manufacturers, including Mandala Worldwide and Microloops. Several companies are reportedly attempting to implement this technology, with product commercialization expected to begin in 2025, particularly for water-cooling plate designs.
ASE Technology Holding, a global leader in semiconductor packaging and testing, is partnering with Ainos to integrate AI-powered scent digitization into semiconductor manufacturing. Using Ainos' proprietary AI Nose technology, the collaboration will convert airborne chemical data—Smell IDs—into actionable insights to improve process efficiency, environmental monitoring, and ESG compliance.
Asia Vital Components (AVC) chairman Ching-Hang Shen pointed out that while the entire industry previously discussed liquid cooling solutions, he believed it was still early and not yet at a true maturation stage. However, with recent discussions shifting back to air cooling, he now asserts that the era of liquid cooling is about to commence. In response to the rising demand for liquid cooling, AVC plans to substantially increase its production capacity.
TSMC plans to pour an additional US$100 billion into its US operations, lifting its total investment to US$165 billion. The move underscores the chip giant's deepening ties with Washington and has sparked intense debate in Taiwan.
Asus declared a significant bad debt over the last quarter of 2024 due to delayed payments for server products sold to Yotta, a company highlighting India's eagerness to build AI infrastructure.
On March 11, Shanghai Guotou Pioneer Fund announced via its official WeChat account that its AI industry fund led a fresh investment round in Biren Technology (Biren), one of China's top GPU startups. Several leading institutional investors and industrial capital firms participated. This marks the fund's first-ever direct investment, signaling Shanghai's push toward a domestically controlled AI computing ecosystem.
The US economy heavily relies on domestic consumption, and under President Donald Trump, the administration employed a tariff-driven strategy aimed at bringing manufacturing back to the US The most dramatic of these measures was the 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, a move that was quickly dubbed by The Economist as " [the] dumbest trade war in history"
Automation and smart production are seen as crucial solutions for global expansion amid the ongoing restructuring of supply chains, driven by geopolitics and the rapid advancement of AI. However, some industry players are growing concerned that fully realized automation could disrupt the existing manufacturing ecosystem.
The Breakthrough Technology Dialogue held in Singapore at the end of February saw participation from technology experts across various countries. However, the discussions were largely influenced by Asian perspectives, with Chinese viewpoints being particularly prominent. Even in private conversations, there was limited opposition to China's stance.
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