In the fourth quarter of 2024, global notebook shipments (excluding detachable models) performed better than expected, decreasing by 1% compared to the previous quarter. In anticipation of tariffs on notebooks imported into the US by the Trump administration, brands and channel retailers increased their inventories in the fourth quarter to prepare. However, the high inventory from the fourth quarter will strongly undermine brand vendors' shipments in the first quarter of 2025, according to DIGITIMES' latest quarterly notebook shipments report.

According to Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics, the company's Robotics and AI Institute has purchased humanoid robots and other smaller robots made by Chinese startup Unitree Robotics to study. With the sudden rise of DeepSeek still fresh in people's minds, could another Chinese startup also conquer its competition in such short order?

Rumors suggest Microsoft has ended some US data center leases, sparking fears of reduced demand for Internet Data Centers (IDCs). In contrast, Taiwanese IDC operators are optimistic, citing partnerships with major cloud providers and predicting continued demand for the next 20 years, fueled by green energy, fiber optics, and a skilled workforce.

China Fineblanking Technology Co. (CFTC), the leading high-precision stamping manufacturer, reported revenue of NT$157 million (US$4.9 million) for February 2025, bringing its total revenue for January and February to NT$344 million (US$10.75 million). Compared to the same period in 2024, these numbers marked a decline impacted by the Lunar New Year holiday and fewer working days in February.

Stronger-than-expected AI demand has prompted Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry (Sunon) to upgrade its first-quarter 2025 outlook from cautious to optimistic. Initially forecasting a sequential decline, the company now expects quarter-over-quarter growth, fueled by surging AI server demand. Sunon sees strong AI server orders continuing in the first half of the year, with additional momentum in the second half from Wi-Fi 7 routers and 800G switches.

The US tariff policy is set to cause major changes in the global supply chain. Joe Huang, president of Qisda, stated that while the company currently has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, China, and Vietnam, it is considering a fourth base in Southeast Asia due to tariffs introduced under former President Donald Trump. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are the leading contenders. Qisda is conducting preliminary evaluations and expects to make a decision within six months.

As part of its business transformation efforts, President Information Corp (PIC), a subsidiary of Taiwan's Uni-President retail conglomerate, has launched the Lumine AI service suite. This new offering integrates six core solutions aimed at lowering AI adoption barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan and Southeast Asia.

The global trend of industrial automation, coupled with rising labor costs and the need for greater production efficiency, is driving strong demand for robotics and automotive components. Chelic, a manufacturer of pneumatic components, expects this trend to accelerate its operational growth.

OpenAI and Oracle plan to begin filling a massive new data center in Texas with tens of thousands of powerful AI chips from Nvidia in the coming months, part of a push to get the first facility for their US$100 billion Stargate infrastructure venture up and running.

Taiwanese ODM Inventec posted its strongest February revenue, reaching NT$51.67 billion (US$1.57 billion), driven by strong momentum for AI servers.

Pegatron showcased its evolution into a full-fledged system supplier at MWC 2025, marking three years of transformation. CY Feng, general manager of the company's BU6, emphasized that multiple Proofs of Concept (PoCs) have validated its solutions, positioning Pegatron as market-ready.