DIGITIMES Asia news

Friday 15 May 2026

Samsung shields chip lines as union sticks to strike plan

Samsung Electronics has reportedly begun pre-emptive production adjustments at its semiconductor facilities as its labor union sticks to a planned 18-day strike despite the company's latest offer to resume talks without conditions

Analysis: Mythos sparks access fight as AI models become strategic assets

Friday 15 May 2026

Trump-Xi summit is Nvidia's best shot at getting back into China

Friday 15 May 2026

Lei Jun, Musk and Cook converge at China-US state dinner

Friday 15 May 2026

SMIC leverages process flexibility to capture orders amid global foundry capacity squeeze

Friday 15 May 2026

LATEST STORIES

Monday 18 May 2026

India roundup: India's semiconductor ambitions expand from AI power management to supply-chain localization

India's semiconductor and electronics sectors are accelerating across multiple fronts, from AI-driven power-chip development and domestic EV battery technology to smartphone manufacturing and semiconductor supply-chain expansion. Industry executives and analysts say the shift reflects India's broader effort to move beyond assembly into higher-value chip design, power electronics, and localized technology ecosystems

Sunday 17 May 2026

Silicon-carbon batteries become latest front in US-China tech rivalry

As American battery startups continue working to commercialize next-generation silicon-carbon batteries, Chinese manufacturers are already deploying the technology at scale and now pushing it into aviation-grade territory

Sunday 17 May 2026

Taiwan chipmakers quietly fill gaps left by Korea's HBM push

Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem is getting an unexpected lift from the AI server investment boom. Supply pressure that began in high-bandwidth memory and leading-edge process technology is now rippling into legacy memory, packaging, and testing

Sunday 17 May 2026

Galatek targets advanced packaging market, eyes Taiwan foundries

Singapore-based AI automation startup Galatek said it is tackling yield bottlenecks in micron-level packaging with AI-embedded equipment as demand for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) chips surges across Southeast Asia and global markets. The company is also pursuing a dual-track expansion spanning Southeast Asia and Taiwan

Saturday 16 May 2026

China's memory push accelerates as YMTC and CXMT expand DRAM ambitions

China's memory semiconductor industry is entering a new phase of expansion as leading domestic players ramp up investments in both NAND flash and DRAM technologies, amid an AI-driven global memory boom and tightening supply conditions

Saturday 16 May 2026

Column: Orbit are now battlefields—how the world's powers are militarizing space

In April 2024, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) executed one of the most significant overhauls of its military architecture in decades. The former Strategic Support Force was disbanded and reorganized into three distinct branches: the Military Aerospace Force, the Cyberspace Force, and the Information Support Force. Together with the existing Joint Logistics Support Force, these constitute a new four-branch support structure — one designed not merely to support terrestrial warfare, but to dominate the space domain itself

Friday 15 May 2026

Everlight to build automotive LED plant in Thailand as raw material costs hit profit

Everlight Electronics said it will invest an additional US$56.5 million in its Thai subsidiary to buy land, build a plant, and add equipment, as the LED packaging firm moves to strengthen its presence in the automotive supply chain. The company also reported that first-quarter 2026 profit fell to NT$403 million (US$12.83 million), down 30.99% year on year, as higher raw material costs weighed on margins

Friday 15 May 2026

Maserati turns to Huawei as China's EV power expands into luxury cars

In a move that underscores both the desperation of legacy luxury brands and the growing confidence of China's electric-vehicle (EV) industry, Huawei is reportedly in advanced talks with Maserati and JAC Motors to jointly develop a new generation of high-end EVs aimed at Europe's premium auto market

Friday 15 May 2026

Broadcom loses South Korea appeal over fine for alleged coercive Samsung supply deal

Broadcom lost its appeal in South Korea on May 13, 2026, when the Seoul High Court upheld a KRW191 billion (approx. US$130 million) fine for allegedly coercing Samsung Electronics into an unfair three-year supply contract, according to Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily. The court dismissed challenges brought by Broadcom's US headquarters and three South Korean affiliates against the Korea Fair Trade Commission's corrective order and penalty

Friday 15 May 2026

Samsung strike risk lifts memory spot prices as supply risks mount

Samsung Electronics' escalating labor dispute is adding fresh uncertainty to the memory market, with spot prices moving higher as South Korea's government pushes management and labor to resume talks ahead of a planned 18-day strike

Friday 15 May 2026

US clears Nvidia’s H200 for China, but Beijing can still say no

The US has cleared around 10 Chinese companies to buy Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence chips, but no deliveries have been made, suggesting that Washington's approval alone may not be enough to revive the company's high-end China business

Friday 15 May 2026

US-China ties shift toward balancing tech pressure with controlled competition

The US is signaling a shift toward constrained high-intensity competition with China, seeking to preserve technological advantage while creating mechanisms to allow limited economic engagement, according to remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during the Trump-Xi summit

Friday 15 May 2026

Hua Hong Semiconductor strategy focuses on AI demand and specialty tech expansion

Hua Hong Semiconductor is positioning itself to capitalize on the accelerating transformation of the global semiconductor industry, driven primarily by the "unmistakably positive impact of AI" on market demand. During its first-quarter 2026 earnings call on May 14, 2026, the company outlined a multi-pronged strategy to enhance its position as a leader in specialty process technologies while expanding into nascent, high-growth sectors

Friday 15 May 2026

Malaysia's Arm-backed chip push lifts Oppstar, SkyeChip as startup ambitions expand beyond packaging

Malaysia is accelerating efforts to expand beyond semiconductor assembly and testing into chip design, following a government-backed initiative tied to access to Arm technology

Friday 15 May 2026

SMIC refocuses on capital investment over dividends as AI boom reshapes demand

During its first-quarter 2026 earnings call on May 15, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) detailed a strategic realignment of its operations to capitalize on the "AI boom" while maintaining a rigorous investment schedule. The company emphasized that it is currently in a "critical stage of capacity expansion" and is continuously pushing to enhance its competitive standing, leading to significant shifts in how it allocates resources and returns value to shareholders

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