Global sales of electrified vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), are forecast to rise 11.9% to more than 36 million units in 2026, even as overall vehicle sales decline 1.4%, reflecting the accelerating shift toward electrification. Electrified vehicles are expected to account for more than 35% of global new-vehicle sales, while China's BYD is poised to enter the world's top five automakers for the first time, according to Richard Hsieh, senior research manager at the Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center of Taiwan's government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) is expanding its investment in film and television content as competition in Taiwan's over-the-top (OTT) market intensifies. The Chunghwa Digital Cultural and Creative Fund (CDCCF), jointly backed by CHT, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), and E.Sun Bank, began operations in 2026 and recently announced 10 new investments to broaden opportunities for Taiwan's film and television industry through funding, international co-production, and overseas partnerships.
Fino, a South Korean company backed by Chinese precursor producer CNGR Advanced Material, will raise about KRW183 billion (approximately US$130 million) through a cash capital increase to fund its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials business. The move is widely viewed as another step to reduce Chinese ownership and comply with the US Prohibited Foreign Entity (PFE) rules.
Yankey Engineering’s order backlog reached a record NT$57.1 billion (US$1.74 billion) as of the end of September, with its subcontracting project for the second wafer fab in Kumamoto, Japan, expected to contribute revenue from 2027. The company said strong global AI infrastructure demand, advanced semiconductor processes, advanced packaging, and memory expansion drove its revenue and profit to record levels in the first three quarters of 2026.
Winbond Electronics chairman Arthur Chiao said memory prices and profits should not go any further at this stage, warning that a market in which memory thrives while other industries struggle is bad for consumers and the wider economy.
E Ink Holdings' board on November 6 approved buying land and factory buildings in Taoyuan's Guanyin Industrial Park from Chung Hwa Pulp for NT$2.78 billion (US$84.63 million) before tax, and signed off on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Taiflex Scientific to jointly target the market for AI high-speed transmission materials.
Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) said its Singapore wafer fab is expected to become a growth driver in 2027, with capacity nearly sold out, customer commitments secured, and artificial-intelligence interposers projected to generate about half of revenue. The expansion could accelerate, but rising depreciation and fixed costs are expected to pressure profitability.
South Korea plans to develop small, medium, and large data centers in orbit under its K-Moonshot initiative, aiming to conduct its first in-orbit demonstration in 2028 and lay the groundwork for commercial space-based AI services before 2035.
Rising power demand at AI data centers is driving demand for power semiconductors used in server power supplies, grid equipment, and chip-level power delivery. Infineon Technologies is positioning its silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) portfolio for a shift toward 800V DC architectures, solid-state transformers and vertical power delivery, addressing different voltage, power and efficiency requirements as it expands its AI infrastructure business.
Global AI data center construction and Taiwan Power's NT$564.5 billion (US$17.23 billion) resilient-grid initiative are driving demand for highly reliable power equipment and intelligent management. Smart-power provider Horngyu Electric is integrating hardware and software to capture opportunities in the global power-grid market.
A Seoul court has dismissed LG Chem's request for a preliminary injunction that would have halted production and sales of certain cathode materials by JS Energy, the South Korean subsidiary of Chinese cathode maker Ronbay, The Elec reported on November 7, citing industry sources. LG Chem has appealed.
India approved 12 applications involving a proposed investment of INR75.03 billion (US$796.90 million) under its Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) on November 6, broadening support for domestic materials and manufacturing equipment. The projects are expected to generate production worth INR390.45 billion and create 7,127 direct jobs, the electronics ministry said.
Hanwha Semitech has named chief business officer Kim Jin-woo as its incoming CEO after semiconductor equipment revenue more than doubled in the third quarter of 2026. The South Korean company announced the appointment on November 9 as it moves to expand its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) bonding equipment business.
Tong Hsing Electronic Industries (THEIL), a semiconductor packaging company under the YAGEO Group, said its board has approved the acquisition of a 100% stake in Singapore-listed Global Testing Corporation for approximately SGD76.71 million (US$59.88 million). The deal will take Global Testing private and is intended to transform Tong Hsing from a traditional packaging manufacturer into a comprehensive packaging and testing service provider.
SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won has defended Samsung and SK's combined KRW4,755 trillion (approx. US$3.52 trillion) investment plans, arguing that South Korea cannot keep pace in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race without committing unprecedented amounts of capital.
