Taiwan Microloops reported stronger second-quarter and first-half 2026 results, supported by rising shipments of cooling modules for AI server customers. The Taiwan-based supplier said the improvement came as new-model products began shipping to a major cloud service provider customer in the second quarter, helping margins recover after a temporary slowdown during the first-quarter product transition.

Kaori Heat Treatment has approved a major capacity expansion in Taiwan and Thailand as demand rises for AI cooling components and fuel cells. The heat-treatment maker said its board agreed to buy land and buildings in Taoyuan's Zhongli District for NT$2.38 billion and to build a new plant in Thailand with an investment cap of 700 million baht, bringing the two projects to about NT$3 billion.

As South Korea's major memory manufacturers race to secure next-generation lithography technologies for increasingly advanced process nodes, the approaching High-NA EUV era is adding urgency to the development of pellicles capable of handling higher optical and thermal requirements.

Pegatron Corp. said in its second-quarter 2026 results that its server business posted strong gains and that it had already begun preparing for demand in the second half of 2026 while building inventory for the first half of 2027. The Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer said AI server momentum remained strong, but shortages across the upstream supply chain were still creating uncertainty.

Pegatron reported its second-quarter 2026 results on the 12th, saying net profit attributable to the parent company rose more than 14-fold year-on-year as shipments of information products and consumer electronics strengthened. The Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer said AI server demand is expected to remain a key growth driver in the second half of 2026.

Samsung Electronics plans to introduce high-numerical-aperture extreme ultraviolet (High-NA EUV) lithography into mass production at its 1nm node around 2030, according to South Korean media reports. The move signals that the foundry giant is continuing work to deploy the next-generation chipmaking technology at advanced nodes.

LandMark Optoelectronics Corp. reported a sharp jump in revenue, margins, and profit in the second quarter of 2026, driven by strong demand for silicon photonics products and higher shipment volumes. The optical communications epitaxial wafer maker also said third-quarter 2026 revenue is expected to rise more than 20% quarter-on-quarter as both the company and its downstream foundry partners expand capacity.

Asus reported record second-quarter 2026 results driven by servers and PCs, while management pointed to strong demand for AI computing and cloud infrastructure. The Taiwan-based PC and hardware vendor said server order visibility remained high and lifted its full-year server revenue growth target from 100% to at least 150%.

Asustek Computer said growth in its AI server and PC businesses pushed revenue, operating profit, and net profit to record highs in the second quarter of 2026. The Taiwan-based hardware maker also projected continued third-quarter growth across its main business lines as it expands in AI servers and new AI PC form factors.

SK hynix said it is advancing its use of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography for the mass production of next-generation DRAM, with high-numerical-aperture (High-NA) EUV equipment introduced in the second half of 2025 and related research and development beginning in 2026. The memory maker is also adopting phase-shift mask (PSM) technology and other process materials to improve EUV performance as demand rises for higher-capacity, higher-performance chips.

South Korea plans to establish a strategic investment account with at least 20 trillion won in assets within the Korea Investment Corporation in 2027 as it moves to strengthen its position in global advanced technology competition. According to Bloomberg, the fund will focus on artificial intelligence, robotics, and critical supply chains, while also extending to energy, batteries, power grid infrastructure, nuclear power, and quantum technology.

LG Energy Solution (LGES) and China's Jiangsu Lopal Tech have signed a three-year framework agreement covering up to CNY27 billion (approx. US$3.8 billion) in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode material sales as the South Korean battery maker rapidly expands its energy storage system (ESS) business.

Tencent Holdings used its second quarter to show what an AI build-out costs a company that can afford one. Capex reached CNY52.8 billion (US$7.81 billion), up 176% from a year earlier, and free cash flow turned negative for the quarter after large prepayments for computing capacity.