Taiwan's first domestically built submarine, the Hai Kun, was seen leaving Kaohsiung Port on September 21 for its 21st sea trial and 15th diving test. The vessel has remained out of public view for nearly two months since setting sail on July 30. The project is now entering the final stretch, following a period of in-depth adjustments, raising the possibility that it could be delivered as early as October.
China's FD-SOI supply chain is taking shape through a new round of investment. Changcun Capital, the investment platform backed by YMTC, participated in a strategic investment in FD-SOI developer Ruili Pingxin Microelectronics in August, drawing attention to whether Chinese semiconductor capital is expanding beyond memory manufacturing into specialty logic and wafer foundry technologies.
Global memory shortages remain severe, with AI and cloud applications intensifying demand for scarce supply. Prices for both DRAM and NAND flash have risen sharply, while China's two flagship memory makers, CXMT and YMTC, are preparing to break from their long-standing division of the market.
Chinese EV maker Xpeng is planning to offer its technology to foreign automakers beyond Volkswagen, according to people familiar with the matter, as technology licensing emerges as a new revenue engine for the company.
AirTAC International Group said demand for pneumatic components in China's automation market has entered a more gradual expansion phase, and executives said the current upturn could last through 2027. The outlook came as the Taiwanese pneumatic equipment maker reported strong results for the first half of 2026 and an even faster rise in August revenue.
South Korea and the US have hit an impasse in final-stage investment talks over commercial viability safeguards, with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung saying that some parts are hard to accept. The deadlock is raising concerns that the months-long negotiations over South Korea's investment plans in the US could collapse.
Facing aggressive expansion by Chinese competitors, Samsung Display (SDC) president and Korea Display Industry Association (KDIA) chairman Chung Yi expressed strong confidence in SDC's foldable panel capabilities. However, he warned that rival nations are funneling funds and expertise gained during the LCD era into OLED development. He called on South Korea to unite industry, government, academia, and research sectors to prevent a repeat of the loss of market leadership that occurred in the LCD industry.
Leading Interconnect Semiconductor, a Zhen Ding Technology subsidiary, has broken ground on an AI advanced packaging substrate project in Bao'an, Shenzhen, with total investment expected to be at least CNY12 billion (approx. US$1.79 billion). The new site is designed to add four factories and expand the company's ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver high-end flip-chip ball grid array (FCBGA) products for AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and advanced packaging customers.
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs delayed a 2026 electricity rate decision on September 18 after the Middle East war pushed up fuel prices and raised Taiwan Power's generation costs. The ministry said it would first seek NT$71.1 billion (approx. US$2.24 billion) in government funding, while the current tariff will stay in place through December 2026.
AI's shift from data centers into cars, robots, wearables, and connected devices is widening the market for fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI), while China is building a domestic supply chain spanning substrates, foundry capacity, and chip design.
