Carbon black is a critical functional material underpinning the performance of tires and industrial rubber products. Its production involves a high-intensity, continuous operational model where any unscheduled downtime leads to increased defective or off-grade products, wasted energy, and significant instability across the entire production line.As Taiwan's only specialized carbon black manufacturer, Linyuan Advanced Materials Technology Co. Ltd – a core production site within the global network of Continental Carbon – has long prioritized real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance. Recently, the company deployed a comprehensive suite of ASUS AI-driven Predictive Maintenance and Health Management (AISPHM) solutions. This strategic move aims to gain advanced visibility into equipment status without disrupting production pace, thereby driving a robust digital transformation in maintenance operations.Historically, Linyuan Advanced relied on manual inspections and basic digital tools for vibration diagnosis. However, as production scales expanded and environmental constraints intensified, traditional architectures struggled with necessary immediacy, continuity, and comprehensiveness.Hsieh-Ho Tsai, Deputy Director of the Plant Manager's Office, noted that in brownfield factory environments, the construction costs and cabling complexity for wired fixed sensor systems are prohibitively high. This necessitated a search for a more flexible, scalable technical pathway to achieve comprehensive coverage.Empowering Maintenance Transformation for High-Intensity Processes via Scalable, On-Premise Edge AIAddressing these challenges, Linyuan Advanced implemented the ASUS AISPHM solution. Leveraging a robust three-tier architecture comprising wireless sensing, edge computing, and AI modeling, the company systematically reconstructed its maintenance protocols. This established a complete loop evolving from real-time sensing to predictive analytics, laying a deployable and scalable foundation for smart maintenance in high-intensity continuous manufacturing."During the evaluation phase, we prioritized the unique requirements of petrochemical material processing, specifically the need for long-term stability, uninterrupted operation," said Tsai. "Crucially, operational technology, or OT, data must remain on-premise. With equipment anomaly interpretation requiring accumulated domain expertise, key deciding factors included the vendor's capacity to provide responsive, local technical support, and the system's ability to allow continuous fine-tuning and expansion aligned with actual production dynamics.”After weighing critical factors such as cybersecurity governance, system stability, and long-term trust, Linyuan Advanced selected ASUS. With its deep-rooted experience in industrial and enterprise markets, ASUS offered a mature, autonomous technology solution with responsive local R&D support. The brand's reputation for reliability provided the assurance of a stable, sustainable partnership, securing the role of ASUS and the wider ASUS group as the trusted technology partner for this smart transformation.The deployed ASUS AISPHM solution encompasses three core layers: sensing, computing, and analysis. At the frontend, ASUS AISSENS wireless vibration sensors capture real-time equipment status. The intermediate layer utilizes the ASUS PE2100U industrial computer for on-site data aggregation and edge analysis. Finally, the backend AISPHM platform performs equipment health assessments, long-term trend comparisons, and anomaly alerts, forming a one-stop, integrated, and continuously evolving predictive maintenance ecosystem.A standout feature of the ASUS system is the high flexibility of its AI models. Designed for carbon black production – and in particular, powder transport – the ASUS system allows for granular parameter adjustments based on actual operating conditions. Such precision significantly enhances anomaly detection accuracy.According to Tsai: "Carbon black production is a high-intensity, continuous process inherently accompanied by persistent vibration disturbances. This makes context-aware AI vital; without integrating this specific process knowledge, false positives would be inevitable".The ASUS solution enables model fine-tuning for individual units based on specific RPM, bearing models, and structural parameters. Beyond the software's inherent flexibility, these AI models are fine-tuned by certified vibration analysts to verify baseline modeling and anomaly interpretation. Furthermore, remote technical support ensured that any initial parameter calibration or connectivity issues were resolved in real-time, rapidly stabilizing the overall system.Before full-scale expansion, ASUS provided sensors and a trial system for a pilot program, while Linyuan Advanced deployed its own WiFi network to test the solution on critical assets. The results verified stable, lossless data transmission. By combining this data with Linyuan's existing operational expertise, the team successfully established a vibration anomaly detection model tailored specifically to the carbon black plant, laying a solid empirical foundation for large-scale deployment.Following successful validation, Linyuan Advanced leveraged government resources to expand the rollout. The initial target extends vibration monitoring to 100 sets of rotating equipment. The deployment strategy adopts a unit-by-unit expansion while simultaneously building the database. Currently, 20 critical assets are live with real-time transmission, and this systematic approach is gradually accumulating a high-value database of equipment health, creating a high-value data asset through scale.From Operation to Governance: Establishing a Scalable Roadmap for Maintenance EvolutionIn practical operation, the system architecture comprises four layers: Front-end Sensing, On-site Transmission, Backend Server, and Monitoring Analysis. Sensors measure multi-axial vibration spectrum and surface temperatures of rotating equipment such as fans and pumps. Data is transmitted via gateways and industrial WiFi, overcoming cabling challenges and construction costs.The backend industrial computer performs full-spectrum analysis to build a historical vibration database. The AI prognostic mechanism utilizes the stable state following annual overhauls as a baseline model, continuously comparing it against real-time waveforms. Upon detecting anomalies, the system triggers alerts, allowing staff to verify with manual measurements and schedule planned maintenance, thereby significantly mitigating unplanned shutdown risks.Regarding digital governance, Linyuan Advanced maintains a strict on-premise OT architecture. All critical data is processed within the plant, adhering to group cybersecurity protocols and zone-based management to ensure absolute data sovereignty and risk control. Looking ahead, Tsai positions the Taiwan site as the primary validation hub. Once operational procedures and engineering capabilities are fully mature, the company plans to evaluate expanding this standardized, replicable smart maintenance architecture to overseas plants in the US, India, and Turkey. Given the homogeneity of process conditions across these sites, this global rollout is expected to further fortify the group's overall operational resilience.Tsai emphasizes that smart maintenance is a continuously evolving journey, not a one-time implementation. Building on the foundation of vibration monitoring, future roadmap items include integrating Generative AI analysis modules. These will automate reporting, helping engineering teams simply query equipment history and accelerate decision-making.Additionally, the company plans to implement video AI to create an intelligent environment, health, and safety (AIEHS) management platform, specifically targeting access control, personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance, and high-risk behavior detection, prioritizing scenarios that deliver tangible safety value.Linyuan Advanced places a high premium on system scalability and long-term upgrade flexibility – hence its choice of ASUS equipment to power its evolution. The goal is to extend analysis dimensions as the platform matures, avoiding redundant investments or the need to rebuild from scratch. When smart maintenance successfully integrates equipment, data, processes, and personnel capabilities, it transforms from a mere supporting tool into a core governance capability underpinning process stability and operational resilience.ASUS AISSENS sensors at Linyuan Plant capture real-time vibration data for AI proactive maintenance. Credit: ASUSHsieh-Ho Tsai, Deputy Director of the Plant Manager’s Office: AISPHM enables proactive monitoring. Credit: ASUS

The global helium market is currently facing an unprecedented supply shock, driven by geopolitical instability in the Middle East. As of March 2026, disruptions at Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world's largest helium production complex and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz to Western commercial shipping have removed approximately 30% to 38% of global helium output from the market .This crisis presents a severe, immediate risk to the semiconductor fabrication and high-capacity storage manufacturing sectors, which are heavily concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Taiwan, South Korea, and mainland China.For trade executives and procurement leaders in Greater China, the situation demands urgent reassessment of supply chain resilience. Helium is a finite, non-renewable, and irreplaceable gas critical to advanced technology manufacturing. With regional inventories estimated at roughly six months for major semiconductor fabricators and significantly less for other sectors, the window for strategic mitigation is rapidly closing.Production Halts and Logistics BottlenecksHelium is not synthesized, it is extracted almost exclusively as a byproduct of natural gas processing . This makes Qatar the dominant supplier outside the United States, responsible for roughly one-third of the world's 190 million cubic meters of annual helium production. On March 2, 2026, Qatar Energy declared force majeure, halting liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing and, consequently, helium extraction. There is currently no confirmed timeline for the facility's restart.Compounding the production halt is a severe logistics bottleneck. Helium from the Middle East must be exported by sea through the Strait of Hormuz, transported in specialized cryogenic ISO containers maintained at -268.9°C. The strait is now effectively closed to Western commercial shipping. Major carriers have suspended crossings, rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope. This diversion adds 3,500 nautical miles, 10 to 14 days of transit time, and approximately $1 million in fuel costs per voyage. Crucially, because liquid helium continuously boils off during transit, extended journey times directly reduce the volume of usable product that arrives at Asian ports.Regional ExposureThe Asia-Pacific region is the epicenter of global semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, making it highly vulnerable to this supply shock. South Korea, home to memory giants Samsung and SK Hynix, imported 64.7% of its helium from Qatar in 2025. Taiwan faces similar structural risks, relying heavily on Qatari imports to sustain its foundry operations, led by TSMC. Mainland China is also highly exposed. In 2025, China imported over 4,924 tonnes of helium, with domestic production covering only a fraction of its needs, relying heavily on Qatar and Russia as primary suppliers.While Japan has a more diversified supply chain, drawing roughly half of its helium from the United States, the broader regional reliance on Middle Eastern supply creates a systemic vulnerability. The semiconductor industry accounts for approximately 24% of total global helium consumption, a figure projected to rise to 30% by 2030 as advanced manufacturing processes become more helium-intensive.The Hard Disk Drive CrisisBeyond semiconductors, the helium shortage directly impacts enterprise storage infrastructure. Every hard disk drive (HDD) with a capacity of 10TB or higher is hermetically sealed with helium. Helium is seven times less dense than air, reducing internal turbulence and allowing manufacturers to pack more platters into a single drive. This enables higher storage capacities, lower power consumption, and reduced operating temperatures, a critical factors for hyperscale data centers.The HDD market was already constrained prior to the Ras Laffan shutdown. Leading manufacturers, including Seagate and Western Digital, have reported that their 2026 nearline production is fully allocated, with prices for high-capacity drives surging by 20% to 50% since mid-2025. The current helium crisis guarantees further price escalation and severe availability constraints for models such as the Seagate Exos (20TB–32TB) and WD Ultrastar (24TB–26TB) series.How to Protect Your HDD Supply Chain1. Audit your current HDD inventory. Identify every drive 10TB and above in active inventory, customer BOMs, and open orders. Treat all of them as helium-sealed.2. Contact your Fusion representative about available allocation on affected Seagate Exos and WD Ultrastar models listed in this report.3. Evaluate forward positioning and buffer buying. The window to secure inventory at pre-shortage pricing is closing. Teams that moved early on T-glass and pandemic-era GPU shortages captured measurable value. The same dynamic is in play here.4. Monitor the Strait of Hormuz and Ras Laffan status. Every week without resolution extends the depletion timeline. The six-month semiconductor inventory buffer is active and counting down.5. Keep your eye on supply chain risk. Demand for market intelligence on raw materials has increased significantly since the T-glass situation. This is an opportunity to provide direct value and differentiate from competitors who are not tracking these inputs.Stay Ahead of the Storage and Memory Market ShiftIn a market defined by volatility and vanishing visibility, success depends on how quickly you can act, and who you trust to guide you. At Fusion Worldwide, we help procurement teams make faster, more informed decisions with real-time data, global sourcing expertise, and direct access to components through our new E-Commerce platform. Whether you are navigating constraints HDD models or preparing for what’s next, staying ahead starts with seeing the full picture.Create your Fusion account to access tools that help you act with clarity, not just urgency.(Article Sponsored by Carissa Ng, Vice President of Sales, APAC, Fusion Worldwide)

Tescan  announced the official opening of its upgraded Tescan Korea Demo Lab & Office in Seoul, bringing together its relocated Korea office and enhanced demo lab capabilities in one integrated site. The new platform is designed to strengthen customer engagement in Korea and support semiconductor and academic users through demonstrations, training, and workflow discussions.Korea's semiconductor ecosystem continues to advance around AI-driven memory and advanced packaging. As high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and more complex package architectures scale, teams face increasing pressure to accelerate failure analysis (FA), reliability, and validation workflows while maintaining consistent, decision-ready results."APAC remains a key growth region for Tescan, and Korea is a strategic investment focus as the ecosystem scales AI memory capacity, including HBM, and advanced packaging," said Pavel Sustek, Chief Financial Officer, Tescan. "Our upgraded Seoul site is a direct investment in strengthening Tescan's customer-facing platform in Korea and in supporting semiconductor, materials science, and academic users."The Korea Demo Lab and Office will serve as a regional hub for evaluations, training, and technical discussions , while connecting with Tescan's global Demo Lab network. "By combining office and demo lab functions in one site, we have a stronger platform for customer discussions, workflow validation, and regional engagement," said Sean Lee, Managing Director, APAC, Tescan.The opening ceremony featured a ribbon-cutting attended by H.E. Ivan Jancarek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Republic of Korea, along with Tescan leadership and representatives from the microscopy community. Attendees included Jong-Seok Yeo, President of the Korea Society of Microscopy (KSM). Their participation reflects the importance of methodology standardization, talent development, and collaboration between industry and academia.

The global supply chain is currently undergoing a radical shift. The traditional model of reactive logistics is being replaced by "Next-Gen Infrastructure", a system that isn't just connected, but is inherently intelligent and verifiable. At the heart of this evolution are two technologies often discussed in isolation but increasingly deployed in tandem: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain. These technologies allow supply chains to stay ahead of the curve.AI: The Engine of Predictive LogisticsAi serves as the cognitive layer of modern infrastructure. In the context of the global supply chain, machine learning models process massive datasets, from satellite imagery of port traffic to real-time weather patterns. This proactive stance allows for "agentic" logistics, where AI systems autonomously reroute cargo or adjust manufacturing schedules in response to a geopolitical shift or a semiconductor shortage. However, AI faces a critical vulnerability: the "garbage in, garbage out" dilemma. For an AI to make mission-critical decisions, the data it consumes must be untampered, transparent and verifiable by trusted means.Blockchain: Ensuring Data Integrity and TrustThis is where Blockchain proved the essential spine for AI's brain. By creating a decentralized, immutable ledger, blockchain ensures that every stakeholder in the supply chain, from the raw material miner to the final electronics assembler, is looking at the same single source of truth and verifiable information.Blockchain's utility extends beyond simple tracking: it facilitates the automation of trade finance through smart contracts. As these decentralized systems become standard for enterprise resource planning, the bridge between physical goods and digital assets strengthens.For instance, as firms look to settle cross-border payment instantly or hedge against currency volatility using stablecoins, understanding the logistics of digital finance such as how to get crypto on Kraken, has transitioned from a niche IT interest to a strategic treasury requirement.The Synergy of a Real World ApplicationWhen combined and used in sync, AI and Blockchain technologies create a "Digital Twin" of the global supply chain that is both smart, secure and trusted by major companies.The scenario: An AI detected an impending delay at a major shipping hub.The response: The AI proposes an alternative route.The verification: A blockchain-based smart contract automatically updates the bill of lading, triggersinsurance adjustments, and notifies all parties of the change with a cryptographic timestamp.This dual-stack approach also solves the growing demand for ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) transparency. While Blockchain proved the "Country of Origin" for minerals, AI can simultaneously calculate the real-time carbon footprint of the journey, providing a verifiable audit trail for regulators.Building for the Future and BeyondThe convergence of AI and Blockchain is no longer a theoretical exercise, it is the prerequisite for resilience in an era of global volatility. For the semiconductor and tech industries, this means designing hardware that can handle the computational load of AI alongside the cryptographic demands of a distributed ledger. Organizations that fail to integrate these complementary forces will find themselves operating with a "blind" brain or a "brittle" spring.

iCatch Technology, a leading provider of AI imaging SoCs and vision processing solutions, today introduced PAISB (Physical AI Sensor Bridge), an HSB-aligned ASIC sensor bridge platform designed to enable scalable multi-sensor data ingest for NVIDIA Holoscan-based Physical AI systems.The first product in the platform family, PAISB-E1, will be demonstrated at GTC 2026 running on NVIDIA Thor at ApproPho Booth #3420.As Physical AI systems increasingly rely on multiple high-bandwidth sensors - including cameras, stereo vision modules, and other perception devices - efficient and deterministic data pipelines from sensors to GPU compute platforms have become critical infrastructure. PAISB addresses this challenge by providing an ASIC-based bridge optimized for time-aligned, low-latency sensor streaming into GPU computing environments.Aligned with the NVIDIA Holoscan Sensor Bridge (HSB) architecture, PAISB enables developers to ingest synchronized sensor streams directly into GPU memory, allowing real-time perception workloads to scale across a wide range of Physical AI applications.At GTC 2026, iCatch will demonstrate PAISB-E1 using FoundationStereo Depth as an application example. The system streams synchronized multi-sensor data to NVIDIA Thor, enabling real-time perception pipelines for robotics and intelligent machines."Physical AI systems demand scalable and deterministic sensor-to-GPU pipelines to process massive volumes of multimodal data in real time," said Weber Hsu, President of iCatch Technology. "With PAISB, we are introducing an ASIC-based sensor bridge platform aligned with the NVIDIA Holoscan ecosystem, enabling developers to build high-performance, time-synchronized sensor architectures for Physical AI platforms."The PAISB platform is designed to support a broad range of Physical AI applications, including robotics, industrial automation, medical imaging, broadcast infrastructure, and automotive perception systems. By enabling high-bandwidth, synchronized sensor ingestion into GPU-based computing environments, PAISB accelerates the deployment of AI systems requiring precise perception and real-time decision-making.To learn more about PAISB and explore collaboration opportunities, visit us at ApproPho Booth #3420 during GTC 2026, or schedule a meeting in advance.

EDOM Technology (TWSE: 3048), Asia's best solutions partner, will participate in NVIDIA GTC for the third consecutive year under the theme "From AI to Action: Physical AI in Motion." Together with ecosystem partners, EDOM will showcase its latest AI computing platforms, key components, and system integration capabilities. At Booth #242, EDOM will present physical AI and robotics solutions powered by NVIDIA Jetson hardware and software resources, demonstrating how AI technologies are being developed and deployed across diverse fields such as smart healthcare, vision recognition, and speech understanding. The showcase will highlight EDOM's capability to connect the AI ecosystem and accelerate industry innovation through integrated solutions.During the GTC exhibition, EDOM Technology plans to demonstrate several innovative applications that combine physical AI with edge computing. With the introduction of the NVIDIA Jetson Thor, AI inference and control architectures can now be integrated into a single system, providing a high-performance computing foundation for real-time closed-loop control and multimodal sensing, and accelerating the real-world deployment of multimodal intelligent robots.In the robot interaction showcase, EDOM collaborates with Algoltek to present "Dexterous Hand AI."Powered by 4D AI Vision technology and vision-action models, the system can recognize and predict audience hand gestures in real time and respond accordingly. This demonstration highlights low-latency AI inference and instant feedback, while also presenting a complete Sim-to-Real workflow, from virtual simulation to physical deployment. EDOM also partners with Nexuni to present "AI Workforce: Embodied Intelligence." Built on the NVIDIA Thor platform, the system enables dual-arm robot manipulation through few-shot learning. The demonstration shows a service robot performing household tasks, including object recognition, grasping, and fabric folding. Because fabric is a highly deformable material, handling it requires complex visual perception, state estimation, and coordinated dual-arm control. By leveraging Jetson Thor's edge AI inference and real-time dynamic path correction, the system continuously adjusts its movements during the folding process, improving task success rate and operational stability. This highlights the potential of physical AI in smart manufacturing, human-robot collaboration, and service robotics.In the area of enterprise AI and smart biotech applications, EDOM collaborates with Avalanche Computing to showcase the "Secure Offline Generative AI" platform. Combining enterprise-grade private LLMs with real-time speech intelligence, the platform runs on the NVIDIA Jetson edge platform, enabling low-latency offline speech recognition and semantic analysis. This allows generative AI to deliver real-time interaction within highly secure enterprise environments. EDOM is also working with CyteSi to present the "Software-Defined High-Throughput Wet Lab," an AI-driven laboratory automation platform. CyteSi's EWOD (Electrowetting-on-Dielectric) technology digitally controls micro-droplets with precision, supporting workflows such as NGS sample preparation, drug discovery, and synthetic biology research. The system uses NVIDIA Jetson as its edge computing core, integrating biochips from Japan Display Inc. (JDI) with real-time image analysis capabilities to provide an intuitive user interface and highly efficient experimental workflow, advancing AI adoption in smart biotech research and automated laboratories.In addition, EDOM will showcase the "NVIDIA Jetson Thor Peripheral Ecosystem," integrating a range of EDOM-certified peripheral components, including high-speed storage, Wi-Fi 6/6E and 5G communication modules, GMSL and MIPI cameras, 10G high-speed networking, sensors, camera modules, and high-speed I/O interfaces. This ecosystem helps developers rapidly build next-generation robotics and physical AI systems. Through comprehensive hardware integration and platform support, EDOM assists robotics developers in accelerating product design, deployment, and mass production, further expanding the physical AI and Jetson Thor ecosystem.Jeffrey Yu, CEO of EDOM Technology, stated, "The key to physical AI lies not only in computing performance, but in comprehensive hardware–software integration and ecosystem collaboration. Through NVIDIA's Three-Computer architecture and the Jetson Thor platform, we help customers build scalable, production-ready, end-to-end AI solutions - from model training and simulation validation to edge deployment." He further noted that EDOM is not just a hardware supplier, but is committed to integrating peripheral modules, AI software frameworks, and partner resources to help enterprises accelerate the adoption of AI and robotics technologies.EDOM Technology invites industry professionals, developers, and partners to visit Booth #242. Attendees are also welcome to check out the in-person session featuring Wilson Yen, Product Director at EDOM. The talk explores how EDOM leverages NVIDIA "Three Computers" architecture to help enterprises transform AI models into real-world applications, covering key domains such as computer vision, robotics, and edge AI. Participants are encouraged to add this session to their personal GTC schedule to experience firsthand the innovation of physical AI in action, and to explore the future of intelligent robotics and edge AI. Register now through EDOM's dedicated link to enjoy special GTC Conference registration offers. 

SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) announced today that it is participating in GTC 2026, held from March 16 to 19 in San Jose, California. NVIDIA GTC is the global AI conference where business leaders and developers gather to share the latest breakthroughs and future trends in AI and accelerated computing.SK hynix memory solutions are designed to minimize data bottlenecks and maximize performance for both AI training and inference in NVIDIA AI infrastructure. Through its participation in GTC 2026, the company plans to demonstrate its competitive edge in memory technology - the core infrastructure of the AI era.Under the theme 'Spotlight on AI Memory,' SK hynix will feature an exhibition space dedicated to the AI memory technologies and solutions. The booth will consist of three main areas: the NVIDIA Collaboration Zone, the Product Portfolio Zone, and the Event Zone. The exhibition is designed around interactive content to provide visitors with an intuitive understanding of AI memory technology.The NVIDIA Collaboration Zone, located at the entrance, is the centerpiece of the exhibition, highlighting the synergy between SK hynix and NVIDIA. The company will display the memory configuration mounted on GPU-based AI accelerators through physical models and actual hardware, focusing on the actual application of SK hynix's memory products such as HBM4, HBM3E, and SOCAMM2 designed for NVIDIA AI platforms.Notably, the company will showcase a liquid-cooled eSSD developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, along with an NVIDIA DGX Spark, desktop AI supercomputer equipped with SK hynix's LPDDR5X.In the Product Portfolio Zone, visitors can view a comprehensive lineup of memory products engineered for the AI era. This includes the infrastructure-essential HBM4 and HBM3E, as well as high-capacity server DRAM modules, LPDDR6, GDDR7, eSSD, and Automotive Solutions.An interactive environment allows visitors to use joysticks to select products and view specific features and use cases on-screen, enabling them to explore and understand the technology at their own pace.The Event Zone offers a hands-on experience with an 'HBM 16-High Stacking Game.' By virtually stacking memory chips, participants can gain insight into the TSV (Through Silicon Via) process and high-stack packaging technology, fostering a deeper understanding of how high-performance AI semiconductors are manufactured.Throughout GTC 2026, SK hynix plans to explore future collaboration strategies aligned with current global AI trends. Key executives, including SK Chairman Chey Tae-won and SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung, will meet with global tech giants to share insights on AI evolution and infrastructure shifts while discussing long-term strategic partnerships.The company will also host technical sessions to discuss the future of AI-driven manufacturing and the pivotal role of memory technology in achieving high-performance AI.SK hynix highlighted that as AI technology evolves, memory is transcending its role as a mere component to become a core element that determines the architecture and performance of the entire AI infrastructure. By applying its memory expertise across the entire AI spectrum - from data centers to on-device applications - the company aims to shape the future of AI alongside its global partners.HBM-GPU model shows SK hynix and NVIDIA AI collaboration. Credit: SK hynixSOCAMM2 and HBM4 on NVIDIA Vera Rubin Superchip. Credit: SK hynix

NEXCOM, A leading global provider of industrial computing and automation technology, is coming to Embedded World in Nuremberg (booth 3/341) with ambitious goals. With the help of European partners, the company aims to further expand its AI presence in edge applications, including automation, rugged mobile computing, safety-oriented robotics, smart cities, on-premises GPT, and industrial cybersecurity."As robots increasingly become the primary physical carriers for AI capabilities, NEXCOM is committed to accelerating their adoption across various industries," explains CEO Clement Lin, who will be attending Embedded World himself. "At Embedded World 2026, we will be presenting, among other things, a comprehensive range of safety-certified industrial robotics solutions in collaboration with the German robotics innovators. These solutions are specifically designed for smart factories, service robots, automotive manufacturing, and logistics."NEXCOM Robotic Solutions: Building a Safety-Oriented Foundation for Physical AIThe integration of physical AI into industrial environments requires rigorous and comprehensive safety certification for every component, from joint actuators and control motors to safety sensors, to ensure safe human-machine collaboration. As the central architect of the intelligent machine ecosystem, NEXCOM Robotic Solutions offers a robust motion control platform integrated with joint drive modules and safety software from European partner Synapticon. These solutions enable developers to significantly shorten development cycles while achieving the highest safety standards for robots used in manufacturing, logistics, and automated services."Over the past 34 years, NEXCOM has gradually evolved into one of the world's leading providers of robotics, IoT, and Industry 4.0 solutions. NEXCOM's extensive portfolio and long-standing experience in the global market perfectly complement the innovations developed by our team in Europe," reports Simon Fischinger, CEO at Synapticon. "Especially in the field of AI-based robotics, enormous opportunities are emerging as leading providers opt for open standards, enabling them to collaborate efficiently with partners."To further accelerate the deployment of safe and flexible robotic applications, NEXCOM is also collaborating with Botfellows, a German high-tech robotics startup specializing in safety-driven automation solutions. Botfellows focuses on enabling flexible and efficient robotic applications through software-defined safety architectures and intuitive robot programming."Physical AI will only scale if robotics becomes significantly easier and safer to deploy," says Dr. Mohamad Bdiwi, CEO of Botfellows. "Our collaboration with NEXCOM and Synapticon demonstrates how the combination of edge AI computing, advanced motion control, and software-defined safety enables a new generation of flexible robotic systems for smart factories and logistics."Embedded World 2026 Highlight: Unlocking the Potential of SD Edge ComputingUnder the motto "Unleashing the Genius of SD Edge Computing," NEXCOM's presentation is divided into two main areas: AIoT solutions and AI computing. The exhibition demonstrates the enormous potential of Software-Defined Edge Computing (SDEC) using real-world implementations of Edge AI and Physical AI in global AIoT infrastructures.Key product highlights include:NDiS B340: A rugged edge computing computer specifically designed for the demanding requirements of smart healthcare.APPC 160/210 C21: Industrial touch computers for high-performance AI applications in smart factories.IP67 AI edge telematics: Innovative, rugged solutions for challenging outdoor and vehicle environments.NEXCOM remains committed to accelerating the practical implementation of intelligent applications. From high-performance AI computing platforms and physical AI to comprehensive AIoT operating frameworks, NEXCOM delivers innovative products that empower the next generation of AI-driven businesses and improve people's lives.NEXCOM at Embedded World 2026NEXCOM invites trade show visitors to discover the future of autonomous innovation at its booth (4/341) in Nuremberg. Those interested can experience firsthand how NEXCOM's software-defined solutions are transforming the landscape of industrial automation and edge intelligence.For more information, please visit.

In Taiwan's older urban neighborhoods, five- or six-story walk-ups are common. For elderly residents living with chronic conditions such as diabetes, even a routine hospital visit can become a grueling physical ordeal - often requiring the assistance of family members or caregivers. This simple yet often overlooked reality became the catalyst for a major innovation in AI-powered healthcare.A group of international Ph.D. students at Taipei Medical University (TMU), known as the TSY-AI Team, set out to address this pain point. Their goal was clear: to bring diagnostics directly into people's homes. This result is a disposable, AI-integrated biosensor system capable of measuring blood glucose and pH levels with just a drop or two of blood - and delivering results in under 10 minutes, all without the need to leave the house. This groundbreaking platform recently earned the team the Bronze Medal at the 2025 Best AI Awards, hosted by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs. "We're not just building a chip. We're building a full platform," says Asaduzzaman, the team's representative and a Ph.D. candidate from Bangladesh. "Something that supports long-term chronic care while reducing unnecessary hospital visists.”At the core of the platform is the 3DISFETCHIP, a three-dimensional ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (3D ISFET) engineered to capture biochemical data from just minimal blood samples. The chip, housed in a disposable microfluidic chamber, connects to a mobile app that displays blood glucose and pH results within 10 minutes.But the innovation doesn't stop there. The system also incorporates AI-powered image recognition, enabling patients to photograph wounds - such as diabetic foot ulcers - and receive real-time analysis of healing progress. Over time, this feature allows doctors to remotely track wound recovery without requiring in-person visits."I saw the announcement for the Best AI Award in the newspaper," recalls Asaduzzaman. "We had just finished the core development work for our biosensor and thought - why not apply?""But for us, it wasn't about the competition," he adds. "It was about sharing our idea with Taiwan's AI and healthcare communities. We wanted to show students, researchers, and industry leaders that AI medical devices can be both simple and impactful."The response from the event was overwhelming. Visitors from the medical device industry expressed surprise at the product's affordability and ease of use. Some even opened conversations about future partnerships.With product development progressing, the TSY-AI Team is now evaluating Taiwan as a long-term base for commercialization."Taiwan has world-class semiconductor capabilities, and the startup ecosystem here is extremely welcoming," Asaduzzaman explains. "We've spoken with major players like Wistron, as well as smaller chip manufacturers, all of whomare very open to supporting medical AI solutions like ours."In addition to hardware partnerships, the team has also initiated collaboration with local hospitals. They have completed preliminary testing with animal models and controlled human samples, and are currently preparing to apply forInstitutional Review Board approval. Clinical trials are planned with Taipei Medical University Hospital and Shuang Ho Hospital.While the current system focuses on glucose and pH monitoring, the team is actively expanding its biomarker detection capabilities. Plans are underway to incorporate inflammation markers, HbA1c, and early indicators of infection - all from the same minimal blood sample."We want to turn this into a multi-analyte health platform that gives both patients and doctors a comprehensive view of physical conditions from home," says Asaduzzaman. "I believe the future of medical diagnostics is home-based. Patients shouldn't need to visit hospitals every week just to monitor chronic conditions. They should be able to do it easily, safely, affordably, and accurately from home."TSY-AI Team won the Broze Award  in the International Group IC Design Category at the 2025 Best AI Awards. If you have innovation would like to present, 2026 Best AI Awards with global tracks open for both AI Applications and IC Design, students and companies worldwide can compete for the grand prize of up to USD 30,000 (NTD 1,000,000). The deadline is March 16, 5:00pm (GMT+8). For more details, please follow official Linkedin for the lastest updates. 

NewPower Worldwide, a leading independent distributor of electronic components and supply chain management solutions, today announced an expansion of its committed credit facility to $500 million, strengthening the company's ability to respond quickly to evolving market dynamics and meet customers' ever changing needs.The expanded facility underscores strong lender confidence in NewPower Worldwide's operational excellence, financial discipline, and ability to move decisively in rapidly shifting global markets."This expanded credit facility gives us the financial flexibility to execute deals of any scale at the pace our customers require," said Carleton Dufoe, Chief Executive Officer of NewPower Worldwide. "Our customers need partners who can move fast, adapt to change, and deliver consistent results. This additional capacity ensures we can meet those demands every time.""Our continued partnership with NewPower reflects our confidence in their ability to support customers through dynamic market conditions," said Jason Upham, Senior Vice President at Citizens. "Our team led a new credit facility that will give NewPower the agility and resources needed to deliver solutions that align with their customer's supply goals and timing."This increased capacity provides NewPower Worldwide the financial strength and flexibility to execute deals of any size with speed and consistency. It enables the company to align seamlessly with its customers' pace, delivering tailored supply solutions that help them maintain stability, adapt quickly to market changes, and move forward with confidence.