EssilorLuxottica and Applied Materials have agreed to a long-term partnership to speed development of intelligent optical systems for augmented reality and AI-powered smart eyewear, a move that could help shape future consumer devices used by people around the world. The companies said the effort aims to make advanced display glasses lighter, more capable, and easier to manufacture at scale.
Superior Plating Technology chairman Lei-Je Hua said the company is shifting more resources into AI liquid cooling, CPO communication modules, and nearline HDDs for AI data centers, while expanding production in Thailand and adding a new manufacturing base in Vietnam to build a multinational supply chain and meet customers' capacity-relocation needs. After years focused on precision metal surface treatment, the company said its revenue exposure to major smartphone customers has fallen sharply as it aligns with its group's long-term strategy. It is now targeting a more diversified, higher-margin product mix.
Reuters reported on June 16 that Tamil Nadu's pollution control board closed its probe into Tata Electronics' Hosur iPhone component plant after the company addressed violations of water contamination regulations. The decision removes the threat of a shutdown, but it also underscores the operational and regulatory risks still facing Apple's suppliers in India.
Matrix Precision, a unit of Hiwin Technologies, said it deepened cooperation with Japan after a delegation from the Japan Gear Manufacturers Association visited its facilities as gear machining demand rose due to geopolitical shifts, supply chain restructuring and manufacturing upgrades. The firm announced the visit reinforced Taiwan-Japan ties and helped both sides reach a deeper consensus on future development in high-precision gearmaking.
Taiwan-based carbon fiber composite maker Topkey is accelerating its expansion into high-growth technology sectors, with formal evaluations underway for applications in drones, industrial robots, and low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The initiative marks a strategic step in the company's transformation from a traditional sporting goods supplier into a provider of advanced composite solutions for aerospace, electronics, and smart machinery.
Gem Terminal Industry is seeing the results of its recent efforts in developing new copper materials, with expectations of sequential quarterly growth in 2026 as production capacity in the company's Taiwan copper plant continues to ramp up, amid steady progress in its AI-related thermal materials layout, and new opportunities emerging from China's transition toward a new national standard for electric terminals. Going forward, the company is eyeing further operational growth in 2027.
China's state-backed National Supercomputing Internet has launched a 618 computing-power promotion, offering low-priced token packages, free tokens, and discounts on optical character recognition (OCR) services in an effort to draw more enterprises and developers to its AI services.
In light of tensions concerning non-China supply chains, microcontroller unit (MCU) supplier Elan Microelectronics expects stronger performance in the second half of 2026 as new AI PC programs enter production following the newly established drone business.
Acer E-Enabling Service Business said enterprise adoption of AI Agent applications has driven stronger demand for cloud services, cybersecurity, and AI solutions, lifting its revenue in January to May 2026 by nearly 20% year on year. The firm reported consolidated revenue of NT$575 million (US$18.22 million) in May 2026, a 30.5% increase from May 2025, and cumulative revenue of NT$4.416 billion for the first five months of 2026, up 19.7% year on year.
As SpaceX's listing has sparked discussion of space data centers, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the concept requires no magic and is simpler than existing Starlink systems. But supply chain sources say that cooling remains a major hurdle, while DIGITIMES Research shows that the timing is another key problem: launch costs have yet to reach commercial viability.
Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are accelerating strategy shifts as Chinese automakers rise rapidly, global EV competition intensifies, and software-defined vehicles (SDV) and AI advance, according to DIGITIMES Research. The research firm noted that Japanese automakers are moving away from scale expansion and toward profitability and smart-vehicle development, with hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) remaining the near-term growth anchor.
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