As the year draws to a close, DIGITIMES Asia has recorded seven major trends that represent the evolution of the technology industry in 2023. Their impacts are expected to continue into 2024.
Top tech trends in 2023 | |
Generative AI frenzy In a year characterized by subdued excitement among tech investors, AI has risen as the primary topic, propelling Nvidia to exceptional highs and igniting significant interest in HBM. |
Credit: AFP |
China counters US chip export curbs As the US intensifies efforts to enforce additional export restrictions on AI chips and chipmaking tools directed at China, the latter retaliates by imposing licensing mandates for exported gallium, germanium, and graphite. China imposed further export controls on military-use drones amid wars in Europe and the Middle East. |
Credit: AFP |
First indigenous advanced chip in China The introduction of the Mate 60 Pro smartphone featuring a 7nm chip caused a stir in the tech realm. The NearLink innovation signals a decoupled wireless world. Huawei's declaration about the forthcoming HarmonyOS, set to debut in 2024, confirms its incompatibility with native Android applications. |
Credit: AFP |
The era of carbon pricing Following the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, the EU successively announced the Green Deal Industrial Plan (GDIP) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CABM), requiring companies to internalize their carbon emission costs. COP28 once again raised awareness of the climate change issue. The Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures also requires businesses to disclose their impacts on natural resources. Governments like the UK and Taiwan joined the ranks, unveiling climate initiatives. |
Credit: AFP |
A bottoming-out year for the chip market Plagued by substantial inventories, worldwide inflation, and macroeconomic challenges, the semiconductor sector struggled due to diminished demand. Organizations such as World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) and Gartner predicted a decline of about 10% in the global semiconductor market in 2023, evidenced by the consistent drop in exports from Taiwan and South Korea throughout the year. |
Credit: AFP |
Tesla, BYD vying for EV supremacy While Tesla has long held the title of the world's leading EV seller, it faces a significant challenge from BYD. BYD has been steadily closing the gap with Tesla every quarter, indicated by the mere 3,456-vehicle difference between them in the third quarter, the narrowest margin to date. There's a strong possibility that BYD will surpass Tesla as the top global EV seller in 2023. |
Credit: AFP |
China sees first net outflow in decades amid supply chain shifts Amidst a sluggish domestic economy and escalating US-China tensions, China experienced a decline in its FDI, with the third quarter marked a significant turn as net FDI fell into negative territory for the first time in 25 years. Conversely, Southeast Asian (SEA) nations sustained consistent FDI inflows. EIU expects the total FDI in the SEA region to exceed that in China by 2024 due to diminishing global investor attraction towards China and the ongoing relocation of supply chains. |
Credit: AFP |
