Since 2000, semiconductor manufacturing has increasingly depended on advanced computational techniques, notably first principles calculations and machine learning, with quantum computing anticipated to join these efforts by 2025. These approaches, collectively described as computing semiconductors, play a critical role in research, development, and production processes across the industry

On July 31, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing new tariffs—ranging from 10% to 41%—on imports from 68 countries and the European Union (EU). While many trade partners faced updated rates, tariffs on Vietnamese goods remained unchanged: a 20% duty on direct imports and a 40% levy on transshipped goods. In exchange, Vietnam has agreed to fully open its market and eliminate all tariffs on American imports

Since April 2025, tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump have cast a long shadow over Taiwan's car market, dragging down sales for most brands. Premium electric vehicles bore the brunt of the slump, with demand collapsing for models from Volkswagen, Luxgen Motor, and Toyota. In response, these automakers rushed to roll out time-limited discounts in a bid to salvage sales

Foxconn has been promoting its "3+3+3" innovation strategy, positioning digital health as a core element. Chih-Hsiung Chiang, general manager of Foxconn's Business Group B, clearly outlined in an exclusive interview with DIGITIMES how the unit has gradually transformed from focusing on EMS manufacturing for ICT products into a pioneer driving smart healthcare and digital health

Nvidia projected third-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of about US$54 billion, beating market consensus but trailing the most optimistic forecasts of US$60 billion. Crucially, the outlook excludes sales of its H20 chips to China, underscoring how US export curbs continue to weigh on one of its biggest potential markets

Humanoid robots remain far from commercial readiness, with ongoing doubts about their practicality and technical feasibility. As debate continues over when — or even if — humanoids will gain traction, momentum is shifting to alternative designs. Quadruped and wheeled robots, prized for their stability and load capacity, are emerging as the more realistic entry point for companies seeking near-term robotics applications

Meta Platforms has reportedly signed a six-year agreement worth US$10 billion with Google Cloud, marking an unprecedented partnership between two dominant companies in digital advertising. The collaboration underscores both Meta's growing need for cloud computing resources and Alphabet's expanding presence in the cloud services market

Since August 11, 2025, when Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, and following the White House confirmation on August 22 that it would subsidize Intel through the CHIPS and Science Act in exchange for about a 10% equity stake, speculation has swirled around Trump's special mission to save Intel and promote "Made in America.

At the OCP APAC Summit, Ethernet and UALink advocates clashed over data center interconnect architectures. Kurtis Bowman, UALink board chair and AMD's director of architecture and strategy, questioned Ethernet's latency performance in scale-up scenarios, arguing that its technical limits hinder high-performance application scaling

Nvidia's framing of the next AI wave as "physical AI" has fueled investor and industry excitement around humanoid robots, accelerating development. But according to a DIGITIMES report, 2025: The first year of humanoid robots — Global market trends and key technologies, humanoids will represent only 0.2% of the global robotics market in 2025, with usage largely confined to logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing. Broader adoption remains a distant prospect

Tesla and Samsung have struck a US$16.5 billion chip deal seen as a win-win, with Samsung's Texas fab set to produce Tesla's next-gen AI6 chips. Tesla gains customized supply chain support, while Samsung strengthens its foundry credibility and expands its external client base

The US government's acquisition of a 9.9% stake in Intel, alongside TSMC's exclusion from such equity participation, highlights contrasting subsidy approaches under shifting US administrations. For TSMC, the exclusion preserves operational independence, and the US-Intel deal may temper regulatory scrutiny over its dominant market position, even as global semiconductor competition intensifies

As Meta Platforms Inc. and OpenAI prepare to launch gigawatt-scale AI data centers by 2026, the surging electricity demand raises concerns over existing energy infrastructure capacity. Industry analysis suggests future data centers will increasingly adopt decentralized, low-carbon energy systems to achieve 100% carbon-free energy

The Financial Times recently cited sources revealing that before Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan visited the White House on August 11, 2025, to meet with President Donald Trump, a preliminary framework for SoftBank's equity investment in Intel had already been established. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son met with Tan weeks earlier to discuss potential deals

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping energy systems by enhancing their resilience, efficiency, and sustainability. The relationship between AI and energy is reciprocal: AI relies on reliable and clean electricity, while energy infrastructure increasingly depends on AI for improved forecasting, maintenance, and operational control. This evolving synergy is providing competitive advantages to industries and governments globally