Over the past few years, numerous PCB manufacturers have embarked on their investment spree in Thailand, marking a substantial shift in the global supply chain, with a scale rarely witnessed in decades. DIGITIMES Research noted that PCB manufacturers strategically align themselves with their customers to bolster supply chain resilience and respond to rising demands for automotive electronics

The global top-5 notebook brands, not including Apple, saw their combined shipments decelerate in October and slip 20% month-on-month after their keen shipments in September for the peak season. However, volumes rose 3% year-on-year, according to the latest figures from DIGITIMES Research's monthly notebook update report

Global notebook shipments performed better than expected in the third quarter of 2023. After enjoying an over 20% sequential increase in the second quarter, the volumes went up further by 2.1% in the third, but the shipments will then slip 7.3% in the fourth quarter due to high channel inventory and a high comparison base in the third quarter, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest figures from the quarterly notebook report covering the second half of 2023

While carmakers and automotive semiconductor companies hold different views on the outlook for the global car market, industry leader Infineon is optimistic about the future. According to DIGITIMES Research, the growing demand for automotive semiconductors, robust order backlogs and the edge in China's EV sector will further Infineon's revenue growth.

DIGITIMES Research observes that the business operation of the DRAM and NAND Flash sector of the world's top three memory manufacturers – Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron – has improved since the beginning of the second half of 2023 and demand will enjoy a bigger recovery in the fourth quarter, boosting the three makers' revenues and profits, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest memory industry report

Although India demonstrates ambition and has pivoted to invite Taiwanese semiconductor partners to accelerate its chip dreams, analysts are taking a cautious view but said the success of Micron in India is key to the South Asian country's semiconductor future

Japan's delivery robot market is still at its initial stage of development. The costs for producing the machines and their operation afterward were still high. On the hardware side, the machines are made in small volumes and components prices are high, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest report under the brand new AIoT channel, set to launch in 2024

Global server shipments increased 1.5% quarter-over-quarter in third-quarter 2023 as previously expected, mainly driven by brand vendors launching new platforms, while overall server purchases by large US cloud service providers (CSP) continued to show a slight decline amid a shift in focus to high-priced AI servers, according to the latest figures from DIGITIMES Research's server report

The Taipei International Logistics and IoT Exhibition 2023 and Taipei International Cold Chain Technology Exhibition 2023 were jointly held from August 23 to 26, with more than one hundred cold chain and logistics operators participating in the events. According to DIGITIMES Research's latest report under the brand new AIoT channel, set to launch in 2024, influenced by the call for net-zero carbon emissions and increasing labor shortages, the cold chain/logistics industry is moving towards smart, highly efficient, and low-carbon solutions

Smartphone shipments to the Chinese market amounted to a little more than 60 million units in the third quarter of 2023, showing a 2.4% decline sequentially but a 5% increase compared to the same period a year earlier, according to data compiled by DIGITIMES Research; however, the volume will rise to above 70 million units in the fourth quarter

Vietnam has emerged as a prime contender as the US seeks a more diversified semiconductor supply chain, reducing dependence on China. DIGITIMES Research notes that relatively well-established semiconductor manufacturing supply chains are established in northern Vietnam, while IC designers have formed clusters in the south. The geographical distance between these regions may challenge the chip ecosystem to achieve optimal synergy in Vietnam

Chinese smartphone vendors experienced a shipment growth of 4.3% sequentially and 5.8% annually in the third quarter of 2023, buoyed by a seasonal rebound in overseas markets and a resurgence in demand in some emerging markets, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest figures from the report covering China's smartphone industry