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Monday 20 January 2025
Trump 2.0 raises stake for South Korea semiconductor industry
As Donald Trump returns to the White House, South Korean industries are closely monitoring the potential implementation of anticipated executive orders and their implications for critical sectors such as semiconductors, automotive manufacturing, and steel production. While these industries face considerable risks, others, including drones, shipbuilding, and aerospace, may find growth opportunities.
Friday 17 January 2025
China establishes low-altitude economy dept. to drive future growth
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has established a department to boost the low-altitude economy, targeting growth in 2025 and beyond. This move aligns with Beijing's recent push for aviation reforms, focusing on airspace management, traffic systems, and low-altitude infrastructure.
Thursday 16 January 2025
Taiwan drone makers unite to secure growing global orders
Taiwan's drone manufacturers are making significant strides in reaching global supply chains, despite facing challenges similar to other domestic industries where small and medium-sized companies dominate the landscape. To overcome these limitations, the sector has been pursuing strategic alliances and integration initiatives to achieve the scale necessary for international market success.
Friday 10 January 2025
Taiwan launches subsidy program to promote domestic drone chip capabilities
Taiwan's drone industry faces a significant challenge due to limited chip design capabilities for drones. To address this issue, Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) launched a subsidy program targeting the development of key drone chips.
Friday 10 January 2025
PA firm Transcom targets military SSPA market with 1H25 shipment ramp-up
Transcom, a provider of military-grade power amplifiers (PA), has disclosed that its revenue for 2024 reached an all-time high. The company's strong sales performance last year was primarily driven by government contracts, satellite communication-related products, and an increase in military drone shipments.
Monday 6 January 2025
Weekly news roundup: STSP emerges as global chipmaking hub; US government seeks public opinion to ban Chinese-made drones
These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories in the week of December 30 – January 3.
Monday 6 January 2025
Taiwan drives defense tech through trusted industries, eyes drone expansion
Global conflicts have accelerated the integration of emerging technologies into defense strategies, with countries prioritizing supply chain resilience. In Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te's administration's proposal of "five trusted industries" highlights military innovation, strengthening the defense supply chain.
Friday 3 January 2025
US government seeks public opinion to ban Chinese-made drones, targeting DJI
The US government is seeking public input on proposed rules to secure the ICTS supply chain for drones, potentially limiting Chinese drones, which dominate US markets.
Monday 30 December 2024
Goertek expands drone production capacity in Vietnam
Chinese Goertek is set to invest US$570 million into expanding its operations in Bac Ninh, Vietnam, pending the necessary approvals from local authorities.
Wednesday 25 December 2024
Taiwan's drone suppliers face chip and production challenges
Amid escalating geopolitical conflicts, drones have emerged as a focal point in combat systems of the future.
Friday 20 December 2024
Etron's eYs3D debuts multi-sensor chips for robotics and UAVs
Etron Technology's subsidiary eYs3D Microelectronics has achieved new milestones in visual sensing technology with the launch of multi-sensor control chips for robots and unmanned vehicles. The company's solution includes a proprietary AI platform featuring multimodal vision-language model (VLM) capabilities, providing clients with a comprehensive reference design for testing.
Thursday 19 December 2024
Taiwan's drone industry rises as geopolitical tensions reshape markets
Taiwan's drone industry is surging amid growing demand for national defense autonomy and cybersecurity, but challenges persist. Companies face stiff competition from low-cost Chinese rivals, pressure to enhance component cost-efficiency, and the need to foster international collaborations.
Wednesday 18 December 2024
Musk tips AI robots, drones as next boom, Taiwan plays catch up
In remarks at the Executive Yuan's 12th National Science and Technology Conference on December 16, TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei relayed insights from Elon Musk, who envisions multi-functional robots and drones as the next wave of AI applications. Despite Taiwan's promising tech landscape, research by government advisory bodies has identified critical gaps in Taiwan's supply chains for both robots and drones that need urgent attention.
Monday 16 December 2024
KDDI eyes unmanned delivery by 2030
Japanese telecommunications company KDDI and its subsidiaries KDDI SmartDrone and KDDI Research have successfully completed a fully unmanned automated logistics delivery experiment in collaboration with partners including Tier IV and Aisan Technology.
Friday 13 December 2024
Taiwanese startup Aegiverse targets defense tech expansion with precision navigation sensors
Aegiverse is betting big on fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOG) as military demand for resilient navigation systems surges amid growing drone and satellite deployments. The National Central University spinoff, founded in 2022, is pushing into US and Indian markets while deepening ties with Taiwanese defense contractors.
Wednesday 11 December 2024
Taiwan defense innovation group prioritizes drones, countermeasures
Taiwan has launched the "Defense Innovation Unit" to accelerate the development of dual-use military technologies, with a particular focus on drones and countermeasures. The initiative draws inspiration from the US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which collaborates with private tech firms to integrate commercial innovations into defense applications swiftly. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense aims to replicate this model, fostering collaboration between its military and civilian sectors to modernize defense capabilities and reduce reliance on traditional military frameworks.
Tuesday 10 December 2024
Assessments suggest Taiwan drone supply chain may lag 3-5 years behind China
Taiwan's emerging drone sector shows promise but faces hurdles in catching up with China's established industry. Recent events demonstrate Taiwan's commitment to growing its drone sector, including the first specialized drone display at the Taipei International Electronics Show (TAITRONICS) in 2024 and the planned drone section at COMPUTEX in 2025.
Tuesday 10 December 2024
China's industrial and automotive chip drive powers military-grade AI robotics
China's push for semiconductor self-sufficiency, spurred by US restrictions, is yielding dual-use technological advances that span both civilian and defense sectors. Several key developments highlight this trend.
Thursday 5 December 2024
Lack of homegrown chips could stifle Taiwanese drone and LEO satellite development
Development of drones and low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites in Taiwan has been hindered by a lack of domestically developed chips, according to industry sources.
Tuesday 3 December 2024
TASTI Expo 2024: CubeSat, SAR, drone-satellite synergy
Nearly 60 space companies are showcasing their latest innovations at TASTI Expo 2024, demonstrating Taiwan's growing aerospace capabilities. The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) leads the exhibition with Formosat-8, featuring locally developed components including optical payload, GPSR, satellite computer, power systems, and communication modules.
Monday 2 December 2024
US drone maker Skydio faces battery crisis amid China sanctions
The largest US drone maker struggles with supply chain disruption after selling drones to Taiwan's fire departments, with current inventory projected to last until spring 2025.
Wednesday 27 November 2024
Taiwan's aerospace ambitions take flight amid global security concerns
Taiwan is making a determined push into aerospace as part of its "Five Trusted Industry Sectors" initiative, with the sector reaching NT$133.6 billion (US$4.2 billion) in output, returning to pre-pandemic levels. This industry, deemed critical for national defense and technological advancement, is experiencing a renaissance after the severe disruption of 2020-2022.
Wednesday 27 November 2024
Taiwanese drone makers eye mass production opportunities amid challenges
Jensen Huang recently identified drones as one of three types of robots suitable for mass production, marking his first public statement classifying drones within the robotics ecosystem. This observation follows his earlier assertion that "AI in its most general form is robotic."
Monday 25 November 2024
Taiwan drone industry urged to look beyond hardware
Taiwan is making an aggressive push into the global drone market, leveraging its manufacturing prowess and "non-red" supply chain status as Western nations seek alternatives to Chinese providers, according to government officials and industry executives.
Friday 22 November 2024
Thunder Tiger seeks partnership with Israeli lens company to expand drone production lines in Taiwan
Thunder Tiger Technology, a leading drone manufacturer in Taiwan, has revealed impressive achievements at this year's AUSA (Association of the United States Army) Convention and has secured interest from many clients. Additionally, the company is collaborating with Israeli drone optics giant NextVision to expand production.
Straight from CES 2025
Will Taiwan, South Korea, Japan join semiconductor alliance with US?
Samsung expands mobile phone production beyond Asian countries, says DIGITIMES Research
SLMs to increase presence in GenAI business opportunities, says DIGITIMES Research
Generative AI market to reach US$1.5 trillion by 2030 with Taiwan holds hardware advantage; software and services to see promising future, says DIGITIMES Research