The global boom in generative artificial intelligence is driving an insatiable demand for computing power. This is pushing the world's largest cloud service providers to rethink a long-standing dependence on Nvidia's AI GPUs.

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, one of Taiwan's smaller but strategically positioned chipmakers, reported a sharp narrowing of losses in the fourth quarter of 2025, buoyed by rising memory prices, a stronger US dollar, and income from an overseas partnership with India's Tata Group.

Global outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) leader ASE Technology Holding held its earnings call, revealing that robust demand for advanced semiconductor packaging services drove growth throughout 2025. ASE's chief operating officer, Tien Wu, highlighted that the company's full-year consolidated revenue posted growth in 2025, with advanced test materials revenue increasing 23%.

Google's latest earnings showed not only solid operating momentum but also an unprecedented surge in capital spending, with capex set to more than double from US$91.45 billion in 2025 to US$175-185 billion in 2026, driven largely by accelerated investment in AI servers and large-scale TPU deployment.

Nitto Boseki (Nittobo), which currently holds around 90% market share in the semiconductor materials glass fiber cloth segment, is planning to launch its next-generation T-glass glass fiber cloth at early as in 2028, with the goal of reducing the coefficient of thermal expansion from the current 2.8ppm to 2ppm, a decrease of about 30%, aiming to improve resistance to thermal deformation, addressing thermal expansion and warpage issues caused by the increasing size of AI chips and memory integration, according to a report by Nikkei.

Qualcomm delivered record results in its fiscal first quarter, but executives warned that a worsening memory supply imbalance is now constraining the global smartphone market, even as underlying consumer demand remains strong.

AI chip startup Cerebras Systems has secured a US$1 billion funding round, boosting its valuation to US$23 billion. According to Reuters and Bloomberg, the latest financing was led by Tiger Global, with participation from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Benchmark, Fidelity Management & Research, Coatue, and 1789 Capital—the venture fund of Donald Trump Jr.

Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT) reported year-over-year and month-over-month revenue growth in January. The surge was mainly driven by strong demand for AI, application processor (AP), and related chip testing services, which significantly boosted the usage of test load boards.

Arm Holdings executives highlighted a growing focus on integrated compute subsystems during the company's latest earnings call, as rising chip design complexity reshapes customer requirements across multiple end markets.

As global competition in the semiconductor industry intensifies, the focus is no longer limited to technology and production capacity. Protection of data, intellectual property, and supply chains has become an equally critical battleground.