IBM's case for quantum computing no longer rests on physics. At Semicon Taiwan 2026 on September 1, the company's argument was that AI has outrun what silicon can supply, that no amount of process scaling closes the gap, and that the constraint on quantum is now a manufacturing problem — one IBM intends to solve with a dedicated 300mm foundry.
Speaking at the 3DIC Global Summit at SEMICON Taiwan 2026, MediaTek general manager T.Y. Lau revealed the publicly disclosed cost structure of the B200 accelerator, saying that after excluding memory, 75% of the cost comes from advanced packaging, assembly and testing. In the single-chip era, that portion barely existed in the cost structure.
Marvell SVP and chief technology officer Radha Nagarajan offered a clearer timeline for the commercialisation of co-packaged optics, or CPO, during a media briefing at SEMICON Taiwan 2026.
The EU is pressing ahead with the European Chips Act and discussing a second phase, but TSMC says public money alone will not secure a durable semiconductor base. The company argues that long-term demand, operating conditions, and administrative coordination will matter more than incentives if Europe wants lasting manufacturing capacity.
Chinese foundry Hua Hong Grace Semiconductor (HHGrace) is preparing another major expansion of its 12-inch wafer capacity, reinforcing its specialty-process footprint after a sharp earnings rebound and record shipments in the first half of 2026.
Taiwan built the last computing era by manufacturing other people's designs. Ching-Ray Chang wants it to try the same trick with quantum computing, and he is arguing the window is open now because nobody has claimed the position yet.
Indium phosphide (InP) is emerging as one of the tightest supply constraints in AI data-center optical interconnects. Lumentum CEO Michael Hurlston has said publicly that the supply-demand imbalance for InP has become more severe than the shortages seen in DRAM and NAND memory, making the material a potential bottleneck as data centers scale high-speed optical links.
Sonix Technology expects consumer IC and MCU sales to keep growing in the second half of 2026, but memory shortages could slow imaging-product shipments. AI-driven demand is also squeezing wafer foundry and packaging and testing capacity, leaving the MCU market undersupplied through the end of 2026.
AI is reshaping demand well beyond chips, and GlobalWafers chair Doris Hsu said this shift is lifting the strategic importance of silicon wafers across the semiconductor supply chain. She said the industry is entering a new growth phase driven by AI, advanced packaging, and broader material changes, rather than a simple cyclical rebound.
Taiwan's semiconductor materials suppliers are seeking gains from square packaging and co-packaged optics as advanced manufacturing evolves. The changes could help local firms move higher up the global chip supply chain, especially as specifications are still taking shape and adoption decisions remain open among international customers.
The European semiconductor push is moving beyond factory construction toward demand, design support, and talent building, according to TSMC. For global readers, the shift matters because Europe's chip ambitions could influence supply chains for cars, industrial equipment, and future high-performance computing systems far beyond the region.
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