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Monday 18 May 2026
South Korean court bars factory occupations and orders safety work during planned Samsung strike
A South Korean court granted Samsung Electronics an injunction on May 18, 2026, limiting union dispute actions and ordering that safety protection systems and wafer anti-deterioration operations remain fully staffed and operational during any strike, according to Seoul Economic Daily. The Suwon District Court issued the decision three days before a planned general strike on May 21, 2026, and the ruling is expected to constrain the scale and methods of any walkout.
Monday 18 May 2026
As AI redraws chip industry, TSMC faces its first real rivals
The global map of semiconductor manufacturing is beginning to shift. For years, the market for advanced chip production was dominated almost entirely by TSMC. But the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), intensifying geopolitical tensions, and mounting pressure from Washington to secure critical supply chains are beginning to loosen that grip.
Monday 18 May 2026
Samsung and union enter new round of talks ahead of planned strike
Samsung Electronics and its labor union in South Korea began a new round of negotiations on May 18, days before a planned strike that could bring its chip plants to a halt. The talks are being mediated by the government, which has signaled concern about the labor action's impact on the South Korean economy, in which Samsung contributes more than 20% of its exports.
Monday 18 May 2026
DIGITIMES Insight: Intel and AMD diverge as TSMC prepares price hikes
Global server markets may shift as DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin says Intel's revenue gains stem largely from price rises while AMD posts stronger shipment-led growth. TSMC plans another price increase as customers prioritize capacity over cost, developments that could affect cloud providers, vendors, and data center economics worldwide.
Monday 18 May 2026
India's Tata Electronics partners with ASML to support first 300mm fab ramp-up
Tata Electronics has signed a memorandum of understanding with ASML to support the establishment and ramp-up of its upcoming 300mm semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat, marking a significant step in India's effort to build a domestic chip manufacturing ecosystem.
Monday 18 May 2026
Weekly news roundup: TSMC faces AI supply strain as Samsung, Intel, and Apple test foundry alternatives
Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of May 11-17, 2026:
Monday 18 May 2026
TEEMA global science park plan takes shape with Mexico leading
The Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA) is moving ahead with its global science park strategy, and Mexico's Sonora has emerged as the leading candidate for an early launch, TEEMA chairman Young Liu said before the group's 27th general assembly on May 15, 2026. Liu said Sonora has the strongest chance of becoming the first site because talks began earliest there and field inspections have already been carried out three times, putting it well ahead of other candidate locations.
Monday 18 May 2026
India roundup: India's semiconductor ambitions expand from AI power management to supply-chain localization

India's semiconductor and electronics sectors are accelerating across multiple fronts, from AI-driven power-chip development and domestic EV battery technology to smartphone manufacturing and semiconductor supply-chain expansion. Industry executives and analysts say the shift reflects India's broader effort to move beyond assembly into higher-value chip design, power electronics, and localized technology ecosystems.

Monday 18 May 2026
Samsung's race to avoid a chip strike is running out of time

Samsung Electronics' labor dispute entered a new phase on May 15 after the company's top executives issued a rare public apology and proposed resuming talks without conditions, only for the union to maintain its plan for an 18-day strike from May 21 to June 7.

Monday 18 May 2026
TSMC CoWoS yields top 98% as capacity expands
Following its North America technology forum, TSMC held the Hsinchu session on May 14, 2026. The company said the smart revolution is beginning, with AI evolving from generative AI and agentic AI to physical AI, driven by the power efficiency and performance of advanced semiconductor technology.
Sunday 17 May 2026
Galatek targets advanced packaging market, eyes Taiwan foundries
Singapore-based AI automation startup Galatek said it is tackling yield bottlenecks in micron-level packaging with AI-embedded equipment as demand for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) chips surges across Southeast Asia and global markets. The company is also pursuing a dual-track expansion spanning Southeast Asia and Taiwan.
Saturday 16 May 2026
Taiwan semiconductor materials, April 2026— One sector, two races
Among the 19 Taiwan-listed semiconductor materials companies tracked by Digitimes, 10 (53%) grew month-on-month in April, 12 (63%) posted positive year-on-year growth, and 14 (74%) are ahead on a cumulative January–April basis. On the surface, those are reasonable numbers — but the distribution underneath tells a more complicated story.
Friday 15 May 2026
Commentary: The Thucydides trap and TSMC's COUPE
On May 14, Xi Jinping opened his summit with Donald Trump in Beijing by invoking the Thucydides Trap — the idea that a rising power and an established hegemon are structurally destined for conflict. Then he turned to Taiwan. If not handled properly, he warned, the two countries face clashes and even conflicts.
Friday 15 May 2026
China keeps tight InP export controls despite Trump-Xi talks
As the US and China continue to clash over geopolitics and critical materials supply, industry sources say China's restrictions on indium phosphide (InP) substrates for optical communications remain unchanged and are widely seen as part of Beijing's effort to counter US-led AI development.
Friday 15 May 2026
TSMC's Vanguard stake sale signals AI-era capital pivot
TSMC's decision to sell down its stake in Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) is the second significant portfolio move the company has made in as many weeks — and together, the two transactions sketch the outline of a deliberate capital reallocation strategy centered on AI.
Friday 15 May 2026
Samsung shields chip lines as union sticks to strike plan

Samsung Electronics has reportedly begun pre-emptive production adjustments at its semiconductor facilities as its labor union sticks to a planned 18-day strike despite the company's latest offer to resume talks without conditions.

Friday 15 May 2026
TSMC to trim Vanguard International stake to 19% in block trade
TSMC said Thursday it plans to sell up to 152 million common shares of Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) to institutional investors through a block trade, reducing its stake in the specialty foundry from 27.1% to approximately 19%.
Friday 15 May 2026
Delta Electronics chair warns RE100 delays could risk Taiwan's global tech orders amid green power shortage
Delta Electronics Chairman Ping Cheng has warned that companies failing to meet RE100 targets risk losing orders as global customers intensify demands for renewable energy compliance. His comments highlight mounting concern across Taiwan's technology sector that insufficient green power supply could become the next major constraint on the island's semiconductor and electronics industries.
Friday 15 May 2026
Panel makers cool in April 2026, pivot to CPO and FOPLP
After the early pull-forward effect from customers began to fade, Taiwan's panel makers have started to show signs of slower operating momentum. Weaker demand for consumer electronics dragged down April revenue at AUO, Innolux, HannStar, and Giantplus.
Friday 15 May 2026
UMC rolls out 14nm FinFET platform for OLED driver ICs
United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) has released a 14nm embedded high-voltage (eHV) FinFET technology platform for display driver ICs, marking a new step in the foundry's process roadmap after years of development.
Friday 15 May 2026
SMIC leverages process flexibility to capture orders amid global foundry capacity squeeze
In its first-quarter 2026 earnings Q&A session on May 15, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) outlined a strategic response to shifting global market dynamics. As leading international foundries and integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) pivot capacity toward high-margin AI processors and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), SMIC has seen a significant influx of orders for standard and specialty products from customers seeking to secure a reliable supply.
Friday 15 May 2026
Applied Materials scales manufacturing and innovation to meet AI demand
Following record second-quarter 2026 financial results, Applied Materials has detailed an extensive strategy to scale its global manufacturing capacity and accelerate technology commercialization through new collaborative platforms. As the semiconductor industry pivots toward artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, the company is leveraging improved customer visibility to prepare its supply chain for a sustained growth cycle expected to last into 2027 and beyond.
Friday 15 May 2026
Hua Hong Semiconductor strategy focuses on AI demand and specialty tech expansion
Hua Hong Semiconductor is positioning itself to capitalize on the accelerating transformation of the global semiconductor industry, driven primarily by the "unmistakably positive impact of AI" on market demand. During its first-quarter 2026 earnings call on May 14, 2026, the company outlined a multi-pronged strategy to enhance its position as a leader in specialty process technologies while expanding into nascent, high-growth sectors.
Friday 15 May 2026
SMIC refocuses on capital investment over dividends as AI boom reshapes demand
During its first-quarter 2026 earnings call on May 15, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) detailed a strategic realignment of its operations to capitalize on the "AI boom" while maintaining a rigorous investment schedule. The company emphasized that it is currently in a "critical stage of capacity expansion" and is continuously pushing to enhance its competitive standing, leading to significant shifts in how it allocates resources and returns value to shareholders.
Friday 15 May 2026
Hua Hong bets US$6bn on Wuxi as specialty chip demand lifts margins
Hua Hong Semiconductor is accelerating its growth strategy through significant capacity expansion and the development of specialty technologies to meet rising global demand. During its latest earnings call on May 14, the company highlighted robust financial performance driven by emerging applications in artificial intelligence and power management.