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Friday 2 January 2026
Asus to pause new smartphone launches in 2026, maintain mobile operations
Smartphone distributors in Taiwan have recently said they are no longer able to obtain Asus handsets through local agents and claimed they had received information indicating that Asus's smartphone unit would operate only through December 31, 2025, after which the company would stop launching new smartphone products.
Friday 2 January 2026
IC substrates and networking PCBs grow; materials and equipment face shortages
The PCB industry is making large upgrades. The largest beneficiaries of the AI boom are IC substrate makers that are part of the advanced chip packaging supply chain, such as Unimicron and Kinsus, which have gradually emerged from the oversupply bottleneck caused by large-scale post-pandemic capacity expansion. The surge in orders has spread to multiple networking and server PCB manufacturers, including Gold Circuit Electronics (CGE), Allied Circuit Co. (ACCL), and First Hi-tec, driving double-digit year-over-year growth in Taiwan's PCB manufacturing output value in 2025.
Friday 2 January 2026
Baidu's AI chip unit Kunlunxin confidentially files for Hong Kong IPO
Baidu is moving forward with plans to spin off its AI chip unit, Kunlunxin, and list it in Hong Kong, highlighting the company's push for semiconductor self-sufficiency. On January 1, 2025, Baidu said Kunlunxin confidentially filed a listing application with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, formally setting the stage for a potential initial public offering, though key details such as the offering size, structure, and timing remain undecided.
Friday 2 January 2026
Vietnam urges Intel to boost semiconductor backend capacity
The Vietnamese government is urging Intel to further grow its semiconductor packaging and testing capabilities in the country, seeking to strengthen the nation's role in the global chip supply chain.
Friday 2 January 2026
US approval of TSMC equipment exports to China reflects strategy shift
Following reports that the US government had granted annual export licenses to South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) has also approved TSMC to export chip manufacturing equipment containing US technology to its wafer fabs in Nanjing and other locations in China over the next year. The approval ensures existing production lines can continue operating normally and meet product delivery schedules.
Friday 2 January 2026
Samsung reportedly seals land deal, paving way for Yongin semiconductor complex
Samsung Electronics has taken a key step toward building a massive semiconductor manufacturing complex in Yongin after finalizing a land purchase for a national industrial park, moving the long-planned project into its execution phase.
Friday 2 January 2026
SanDisk, Micron vie for PSMC's Tongluo fab capacity
Market rumors and formal statements indicate two major memory companies, SanDisk and Micron, have approached PSMC about capacity cooperation at PSMC's new 12-inch fab in Tongluo, Taiwan. PSMC's fate for the facility is expected to be finalized soon as participants weigh their options.
Friday 2 January 2026
South Korea's semiconductor bill risks weakening competitiveness as rivals roll out cash subsidies
South Korea's ruling and opposition parties have reached a preliminary consensus on the Semiconductor Special Act, though its passage may be delayed until 2026, and the law faces criticism for offering comparatively weak support measures against competing countries.
Friday 2 January 2026
Budget delays risk sidelining Taiwan in 2026 silicon photonics and CPO takeoff, NSTC warns
Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has raised concerns that prolonged delays in budget approvals could cause Taiwan to miss the critical 2026 global takeoff for silicon photonics (SiPh) and co-packaged optics (CPO), two cornerstone technologies underpinning next-generation AI servers.
Friday 2 January 2026
China demand pushes Nvidia to seek more H200 capacity from TSMC
Nvidia is in talks with TSMC to expand production of its H200 artificial intelligence chips as Chinese technology companies move to secure large orders for 2026, according to Reuters. The negotiations signal that Chinese demand continues to strain global supply chains even as the company faces a complex and unresolved regulatory environment in both Washington and Beijing.
Friday 2 January 2026
2026 electronics industry outlook
As 2026 begins, DIGITIMES has conducted in-depth analyses of sectors within the electronics industry. The current landscape theme can be described as "one core, two keys, three drivers." The core, semiconductors, has two keys —the satellite industry and memory— and will be driven by three factors: AI servers, defense, and green energy. These areas will be critical to watch in 2026.
Friday 2 January 2026
China sees 2025 chip IPO surge as domestic AI and tech ambitions accelerate
Chinese semiconductor companies are returning to the initial public offering (IPO, including additional and rights offering) market in force, raising funds that are critical for the nation's push toward technological self-reliance and leadership in artificial intelligence.
Friday 2 January 2026
Intel and Samsung advance 2nm GAA, but yield gaps leave TSMC as the sole external supplier
TSMC has officially commenced volume production of its 2nm (N2) semiconductor process in the fourth quarter of 2025, marking a milestone as the first foundry worldwide to offer chiplet manufacturing based on nanosheet transistor technology using gate-all-around (GAA) architecture. Production is ramping up at TSMC's Hsinchu Baoshan fab (Fab 20) and Kaohsiung fab (Fab 22), positioning the company to meet growing market demand into 2026.
Friday 2 January 2026
Server ODMs remain bullish through the end of 2026 despite bubble concerns
Although AI bubble concerns persist, server ODMs remain optimistic about 2026. Nvidia's GB300 began shipping in the fourth quarter of 2025, and the new Vera Rubin architecture expected in 2026 should be able to take over smoothly. However, the Vera Rubin Ultra is slated to debut in 2027, which will involve a major overhaul of rack architecture and pose a significant challenge.
Thursday 1 January 2026
China capacity expansion and weakening end-market demand prompt cost reductions for 28nm process
The 28-nanometer process has become the most popular node among mature processes. It boasts the highest utilization rates and the strongest price support. However, market conditions are changing. Demand for many chips using the 28nm process has weakened, and some chips are beginning to migrate to more advanced process nodes.
Thursday 1 January 2026
Spirox to ship self-developed TSV inspection equipment in 1H26, easing wafer fab bottlenecks
Veteran semiconductor equipment distributor Spirox has successfully entered the advanced packaging supply chain in the second half of 2025 with its self-developed advanced optical inspection equipment. Chairman Peter Chin said the product passed foundry customer validation and secured the first order for a non-destructive through-silicon via (TSV) inspection system, slated for shipment and revenue contribution in the first half of 2026. This milestone marks the group's transition into a new business phase.
Thursday 1 January 2026
Samsung reportedly explores side-by-side chip packaging for next-gen Exynos

Samsung Electronics is reportedly developing a new mobile chip packaging method aimed at improving thermal efficiency in its Exynos processors, as the company works to strengthen the competitiveness of its proprietary mobile silicon. The South Korea-based company is exploring a side-by-side packaging technology, internally dubbed SbS, that places the application processor and memory chips adjacent to one another rather than stacking them vertically.

Wednesday 31 December 2025
Samsung reportedly poised to clear KRW20 trillion profit mark in 4Q25

Samsung Electronics is reportedly on track to post sharply higher operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2025 as demand tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure lifts memory chip prices. The reports, compiled by South Korean outlets including Korea Economic Daily and EBN and citing industry sources, said Samsung's preliminary fourth-quarter operating profit is expected to exceed KRW20 trillion, a level that would mark the first time a South Korean company has crossed that threshold in a single quarter.

Wednesday 31 December 2025
India's L&T Semiconductor to unveil partnerships in cellular IoT modules and power devices at CES
L&T Semiconductor Technologies is expected to outline a partner-led expansion into cellular IoT modules at CES, positioning India as a future manufacturing base and sourcing option in a market long dominated by imported solutions.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
GigaDevice Semiconductor seeks up to HK$4.68B in Hong Kong listing

Chinese chip designer GigaDevice Semiconductor is pressing ahead with plans to list its shares in Hong Kong, seeking to raise as much as HK$4.68 billion (approx. US$601.4 million) in what would be one of the latest semiconductor offerings amid a renewed IPO push by Chinese technology firms.

Wednesday 31 December 2025
Geopolitics reshapes tech landscape as Southeast Asia emerges as data center, manufacturing, and AI hub
In 2025, rising geopolitical tensions reshaped global technology and manufacturing, boosting Southeast Asia as a key hub for data centers, advanced manufacturing, and AI. The Johor-Singapore Economic Zone enhanced cross-border integration, strengthening Singapore's "Singapore+1" strategy, while Johor emerged as a major data center cluster amid sustainability concerns.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
TSMC reportedly speeds up Arizona 3nm fab plans as Samsung woos US clients in Texas

According to South Korean media reports and industry sources, TSMC is moving to pull forward the production schedule at its second Arizona facility, a shift that could reshape supply planning for major chip designers and weaken the long-running narrative that Samsung Electronics stands as the default alternative when TSMC capacity tightens.

Wednesday 31 December 2025
Taiwan OSATs boost spending as CoWoS supply tightens

Taiwan's leading semiconductor assembly and test providers are launching record capital spending programs to expand advanced packaging capacity, as shortages at TSMC push chip designers to seek alternative supply chains through 2026.

Wednesday 31 December 2025
Wah Lee acquires Jing De Gases to enter semiconductor specialty gas blending market
Driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor capacity, demand for specialty gases is rising. To secure a position in the local supply chain, high-tech materials and equipment supplier Wah Lee Industrial announced it has acquired a 51% stake in precision mixture gases manufacturer Jing De Gases for NT$561 million (approx. US$17.94 million). Together with affiliate company Wah Hong Industrial, the group will hold a combined stake of around 80%, marking Wah Lee's official entry into the high-barrier electronic-grade specialty gas blending and manufacturing segment of the semiconductor industry.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
China orders 50% domestic equipment requirement for new chip capacity

China is requiring semiconductor manufacturers to source at least 50% of their equipment from domestic suppliers when adding new production capacity, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter.