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Monday 2 February 2026

SMIC reportedly sets up advanced packaging research institute in Shanghai

As Intel, Samsung Electronics, and TSMC increase investment in advanced packaging, market sources say SMIC has set up an advanced packaging research organization in Shanghai, with SMIC chairman Liu Xunfeng attending the unveiling ceremony, marking a new stage in the company's advanced packaging research and development efforts.

Monday 2 February 2026

Apple ramps up supplier price cuts to protect margins as costs rise

Apple reported strong results for its fiscal first quarter of 2026, but the company's supply chain did not share in the enthusiasm. The key reason is that Apple is feeling the impact of rising prices for critical components while striving to maintain a certain gross margin range. This means increased pricing pressure on suppliers.

Monday 2 February 2026

Chinese process control powerhouse Jingce targets nearly triple profit growth in 2025

Wuhan Jingce Electronic Group forecasts net profit of CNY80 million to CNY90 million (approx. US$11.5 million to US$13 million) for 2025, representing year-over-year growth of 181.97% to 192.21%. Net profit excluding non-recurring items is expected to reach CNY21.66 million to CNY31.66 million, up 113.66% to 119.97%, reversing losses from the previous year.

Monday 2 February 2026

ASE ramps advanced packaging in Taiwan as SPIL scales central hub

ASE Technology Holding is accelerating capacity expansion across multiple locations to meet rising demand for advanced packaging and testing services, with projects underway in northern, central, and southern Taiwan, as well as in China and Malaysia. The company estimates that capital expenditure could reach US$6 billion in 2026, reflecting continued investment in equipment and facilities.

Monday 2 February 2026

Msscorps eyes annual growth with silicon photonics expansion

Msscorps held its year-end gathering on February 1, 2026, during which chairman Chi-Lun Liu highlighted the company's two decades of deep expertise in semiconductor testing and analysis. Having established a global footprint across 12 facilities in Taiwan, China, the US, and Japan's key semiconductor hubs, Msscorps has seen monthly revenues hit record highs since the second half of 2025, signaling the start of a new growth phase.

Monday 2 February 2026

China breaks into the global top 20 with a trio of chipmaking equipment suppliers

China's drive to localize its semiconductor supply chain is reshaping the global chipmaking equipment industry, with three domestic suppliers now ranking among the world's top 20 for the first time — a shift fueled by heavy investment and tighter US export controls.

Monday 2 February 2026

TSMC revises five-year growth plan, turning tech lead into high profits

TSMC chairman C.C. Wei recently confirmed that AI demand is real and the trend will remain unchanged in the coming years. AI accelerators accounted for a "high double-digit" percentage of TSMC's total revenue in 2025.

Monday 2 February 2026

Weekly news roundup: Diversification, memory power, capacity politics

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES stories from the week of January 16 – February 1, 2026.

Monday 2 February 2026

India's 2026–27 Union Budget boosts semiconductors, data centers and rare earths to strengthen supply chains

India's finance ministry on February 1, 2026, unveiled the Union Budget for 2026–27, placing electronics and technology manufacturing at the heart of its growth strategy, with fresh funding for semiconductors, electronics components, and AI-linked infrastructure aimed at strengthening supply chains and boosting India's global manufacturing competitiveness.

Monday 2 February 2026

Nvidia CEO projects TSMC capacity to double, warns of memory shortage, reaffirms OpenAI investment during Taiwan visit

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, on February 1, 2026, underscored Taiwan's central role in the global artificial intelligence supply chain, saying the company "would not be possible without Taiwan," while warning that soaring AI demand is placing unprecedented pressure on semiconductor, memory, and manufacturing capacity worldwide.

Sunday 1 February 2026

The AI "A-List": NVIDIA CEO hosts high-stakes summit with tech giants behind the global AI boom

Amidst escalating global trade tensions, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's "Trillion-Dollar" power summit in Taipei featured a surprising guest: a legendary chairman of Chinese PCB giant. As the sole Chinese executive invited to the inner circle, his presence alongside the heads of TSMC and Foxconn underscores the pragmatic, border-defying alliances required to power the global AI boom.

Saturday 31 January 2026

Nvidia CEO calls ASIC rivalry "illogical" as R&D spending heads toward $45 billion

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang issued a sharp rebuke to market speculation regarding the rise of custom silicon (ASIC) during an interview in Taipei on January 31, 2026.

Saturday 31 January 2026

Nvidia CEO tells TSMC to "work harder" as 2026 demand surges; reveals 10-year capacity doubling plan

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hosted a high-profile banquet in Taipei on January 31, 2026, for the leaders of Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem.

Saturday 31 January 2026

Shenzhen Ingchips joins domestic chipmakers in raising prices as cost pressures mount

Shenzhen Ingchips Technology has joined Goke Microelectronics and Cmsemicon in announcing price increases, highlighting mounting cost pressures across China's semiconductor supply chain.

Saturday 31 January 2026

Taiwan's capital markets reach new highs, signaling broader global role

At a Lunar New Year press conference, the Financial Supervisory Commission said that combined revenues of Taiwan's listed companies surpassed NT$50 trillion (approx. US$1.59 trillion) in 2025, while total market capitalization reached NT$101 trillion. By market value, Taiwan now ranks as the world's seventh-largest securities market.

Saturday 31 January 2026

Morris Chang resurfaces as Jensen Huang returns to Taipei

TSMC founder Morris Chang made his first public appearance in more than a year on January 29, 2026, dining with Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang just hours after Huang arrived in Taipei.

Friday 30 January 2026

Musk's TeraFab dream meets Nvidia reality check on chip manufacturing limits

Elon Musk's ambition to build a massive in-house semiconductor manufacturing complex has drawn fresh caution from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who stressed that advanced chip production ranks among the most technically demanding industrial undertakings globally—far beyond the reach of capital spending alone.

Friday 30 January 2026

KLA: AI-driven process control boom lifts 2026 semiconductor equipment demand

US semiconductor equipment maker KLA said growing AI infrastructure demand is accelerating investment in advanced logic chips, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and advanced packaging, driving higher process control intensity, while supply constraints and cost pressures remain ongoing risks.

Friday 30 January 2026

ASML gains from rising EUV demand and US chip spending

After TSMC chairman C.C. Wei said on a recent earnings call that AI demand is real and that AI is becoming embedded in daily life as a long-term trend, expectations for ASML's performance and outlook have largely settled.

Friday 30 January 2026

Taiwan semiconductor test supply chain poised for growth amid rising AI chip complexity

Taiwan's semiconductor test supply chain is experiencing strong growth driven by increased demand for AI and HPC chips, industry sources report. Close collaborations with foundries and IC design houses have helped local firms meet advanced testing requirements, boosting the competitiveness of domestic chips.

Friday 30 January 2026

Analysis: Why ASML is cutting jobs in Europe and the US but sparing China

ASML Holding reported record financial results for 2025, marked by strong growth in both revenue and profitability. Full-year revenue reached EUR32.67 billion (US$38.96 billion), up 15.6% from the previous year, while net profit rose 26.9% to EUR9.61 billion—gross margin held at 52.8%.

Friday 30 January 2026

GlobalFoundries stalls France fab as US manufacturing push sidelines Europe's chip ambitions

Following Intel's major global wafer fab plan cuts, including halting projects in Germany and Poland, GlobalFoundries (GF) and STMicroelectronics (ST) have faced fresh scrutiny over their joint 12-inch wafer fab project in Crolles, France. French media recently revealed GF has yet to fulfill its investment commitments, casting doubt on the collaboration's future amid both companies increasing investments in China while GF expands capacity in the US under the Trump administration's "Made in America" drive.

Friday 30 January 2026

Dutch curbs on Nexperia risk breaking Europe's semiconductor supply chain, says CSIA

Wei Shaojun, vice president of the China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) and a widely recognized pragmatic voice within China's semiconductor sector, has spoken out against the Dutch government's ongoing administrative restrictions on Nexperia, triggering broad industry attention.

Friday 30 January 2026

Lam Research hits US$20.6 billion revenue high, sees 2026 WFE spending at US$135 billion

Lam Research, a leading supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment dubbed the "US version of ASML," capped off fiscal 2025 with stellar performance, fueled by surging AI demand. The company reported full-year revenue of US$20.6 billion, a 27% year-over-year increase, alongside record gross margins of 49.9% and operating margins of 34.1%.

Friday 30 January 2026

Advantest to boost SoC test equipment capacity to 5,000 units by 2027

Japan's Advantest has announced an acceleration of its capacity expansion plans for system-on-chip (SoC) test equipment in response to surging demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) hardware investments. The company also revised its fiscal year 2025 financial forecast multiple times to reflect robust market conditions.

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