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Apr 2
TSMC plans 12 fabs in Arizona as supply chain shifts from passive to active
TSMC's expansion scale in the US has exceeded expectations, prompting Taiwanese suppliers with existing or planned local operations to take a more proactive approach. Reportedly, companies covering cleanroom, plant engineering, electromechanical integration, and equipment sectors have seen surging visa applications and staffing demands. This surge has kept intermediaries and legal service providers busy both in Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Park and Arizona, highlighting peak mobilization within the supply chain.
Semco raises ABF substrate prices as AI server demand surges
Apr 4, 07:30
The explosive growth in artificial intelligence (AI) servers and high-performance computing (HPC) is driving up the value of key components like ABF substrates. With ongoing bottlenecks in the global supply chain for advanced packaging substrates, South Korea's Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) has proactively restructured its product lineup and increased prices. This move reflects not only rising raw material costs but also a structural shift where demand far exceeds supply.
Nanya Technology Corporation (NTC) reported March 2026 revenue of NT$18.17 billion (approx. US$568.15 million), up 16.42% month-over-month and 560.04% year-over-year. First-quarter revenue climbed to NT$49.09 billion, surging 582.91% to a record high, underscoring a sharp rebound in the DRAM cycle.

The global AI narrative is often reduced to a struggle between US- and China-based tech giants. However, a quieter yet more significant movement is emerging among second-tier industrial powers. During a recent lecture, DIGITIMES chairman Colley Hwang spoke about how nations such as Germany, Japan, France, and Canada are increasingly focused on building sovereign AI.

Montage Technology reported full-year 2025 revenue of CNY5.46 billion (US$750 million), up 49.9% year on year, while net profit rose 58.4% to CNY2.24 billion, broadly in line with expectations. Adjusted net profit reached CNY2.02 billion, up 62.0%, reflecting solid underlying demand.
Samsung Electronics reportedly faces renewed strike risk after union talks stalled, threatening already tight mature-node semiconductor supply chains. Power management ICs (PMICs) and display driver ICs (DDICs) are seen as the most exposed segments, given constrained capacity and firm demand.

Europe is stepping up semiconductor ties with Taiwan as it seeks to turn research strength into commercial production, with foundries such as Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) playing a growing role in bridging that gap as the artificial intelligence race intensifies.

Taiwanese foundry Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) and France's CEA-Leti have signed a multi-year agreement on April 3 aimed at easing one of artificial intelligence's most pressing constraints: rising power consumption and data-transfer bottlenecks inside data centers, executives said in an interview with DIGITIMES Asia.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has designated Taiwan as a highly cooperative and pivotal trading partner in its 2026 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics has raised prices for its high-end flip-chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates as demand from artificial intelligence (AI) servers and high-performance computing (HPC) applications continues to outpace supply, according to South Korean media reports and industry sources.

The 2026 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report signals a new era of digital friction between the US and its closest Asian allies.

Taiwan sits at a rare intersection of economic momentum and political gridlock. The island's economy expanded 8.68% in 2025, exports hit a record US$640.75 billion, and per capita GDP is closing in on the US$40,000 threshold — largely on the back of booming global demand for AI chips and semiconductor capacity. Yet while Taiwan's technology industry is firing on all cylinders, its legislature remains deadlocked over the government's spending plan.