South Korea's vision of a sci-fi future is on full display as the 2025 Future Innovation Technology Expo (FIX 2025) kicked off in Daegu. Dubbed "Korea's CES," the massive four-day event features 585 companies across 2,000 booths, all showcasing breakthroughs in mobility, robotics, and artificial intelligence.

Yageo chairman Pierre Chen announced the successful acquisition of Japan's Shibaura Electronics and immediately traveled to Tokyo for a joint press conference with Shibaura president Akira Kasai, marking a new milestone in their partnership aimed at expanding presence in the Americas and Europe.

Malaysia has reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate with both China and the US to develop rare earth processing technologies, according to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). The government emphasized its invitation for China to join efforts in building rare earth processing capabilities amid growing global demand and supply concerns. Malaysia possesses significant rare earth resources but lacks the specialized expertise and technology to fully exploit them.

Apple has hit fresh roadblocks in its ambitious attempt to reinvent the iPad with a giant foldable display, according to multiple reports. The device, internally code-named J312, was originally targeted for a 2028 launch, but now, engineers and industry watchers believe it may not arrive until 2029, or possibly never.

US President Donald Trump is set to personally attend oral arguments on November 5, 2025, at the US Supreme Court regarding the legality of his administration's reciprocal tariffs—a rare move underscoring the critical importance of the case for his signature trade policies.

Taiwan's economy is experiencing a dramatic surge fueled by its dominant position in global semiconductor manufacturing and the artificial intelligence boom. The Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) recently revised Taiwan's 2025 GDP growth forecast upward to 5.45%, citing strong demand in semiconductors and AI driving investment and exports. However, this impressive growth has exposed a widening economic divide, with legislators arguing that gains are concentrated almost entirely in the electronics, AI, and memory sectors while traditional industries struggle to keep pace.

As the global race in artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates, Taiwan continues to hold a clear edge in hardware manufacturing but faces starkly different challenges compared to Silicon Valley in developing its software and application startup ecosystem, according to venture capital experts.

As global competition between the US and China intensifies in humanoid robot development, Taiwanese manufacturers are accelerating efforts to catch up. Despite holding key component advantages, Taiwan still needs to strengthen system integration capabilities, especially in the final stage of robot carriers, according to industry experts.

Nvidia is planning to promote new cooling technologies in response to increasing demand for AI server cooling. In addition to the Microchannel Lid (MCL), the company is also said to be introducing a Microchannel Cold Plate (MCCP), both designed to meet the cooling requirements of the Vera Rubin server rack. Since both technologies rely on liquid cooling, liquid cooling is becoming a crucfial standard for AI servers. Subsequently, it has also sparked competition between Taiwan's two major thermal solution companies.

Inventec has formed a joint venture with India's top electronics manufacturer, Dixon Technologies, to localize production of notebooks, servers, desktops, and electronic components. The new company, Dixon IT Devices Private Limited, will finalize the transaction on October 16, 2025, with Inventec owning 40% and Dixon 60%.

Taiwan's Executive Yuan (Cabinet) is vigorously promoting the "10 New Major AI Projects," focusing on smart applications, critical technologies, and digital infrastructure. Key technologies include silicon photonics (SiPh), quantum computing, and intelligent robots. However, compared with advanced Western countries, Taiwan invests less in basic research, potentially creating bottlenecks in developing core intelligent robot technologies.

All eyes are turning to Daegu, South Korea, as the 2025 Future Innovation Tech Expo, or FIX 2025, is set to open on October 22, 2025, at the EXCO center. Running for four days through October 25, 2025, the event is built around the theme "The Future Already Begun, All on AI." The expo will showcase cutting-edge developments in mobility, robotics, information and communication technology (ICT), and startups, highlighting Daegu's growing role in South Korea's AI-driven industrial transformation.

Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) announced the winners of the 2025 Future Tech Award. Among the winners is the infant cardiac robotic surgical system (iCROSS) developed by Professor Cheng-wei Chen's team from National Taiwan University's (NTU) Department of Electrical Engineering. The system achieves a level of precision beyond what the da Vinci surgical system is capable of.

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has launched a Rare Earth Supply Chain Task Force to shield domestic industries from China's tightened export controls.

On October 17, 2025, Dixon Technologies posted robust results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 (April 2025 to March 2026), with revenue rising 28.8% year-on-year to INR148.55 billion (US$1.69 billion), driven by higher demand across its electronics manufacturing segments. The company's operating income grew 29.1% to INR4.65 billion, reflecting improved efficiency and scale benefits from expanding production volumes.

Tech firms are ramping up AI infrastructure investments and talent hunt in India as Tata Electronics reportedly develops its electronics manufacturing capabilities with a series of M&A efforts.

India's Telangana state is intensifying efforts to attract semiconductor investments from Taiwan, with senior state officials meeting leading tech firms and research institutions in Taipei to explore potential collaboration.

China's technological advancement remains a central focus of global attention, with social media frequently showcasing local tech applications and innovations. Yet for many outside observers, the actual situation in China continues to fuel curiosity and skepticism, prompting many to wonder what lies beneath the polished surface.

The surge in AI computing power is reshaping the energy industry. From chips and servers to data centers and the grid, energy supply and distribution are evolving from a one-way model into a new architecture where computing and electricity operate synergistically.

Garmin's second quarter 2025 financial report hit a new record, with total revenue reaching US$1.815 billion, up 20% from the same period in 2024. Operating profit grew 38% year-over-year to US$472 million, with an operating margin of 26%, while the overall gross margin remained high at 58.8%. The strong performance highlights the company's solid profitability and technological competitiveness. Among its product lines, fitness and recreation products led with a 41% year-over-year increase, reflecting growing consumer interest in personalized health monitoring and smart sports technology, as well as global demand for wearable devices.

The Taiwan Machine Tool and Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA) recently held its member assembly, where industry leaders expressed divergent views on when the machine tool market might recover. Overall, the sector's outlook remains uncertain as stakeholders await clearer signals going into the second quarter of 2026.

As the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) glasses continues to heat up, a new wave of sales is expected to emerge, driven by recent launches of augmented reality (AR) glasses and mixed reality (MR) headsets from companies such as Meta, Google, and Samsung Electronics.

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with China's Minister of Commerce Wentao Wang on October 16, 2025, once again emphasizing that Apple will continue to deepen its presence in the Chinese market.

Jabil announced a significant leadership transition on October 16, stating that Executive Chairman Mark T. Mondello and two other directors will not seek re-election to the board. The departures are scheduled for the company's annual stockholder meeting in January 2026.