The past year has been one full of ups and downs for Taiwan's machinery industry: aside from products and components related to AI and semiconductors, most other product lines remained relatively lackluster in 2024. The machinery sector is pinning its hopes on emerging industries, of which robotics is commonly viewed as a leading growth driver, with numerous tech leaders highlighting its importance. However, due to limited layouts in the field at present, Taiwanese companies generally saw little revenue from robotics in 2024.

Google invested US$ 250 million in the acquisition of HTC Vive's R&D team, highlighting its ambitions in the headsets and smart glasses sectors. Regarding this acquisition, Google Taiwan has reportedly begun a small-scale organizational restructuring, reallocating personnel from its smartphone and tablet divisions to support new product development.

Six Taiwanese companies rank among the top ten global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) providers for 2024, with Foxconn, Quanta, Wistron, and Inventec hitting record revenues, fueled by surging AI server demand. Despite ongoing supply constraints, AI servers are poised to further boost operational performance in 2025, with consumer electronics also expected to recover after years of inventory adjustments.

Sanan Optoelectronics has secured a critical role in Samsung Display's microLED smartwatch supply chain, according to industry insiders, marking another milestone in its consistent progress with microLED technology.

A major legal battle between Cambricon Technologies, a leading Chinese AI unicorn, and its former CTO Jun Liang has emerged, drawing parallels to the recent high-profile lawsuit involving Jeng-wu Tai, a former aide to Foxconn founder Terry Gou. The case centers on claims of unfulfilled employee incentives that could set new precedents in China's tech industry.

Highpoint Service Network (HSN), Acer's subsidiary specializing in brand repair services, has achieved record-breaking annual revenues since its establishment in 2018. The company's robust growth is anchored by three key pillars: expanding its geographical reach, servicing more brands, and diversifying product categories. CEO Jacky Lin anticipates continued growth, forecasting a revenue increase of at least 30% in 2025.

Sharp Corporation is set to announce its fiscal 2024 growth strategy during its earnings presentation in May 2025, covering the period from April 2024 to March 2025. However, key elements of this strategy, such as the CEO-led Innovation Accelerator Project (I-Pro), are already taking shape through ongoing initiatives.

Asia Tech Image Inc. (ATII), an Asia Optical subsidy specializing in imaging sensor modules, reported record-breaking revenue for 2024 and outlined its growth strategy for 2025, focusing on diversifying product applications and technological advancements.

The optics industry saw robust growth in general in 2024, with leading players Largan Precision, Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO), and Asia Optical all posting strong results for the year. Moreover, the field of robotics has emerged as a new battleground for the industry.

Apple is reportedly set to launch a screen-equipped HomePod in 2025, though contrary to earlier speculation about OLED technology, it will feature an LCD panel exclusively supplied by Tianma Microelectronics in China. Taiwan's Radiant Optoelectronics will handle backlight module production. Industry insiders expect shipment volumes to remain modest throughout 2025.

During the inauguration ceremony of SPIL on January 16, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang stated that the Blackwell system has now fully entered production, which will gradually enhance CoWoS-L capacity. He further stated that "physical AI," the combination of AI and robotics, presents a significant opportunity for Taiwan.

Taiwan-based chassis provider Chenbro Micom experienced a complex 2024, reaching NT$145.2 billion (approx. US$4.41 billion) in revenue, reflecting a 29% year-over-year increase. As geopolitical challenges persist, the company is expanding its manufacturing capabilities to Malaysia and the US and remains optimistic due to strong AI demand.

Japanese manufacturers of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are forecasting promising opportunities in the rapidly expanding AI sector, with surging server demand driving market growth. Business performance for the fiscal year 2024 (April 2024 to March 2025) varies across companies.

China continues to expand its production capacity for polarizers, resulting in a market oversupply and making it hard for polarizer prices to rise. To cope, Taiwanese manufacturers such as BenQ Materials, Cheng Mei Materials Technology (CMMT), and Optimax Technology are transforming, with each taking a different path.

After the success of the smart glasses collaboration between Meta and Ray-Ban, AI smart glasses are now seen as a high-growth potential application. DIGITIMES Research projects accelerated adoption once AI smart glasses shipments reach 10 million units per year, with annual shipments surpassing 20 million units by 2030.

CES, one of the world's most influential technology events, once again showcased groundbreaking innovations. Although electronic paper wasn't the main highlight of this year's event, companies like PocketBook and Continental AG introduced fresh, eye-catching applications, all powered by E Ink's technology.

AcBel Polytech (AcBel) anticipates a year of growth in 2025, driven by the gradual emergence of synergies from its acquisition of OmniOn and the steady expansion of its renewable energy business, according to Chairman Jerry Hsu.

The 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) wrapped up in Las Vegas on January 10, 2025. What began as an event centered on high expectations for AI transformation (AX) concluded with AI robots as the key theme. While CES 2024 focused on AX, CES 2025 demonstrated how deeply and rapidly AI is integrating into everyday life and improving business efficiency, effectively debunking the "AI bubble" theory.

Nvidia's stock price once fell below US$10 and was frequently rumored to be a target for acquisition by several large firms, yet its market capitalization has now soared to US$3.4 trillion, with profits reaching US$9.3 billion last quarter. Major companies may regret not seizing the opportunity back then.

China's recent export controls on dual-use items are disrupting the supply chain, impacting companies like Apple and causing delays in shipments. China's regulations, effective in late 2024, are seen as attempts to prevent manufacturing shifts. Despite reassurances from Chinese officials, confusion remains due to wide-ranging enforcement interpretations.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025) that Nvidia and its partners have begun full-scale production of the Blackwell GPU for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), as well as servers based on Blackwell.

UHT Unitech has entered into a significant partnership with Ablecom Technology, a Taiwanese server parts supplier of Supermicro, to push forward the development of advanced immersion cooling AI server cabinets.

Largan Precision chairman Adam Lin has emphasized that specifications for robotic vision applications are not necessarily higher than those of smartphones, particularly noting that 5 plastic (5P) lenses are anticipated to become a future trend.

Yen Sun Technology projects strong growth in its automotive electronics and lifestyle technology divisions throughout 2025. The company's new plant in Kaohsiung Renwu, opening in the second half of 2025, will serve as the operational headquarters, R&D center, and manufacturing base for its automotive and high-end cooling products.

CES 2025 has been more than a showcase for leading brands and their latest technologies, as many small and medium Taiwanese startups have also brought their unique capabilities to the show floor. One of these distinctive exhibitors is Taiwan Nano & Micro-Photonics (N&M), which has applied silicon photonics (SiPh) technology not to the more common field of communications, but instead to the sensor market.