The advancement of technology has laid the foundation for the electronic and digital transformation of healthcare, further promoting the introduction and application of smart solutions. With the gradual easing of related regulations, many ICT companies are increasing their investments, hoping to ride the wave of change in the medical industry and expand their operational reach while diversifying their business strategies.

Building on the prior exploration of Foxconn's management philosophy and the advantages of its new policies, this DIGITIMES feature delves into the company's growth trajectory, the hurdles encountered by Chairman Young Liu, and his forward-looking strategies to overcome them.

The IC design industry has seen demand in 2024 vary starkly across different applications: cloud AI-related demand continued to grow month by month, while the edge device sector was fraught with uncertainty throughout the year, going through a series of up and downs in a manifestation of the pessimistic outlook for the sector held by many in the supply chain.

The global AI server market is expected to expand from US$142.88 billion in 2024 to US$837.83 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 34.3%, according to MarketsandMarkets. This growth is driven by three key factors.

AI servers are facilitating the prosperity of device assemblers and will persist in doing so until 2025, despite a decelerating consumer electronics sector.

The ongoing AI wave has created unique business opportunities for Taiwan, particularly in the AI server industry. However, merely offering servers is insufficient, and bundling them with AI application solutions can enhance their appeal to customers and present significant prospects in the digital health sector. Advancements in generative AI technology are accelerating the implementation of smart healthcare applications, including service robots, according to Peter Wu, CEO of Asus Cloud and its subsidiary, Taiwan Web Service Corporation (TWSC).

Zettabyte has reinforced its strategic expansion by partnering with Foxconn, following its prior alliance with Wistron. This partnership is aligned with Zettabyte's financing initiatives to accelerate the adoption of high-performance, energy-efficient AI solutions.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. agreed to form a joint venture for its South Korean operations with E-Mart Inc.'s e-commerce platform to better compete in the country's fast-paced online retail sector.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) faces a projected budget cut of NT$29.7 billion (US$907.08 million) in 2025 following the Legislative Yuan's passage of amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures. According to Economics Minister Jyh-Huei Kuo, the reduction will impact subsidies promised to foreign companies like Nvidia, Micron, and AMD for their Taiwan investments.

Yovole is considering an initial public offering in the US, people familiar with the matter said, years after the Chinese data center operator's failed attempt to list in mainland China.

Foxconn's ODM direct business will experience unprecedented growth in 2024, positioning it as the leading company in Omdia's global server market analysis, driven by surging demand for AI-optimized servers from major US cloud providers.

Nvidia recently unveiled a compact yet powerful computer, the Jetson Orin Nano Super, marking a significant shift toward on-premises generative AI solutions. While questions arise about the competition between edge AI and on-premise AI platforms, industry experts emphasize the importance of customization.

As Broadcom strengthens its position in AI chip development through partnerships with industry giants like Apple and Google, the company has now secured a significant high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply agreement with SK Hynix, according to South Korean media reports.

Server solutions provider Compal Electronics has joined forces with Intel, BP Castrol, thermal management specialist JWS, and professional chassis maker Priver Technology to unveil a cutting-edge Targeted Flow liquid cooling solution.

Despite the recent military maneuvers by China's navy and coast guard that threaten Taiwan's security, as well as challenges within China such as a struggling real estate market, US technological sanctions, and supply chain restructuring, the Mainland Affairs Council reports that cross-strait trade is steadily recovering.

The networking landscape for AI clusters is undergoing a significant transformation as Ethernet emerges as a viable alternative to traditional interconnect technologies. While Nvidia's proprietary interconnect technology currently offers the lowest latency for AI workloads, the industry is increasingly exploring more cost-effective networking solutions that can support growing AI deployments.

With the upcoming Trump administration, the Indonesian government is working to deepen its ties with Elon Musk, who maintains close connections with the president-elect and is expected to play a key role in the transition.

In a strategic move to strengthen its global presence, Wistron's board of directors approved several overseas investment projects on December 20, 2024, including a major renovation of its Texas facility in the US, the construction of a new factory in Vietnam, and additional capital investment in India.

Nvidia has overcome production hurdles for its highly anticipated Blackwell chip, with CEO Jensen Huang confirming the resolution of design flaws in collaboration with TSMC. Shipments are now set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024, with a full ramp-up by the first quarter of 2025. Despite recent thermal management challenges in the GB200 Rack system, impacting shipment capacity, the supply chain confirms these issues have been resolved, ensuring smooth production.

Amid surging AI demand, SK Hynix has unveiled a 61TB SSD tailored for AI data centers, marking a significant leap in the enterprise SSD (eSSD) market and intensifying competition with industry leader Samsung Electronics.

Asustek Computer is on track to achieve its second-highest profit ever in 2024, driven by sustained growth in notebook and motherboard sales combined with a strong AI PC market share, according to chairman Jonney Shih at the company's recent year-end banquet.

Despite market speculations about potential delays in Nvidia's GB200 NVL72 series server shipments, industry sources confirm that Foxconn Technology (Hon Hai) is maintaining its original schedule. Initial shipments are set to begin in December 2024 as planned.

Nvidia faces growing competition from ASIC chip developers, as Broadcom, Google, and AWS advance their development efforts in AI chips, according to industry sources.

The White House issued what it describes as the inaugural Quadrennial Supply Chain Review on December 19, 2024, which the incumbent Biden-Harris Administration says represents its efforts to strengthen economic security and build resilient supply chains.

Long delivery times for cooling distribution units (CDU) are reportedly why increased production of GB200 server racks has been delayed from the first quarter of 2025 to the second quarter, opening up new opportunities for Taiwanese manufacturers, according to cooling solution players.