Taiwan's ODM and EMS sectors saw a surge in revenue in March 2026, driven primarily by strong AI server demand alongside seasonal quarter-end restocking. Notably, growth extended beyond AI servers to general-purpose servers and network switches, signaling broad-based momentum across product lines.

Asus has recently unveiled two major surprises in its business outlook. According to supply chain sources, the company's newly set internal targets for 2026 notebook shipments and AI server revenue have both exceeded market expectations.

Phison Electronics founder and CEO Pua Khein-Seng warned that the current NAND Flash shortage will worsen significantly in the second half of 2026, with an acute supply crunch expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, where "even money can't buy stock." To secure inventory amid this tight market, Phison has broken its no-debt tradition by launching a syndicated loan in March and plans to issue US$800 million in Euro-convertible bonds (ECB), targeting over NT$43 billion (US$1.4 billion) in total fundraising for 2026.

Google recently announced an expanded collaboration with Intel to increase the deployment of Xeon processors in its cloud AI data centers. This move reflects the rapidly growing demand for CPUs in AI infrastructure, prompting Google to secure supply chains early to avoid future chip shortages that could hinder AI investments.

As generative AI and large-scale computing infrastructure continue to expand, the industry is coming to recognize "power as the limit of compute." With AI data centers demanding a high-intensity, stable power supply, Chinese tech giants are accelerating their expansion into the energy sector.

Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) chair Cheng-Wen Wu recently told the Legislative Yuan that Taiwan's robot development strategy aims to deploy machines for heavy and hazardous tasks. The government plans to invest NT$20 billion (US$629.4 million) in a smart robot industry promotion program, prioritizing sectors such as dangerous work environments, caregiving, food service, and healthcare.

Taiwan has formally launched its first national-level robotics hub, signaling an ambitious effort to build a globally competitive industry around intelligent machines. The National Center for AI Robotics, led by the National Institutes of Applied Research, is based in the southern innovation cluster of Shalun and was inaugurated on April 10.

Taiwan has formally inaugurated its first national-level robotics hub. The National Center for AI Robotics, established under the National Institutes of Applied Research, is a strategic bet on converting academic research into globally competitive companies. The center is expected to anchor the island's push to build a world-class intelligent robotics industry.

The headline numbers for Taiwan's listed tech companies in the first quarter of 2026 are strong, but a sector-by-sector breakdown of 238 companies reveals a story far more nuanced than the AI-server narrative dominating the financial press. Growth is heavily concentrated, structurally bifurcated, and in some cases, arithmetically misleading.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of April 6-April 13, 2026:

Taiwan and the US signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) on February 13, 2026, capping 10 months of negotiations. The deal set a reciprocal tariff of 15% without stacking and secured Taiwan the most favorable terms yet under Section 232 for semiconductors. But the US Supreme Court's invalidation of most of President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs has since frozen the agreement. Taiwan's Executive Yuan cannot submit it to the Legislative Yuan for review, and the prospect of zero-tariff US car imports has stalled along with it.

Powered by surging semiconductor investment—led by TSMC—Taiwan's science parks are nearing full capacity, accelerating government efforts to expand land, infrastructure, and next-generation industry clusters.

Taiwan and the US are accelerating efforts to build a bilateral robot ecosystem as embodied AI converges with robotics. GeoAsia Foundation chairman C.Y. Huang says Taiwan is now assembling a large-scale robotics alliance drawing on resources from Taiwan, the US, Europe, and Southeast Asia — a platform for international collaboration across industry, academia, and research institutions designed to bridge Taiwan-based companies into the global market.

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics is facing a large-scale strike threat, and whether it will extend into May remains an open question, as labor-management negotiations remain at a deadlock. The union's demand for a substantial allocation of a performance bonus has widened the gap between the two sides, raising the risk of industrial action.

Aurotek reported record-high revenues in March and the first quarter of 2026, driven by a surge in market demand for its robotics products integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) software.

Apple's most price-competitive notebook ever, the MacBook Neo, triggered a buying frenzy immediately after its launch in March, with market demand significantly exceeding expectations. According to supply chain sources, Apple has already begun raising its annual shipment target from the original 5–8 million units to around 10 million. This move not only boosts confidence across the supply chain but also ignites a new round of order competition among major contract manufacturers.

Delta Electronics' record March revenue signals a global shift as cloud providers ramp up AI infrastructure spending, boosting demand for AI server power supplies and liquid cooling. Worldwide operators face pressure to adopt liquid cooling and higher-voltage DC power, affecting data center design, supplier strategies, and procurement across regions and markets.

As TSMC's entry into Kumamoto accelerates local industry, population, and tourism growth, Taiwanese smart mobility integrator Autopass announced on April 9, 2026, its plan to export integrated mobile and payment services to the Japanese market, starting with Kumamoto. The company aims to further expand across the entire Kyushu region.

Artificial intelligence is entering a capital-intensive phase, with industry executives warning that Asia's next generation of factories will be defined less by breakthroughs in algorithms than by constraints in energy, infrastructure, and capital allocation.

Despite revenue growth in March 2026, Catcher Technology is maintaining a prudent outlook for 2026, citing supply chain bottlenecks, cost pressures, and uncertain end-market demand.

Compal Electronics' stronger-than-expected March and first-quarter 2026 results signal supply-chain and product-mix shifts with global implications for PC supply, server capacity for AI workloads, and memory pricing dynamics. Investors and enterprise buyers may see tighter PC inventories and accelerated non-PC offerings as Compal pivots toward AI-focused server solutions and smart devices.

The US is moving to broaden restrictions on Chinese laboratories testing electronics, a step that could effectively exclude a large portion of China's testing ecosystem if the proposal is approved.

Merck presented integrated materials and inspection tools at Touch Taiwan 2026 as the panel industry pivots toward chip-on-panel (CPO) and advanced packaging. The company emphasized solutions to improve yield, resolution, energy efficiency, and inspection speed to support next-generation optoelectronic semiconductor integration.