Mouser Electronics, a global authorized distributor of electronic components and industrial automation products, added 63 new manufacturers to its line card in 2025, further increasing the range of components available to design engineers and purchasing professionals. The distributor also introduced more than 40,000 new part numbers over the year.

Corning and Meta Platforms have agreed to a multiyear deal valued at up to US$6 billion to supply optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions for Meta's US data center expansion. The agreement aims to support Meta's applications, technologies, and AI infrastructure needs.

Humanoid robots are the next frontier of embodied intelligence, and CES 2026 was proof that Chinese companies are in the lead. Among the 38 humanoid robot companies that exhibited at the show, 21 were Chinese. Companies from South Korea also demonstrated significant progress, now on par with the US.

Following the resolution of tariffs between Taiwan and the US, market concerns are expected to ease, leading to clearer procurement signals from end users and fostering optimism that the machine tool industry will recover from recent downturns. Industry experts indicate that this development is likely to result in a structurally driven rebound rather than a short-term uptick.

The optical film industry is undergoing significant upheaval as disruptions in the red supply chain force manufacturers to rethink their business models. Taiwan-based Efun Technology has adopted a "low volume, high quality" strategy, focusing on specialized products such as water-blocking films and satellite space-environment protective films. Water-blocking films are projected to become a major revenue contributor by 2026, while protective films for satellites have already secured manufacturing contracts with a US low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite customer.

DIGITIMES recently tracked the 2025 revenues of the world's top 20 EMS/ODM companies, with nine Taiwanese firms making the list, including Foxconn, Wistron (including Wiwynn), Quanta, Pegatron, Compal, Inventec, Accton, Qisda, and Universal Scientific Industrial (USI) listed in China.

The largest annual artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem event, AI EXPO Taiwan 2026, is confirmed to take place from March 25-27, 2026, at the Taipei Expo Dome. Compared to previous years, this edition will collaborate internationally with AI EXPO Korea, AI+ Power Hong Kong, and Tech Week Singapore to create a global exhibition zone, showcasing Taiwan's leadership in international AI technology exchange.

South Korea's total export value surpassed US$700 billion for the first time in 2025, with Vietnam remaining the third-largest trading partner and the second-largest source of South Korea's trade surplus. Booming semiconductor exports largely drove the growth.

With strong demand for AI servers, TSMC—holding the vast majority of AI chip orders—is executing major expansions in advanced process technology and packaging capacity. As TSMC and Nvidia light the way for AI development, related semiconductor and electronics suppliers across Taiwan are investing heavily to boost production capabilities in response to surging orders.

Taiwan's finance minister and central bank governor have welcomed the US promise to extend most-favored-nation treatment under Section 232 tariffs, calling it a strong endorsement of Taiwan's industries in the trade negotiations between the two countries.

The removal of US tariffs on Taiwan's machine tools has leveled the playing field with major competitors Japan and South Korea, offering some relief to the industry. However, while this short-term resolution eases concerns, long-term challenges such as exchange rate fluctuations remain unresolved. Even as market doubts fade and demand shows signs of recovery, Taiwanese manufacturers cannot afford complacency.

Taiwan's information and communications technology (ICT) sector—dominated by the semiconductor industry and Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS)—accounted for 65.2% of Taiwan's exports in 2024. This share is projected to rise to roughly 74% in 2025, reflecting the island's unique position in global industrial competition and underscoring profound implications for the country's future industrial trajectory.

India and the EU have finalized negotiations on a landmark free trade agreement (FTA), a move hailed as historic by both sides as they navigate strained relations with the US and global trade volatility, Reuters reported on January 26, 2026. The pact, expected to be announced on January 27, 2026, at the India-EU Summit in New Delhi, opens the door for free trade of goods between India and the 27-nation EU bloc, which together represent roughly a quarter of the world's GDP and a market of 2 billion consumers.

Sanmina announced a robust start to fiscal year 2026, reporting a 59% year-over-year increase in revenue for its first quarter ended December 27, 2025. The company's performance was significantly bolstered by the integration of ZT Systems and a surge in demand across the communications networks, cloud, and AI infrastructure end markets. Management expressed high confidence in the company's trajectory, aiming to double total revenue over the next two years primarily through massive opportunities in the artificial intelligence sector.

Taiwan's electricity demand is entering a new phase of sustained growth, driven by AI, semiconductors, and high-tech manufacturing. While the government accelerates grid resilience efforts, global shortages of critical power equipment—especially gas turbines and transformers—are inflating costs, delaying projects, and reshaping how the island plans its power future.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent highlighted at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland that 97% of advanced chips are produced in Taiwan, warning that any blockade or destruction of Taiwan would trigger "apocalyptic" economic consequences. Taiwanese government officials emphasize the island's critical role in miniaturizing and commercializing quantum computers, actively inviting international partners to collaborate. Taiwan plans to overcome noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) and wiring bottlenecks within five years, transitioning quantum computing from laboratory components to industrial-grade systems.

T-Head Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Alibaba, is reportedly preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), signaling a new growth phase for China's domestic AI chip sector. Industry sources in the semiconductor supply chain note that T-Head has already achieved stable shipments of certain edge AI chips, while its cloud AI chips are primarily used internally by Alibaba Cloud to support AI-related services, demonstrating comprehensive technical capabilities.

Kentec, a subsidiary of Kenmec Mechanical Engineering, is on track to achieve a significant profit turnaround by 2026 as it addresses rising demand for AI server cooling technology. As growing AI workloads push the physical limits of server chips, Kentec's leadership is strengthening its position with new liquid-cooling innovations for large-scale data centers.

Taiwan-based Kenmec Mechanical Engineering celebrated its 50th anniversary on January 24, 2026, marking a significant evolution from a traditional engineering contractor to a technology platform leader. Under founder and president Frank Hsieh and chairman Kevn Hsieh, the company is positioning itself around four core sectors—smart manufacturing and logistics, semiconductors, public infrastructure, and AI robotics—which form the basis of its growth strategy through 2026.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made a quiet entrance into Shanghai for his first China visit of 2026, landing at the company's new office—strategically positioned just 300 meters from AMD's Shanghai headquarters.

The Trump administration is planning to acquire a 10% equity stake in US rare earth mining company US Rare Earth through a combined debt-and-equity investment valued at approximately US$1.6 billion, according to multiple media reports. The move is aimed at reducing the US's reliance on China for critical minerals while strengthening national security and high-tech supply chains.

As global industrial landscapes restructure, Taiwanese companies are making record investments in the US, driven by a strategic shift from cost-cutting to resilience in supply chain management. AU Optronics (AUO) chairman and CEO Paul Peng underscored the necessity for Taiwanese firms to transition from passive manufacturing bases toward leveraging the US as a critical market, innovation center, and capital platform.

Booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers has fueled strong momentum for electronic manufacturing services (EMS) firms, with the surge also reflected in capital markets. However, performance has varied widely among companies. Pegatron chairman TH Tung said that his company's efforts over the past two to three years will pay off with triple-digit growth in 2026. He described the AI industry as entering a phase of aggressive expansion and expressed optimism that 2026 will be a year of unstoppable momentum.

Hyundai Motor is establishing a specialized parts procurement organization to build a scalable mass production system for its robotics business, focusing on securing the global supply chain of key components such as actuators. This strategic move aims to prepare Hyundai for future market demands in humanoid robots.