Nvidia GPU server supply-chain vendors say the product transition will finish in second quarter 2026, setting up an upswing from the third quarter as demand stays strong and partners race to keep up with orders. The upbeat view points to solid momentum in the second half of the year, even as Nvidia's key component suppliers say they have been pushed "almost to the limit" by the pace of shipments.

As demand for AI chips surges, the battle for foundry orders is heating up. South Korean industry sources say the next 2-3 years will be a critical period for Samsung Electronics' foundry business, with its 2028 turnaround target hinging on stable operations at the Taylor plant and landing major orders.

The rising chance of a 2026 super El Niño, combined with surging power demand from AI data centers, is intensifying pressure on power systems and the grid. Bloom Energy said in a new report that on-site power generation is the answer for meeting data center electricity needs, and suppliers such as Kaori and Acbel Polytech are also upbeat on fuel-cell demand.

The memory industry is entering a super cycle as prices keep soaring, with industry sources saying third-quarter 2026 contract price gains show no sign of slowing amid tight supply from upstream vendors. Overall increases could reach 30% to 40%, after second-quarter 2026 contract prices already climbed 40%. As market prices continue to stack higher in the second half, profits at the top three memory manufacturers are set to expand sharply, driving a surge in full-year memory business earnings.

As global EV market growth slows, motor makers that once relied on EV power systems are moving faster to find new growth engines. Fukuta has extended its accumulated design, integration, and manufacturing capabilities in automotive all-in-one power systems into miniaturized power module applications such as drones and quadruped robot dogs, reflecting a broader shift in resource allocation amid cooling EV growth.

Founded in 2014, Oppstar is one of the few Malaysian companies operating at the front end of the semiconductor value chain as an IC design house. The company was established by three founders with extensive experience in the IC design industry: Meng Thai Ng, Hun Wah Cheah, and Chun Chiat Tan. Headquartered in Bayan Lepas, Penang, Oppstar opened an office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2022. From its inception, the company positioned itself as a one-stop IC design service provider, initially focusing on 16nm design nodes.

Power is now compute, and it is becoming a major driver of AI data center build costs. Renesas technical director Mu-Sen Lin said traditional data centers rely on low-voltage AC (LVAC), long wiring runs, and repeated AC-to-DC conversions through uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, reducing energy transmission efficiency.

Taiwan's electronics industry is stepping up its global ambitions as AI, data center infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing reshape supply chains. Speaking at the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC) on June 18, 2026, Foxconn chairman and Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA) chairman Young Liu outlined a strategy that combines overseas industrial parks, AI-driven transformation and next-generation factory automation.

Backlight module maker Darwin held its shareholders' meeting on June 17, 2026, and said it remains cautiously optimistic about 2026 revenue as its new businesses continue to gain traction. The company cited fresh commercial display orders in the US market and said organ-chip partner Anivance AI is also listed on an "Nvidia backdrop," adding momentum to its medical technology push.

Winbond's NOR flash has reportedly entered Nvidia's supply chain for the first time, as AI server demand drives a surge in memory consumption and Nvidia's next-generation Vera Rubin platform prepares for volume shipments in the second half of 2026. Industry sources said Winbond will align NOR flash shipments with customer rollout schedules and is expected to win a major share on the Vera Rubin platform.

Mirle Automation announced that chairman Houng Sun will step down and hand the role to chief executive officer Shih-Tung Lin, as the automation equipment maker moves to strengthen long-term development and leadership succession. Sun will remain on the board and has also been named honorary chairman.

As AI chip technology advances, larger chip sizes and heterogeneous integration packaging are driving bigger package dimensions, pushing semiconductor makers to adopt FOPLP over FOWLP and improve manufacturing efficiency by "replacing round with square." DIGITIMES believes that panel makers have an edge because their existing glass substrates are larger than those used by OSATs, making FOPLP development more favorable.

p class="P1" data-sourcepos="5:1-5:312;143-454"As the global electric vehicle (EV) market enters a correction phase, automakers are demanding more from both cost and efficiency. Fukuta has been steadily extending the design, integration, and manufacturing capabilities it built in automotive multi-in-one power systems into smaller power module applications.

The AI wave is rapidly reshaping the global semiconductor supply chain, and that upheaval is opening a new growth chapter for Taiwan's LED industry. As Taiwan's LED makers move away from the price wars of the consumer market, Nvidia's push to upgrade AI transmission standards to 1.6T, 3.2T, and beyond is exposing the physical limits of copper wiring, making scale-up the first battlefield in the competition between photons and electrons. Micro LED's high bandwidth and heat resistance position it as a key technology for the 3.2T-plus optical communications era.

Superior Plating Technology chairman Lei-Je Hua said the company is shifting more resources into AI liquid cooling, CPO communication modules, and nearline HDDs for AI data centers, while expanding production in Thailand and adding a new manufacturing base in Vietnam to build a multinational supply chain and meet customers' capacity-relocation needs. After years focused on precision metal surface treatment, the company said its revenue exposure to major smartphone customers has fallen sharply as it aligns with its group's long-term strategy. It is now targeting a more diversified, higher-margin product mix.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) is rapidly gaining ground in the silicon capacitor market as AI infrastructure investment and technology upgrades accelerate demand. After landing its first major silicon capacitor order, the company is in talks with additional potential customers, while its multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) business is also expanding and operating profit is expected to hit a record high.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's recent trip to South Korea put the spotlight on the rivalry between Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, while memory giant Micron crossed the US$1 trillion market-cap mark for the first time. That shift has also drawn global attention to Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, whose rise began with a string of dramatic visa rejections 50 years ago.

Equipment maker Manz recently announced the successful delivery of the world's first 310mm x 310mm panel-level packaging (PLP) electrochemical deposition (ECD) mass-production tool, further expanding its footprint in advanced packaging process equipment and demonstrating integrated capabilities spanning in-house R&D, process and system integration, and mass-production deployment.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) convened its industrial advisory committee on June 12, 2026, with Minister Ming-Hsin Kung saying participants focused on how to help traditional industries upgrade and transform through semiconductor supply chain spillover, practical AI adoption, and industry alliances.