Largan braces for 1Q26 seasonal dip as capacity utilization loosens

Largan Precision, a leading optical lens manufacturer, held its earnings call on January 8 to announce its fourth-quarter 2025 and full-year 2025 financial results. Benefiting from new product pull-ins by customers, the company posted consolidated full-year 2025 revenue of NT$61.15 billion (US$1.94 billion), up 3% year over year and surpassing the previous record of NT$60.75 billion set in 2019. However, gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2025 unexpectedly fell below 50%, slipping to 47.8%.

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Taiwan targets SiPh CPO-AI ecosystem in 10-year plan

Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has designated the silicon photonics (SiPh) co-packaged optics (CPO)-AI ecosystem as a core focus for the next decade, aiming to advance key AI computing infrastructure and technologies. This move aligns with the government’s new AI-driven initiatives under the “New Ten Major AI Construction Projects,” which include unmanned vehicles, smart robots, SiPh, and quantum technology development. The NSTC’s decision comes amid a stalled 2026 budget proposal totaling NT$299.2 billion (US$9.5 billion), which includes funding for these critical tech sectors. If the 2026 plan is interrupted, continuation will depend on securing support beyond 2027 to maintain momentum in this strategic area.

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AMEC chairman plans share sale after restoring Chinese citizenship

AMEC disclosed on January 8, 2026, that its founder and chairman, Gerald Yin, plans to reduce his personal shareholding over the next three months to meet tax obligations following his restoration of Chinese citizenship. The filing shows that Yin plans to sell up to 290,000 shares via centralized bidding starting 15 trading days after the announcement, with the sale window running from January 30 to April 29, 2026. The transaction represents 0.046% of AMEC’s total outstanding shares.

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Iluvatar CoreX IPO highlights China’s race to scale general-purpose GPUs

Shanghai Iluvatar CoreX Semiconductor, a Chinese general-purpose GPU developer, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s Main Board on January 8, 2025. Shares were priced at HKD144.6 (US$18.5), raising about HKD3.7 billion (US$474 million). The stock jumped 31.5% at the open to HKD190.2, lifting its debut valuation above HKD47.5 billion, signalling investor demand for China’s domestic compute hardware.

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AMIES Technology acquires SMEE affiliate in US$32m deal, clarifying China’s lithography split

China’s domestic lithography sector is entering another phase of internal restructuring, with AMIES Technology consolidating industrial assets originally spun out from Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (Group) Co., Ltd. (SMEE). Corporate filings and Shanghai Securities News show that AMIES has acquired 100% of Shanghai Weiyao Industrial Co. for CNY228.5 million (US$32.5 million), replacing SMEE as the sole shareholder. The transaction completes SMEE’s exit from Weiyao while keeping the asset within the SMEE-origin corporate structure.

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