Rugged industrial PC (IPC) manufacturers are shifting their focus to drones, with ground control stations (GCS) serving as the primary entry point. Industry players note that since the Russia-Ukraine war, drones have become a decisive weapon on modern battlefields. Compared to the drones themselves, GCS devices share similarities with existing rugged tablet product lines, positioning 2026 as a key year for shipment growth.

US regulators have introduced a new inspection protocol for Nvidia’s H200 accelerators destined for China, requiring chips manufactured by TSMC to be shipped to the US for national security review before they can be re-exported. The unusual routing underscores Washington’s effort to maintain visibility over advanced computing hardware as global memory shortages threaten to slow new data center deployments through 2027.

PCB and semiconductor equipment manufacturer Ta Liang Technology reported a surge in orders as AI chip and AI server demand solidifies. Customers have been investing to expand capacity, driving demand for high-end CCD back-drilling machines, semiconductor advanced packaging measurement, and automated optical inspection (AOI) equipment to increase in 2025. This pushed cumulative revenue for the first 11 months of 2025 beyond the total for 2024, setting a record.

Inflation, tariffs, a shrinking housing market, and changing consumer habits have dampened sales of TVs and other home appliances in recent years, leading manufacturers to turn their focus to energy-saving and smart home products, as well as strengthening their presence in the commercial sector by launching new business models to counter the economic slowdown.