National Development Council (NDC) minister Chun-Hsien Yeh has pointed out that shifting global geopolitical risks are disrupting supply chains. To adapt, Taiwan aims to seize the AI trend by advancing its “five trusted industries” that are closely linked with AI development. The government’s strategy includes promoting 10 major AI infrastructure projects to generate over NT$15 trillion (US$462 billion) in output value, driving nationwide industrial upgrades through AI commercialization and integration toward becoming a smart nation.

The ongoing shortage of memory chips is sending ripples through the industrial-computer, networking, and consumer-electronics sectors, raising costs and straining profit margins. Several networking companies acknowledge that tight DDR4 supply has become a structural issue, affecting nearly all product lines. Analysts and executives warn that gross margins could come under sustained pressure through 2026, prompting firms to negotiate with customers to share the burden of rising costs.

The International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) will take place from February 15 to 19, 2026, in San Francisco, US, with MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai delivering the opening keynote on semiconductor innovation amid the AI era. The conference highlights a surge in submissions and shifting geographic leadership in integrated circuit (IC) design research.

Kneron has launched its next-generation KL1140 edge AI chip, introducing a processor that the company claims can reduce inference costs by tenfold and deliver three times higher energy efficiency compared to cloud-based solutions. The release comes as chip suppliers and system vendors seek ways to mitigate the power burden created by the rapid adoption of AI.