17 Apr
Latest News and Trends

Taiwan and Japan solidify lead in transmission component market for humanoid robots

The rise of new hardware designs for humanoid robots has created fresh opportunities across the supply chain, with linear actuators — which act as the muscles of robots that mimic human anatomy — now becoming key components in this evolution. Amid the ongoing reshuffling in the transmission component supply chain, the consensus among industry players is that Taiwanese and Japanese manufacturers are unlikely to yield their longtime dominant position in the field.

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16 Apr
Latest News and Trends

TSMC hints at next-gen LPU bid, stokes speculation that Samsung’s Groq order may not last

TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei disclosed at the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings call that the foundry is collaborating with a customer on next-generation LPU development —a remark that stopped short of naming Nvidia— but that supply chain observers widely read as signaling TSMC’s intent to compete for the inference chip business currently manufactured by Samsung.

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16 Apr
Latest News and Trends

Yageo posts 40% YoY profit rise in 1Q26, driven by AI demand, price hikes

Passive component manufacturer Yageo held its first-quarter 2026 online earnings call on April 15, reporting strong financial results. Company CEO David Wang said that robust demand from applications related to artificial intelligence (AI) boosted sales of both standard and specialty products. Combined with the gradual impact of price increases, this drove significant growth in revenue and profits for the quarter, exceeding previous projections.

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16 Apr
Latest News and Trends

TSMC guides over 15% 2Q26 revenue growth, N3 margins set to top average

TSMC posted a record profit of NT$572.48 billion (US$18.06 billion) in the first quarter of 2026, marking another high in overall performance. For the second quarter of 2026, TSMC guided revenue between US$39 billion and US$42 billion, up 8.6% to 17% sequentially, or NT$1.236 trillion to NT$1.331 trillion at NT$31.7 per US dollar. Gross margin is forecast at 65.5%–67.5%, with operating margin at 56.5%–58.5%.

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16 Apr
Latest News and Trends

MCU demand pull-in lifts first-quarter sales, inflation risk clouds outlook

The traditional off-season for consumer electronics showed unexpected strength in the first quarter of 2026, with microcontroller (MCU) suppliers reporting a wave of early orders. Customers, facing rising costs and sharp increases in memory prices, have accelerated procurement due to concerns over future supply shortages. This front-loading of demand has effectively brought forward the peak season. Still, industry players caution that inflationary pressure linked to ongoing Middle East conflicts could weigh on end-market demand.

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