The humanoid robotics industry is looking beyond mechanical structures for its next wave of innovation, with materials emerging as a potential focus for new market opportunities. A Google-backed humanoid robot startup is exploring electronic paper as a next-generation display technology for robot skin, with Taiwan-based E Ink Holdings (EIH) entering the supply chain.

The building where Saeed Amidi runs his global venture empire was once one of the most important semiconductor facilities on the West Coast. Philips Electronics operated a fabrication plant here in Sunnyvale, California, employing 8,000 people at its peak. Then, like much of America’s chip manufacturing base, it moved to Asia — to Taiwan, to Korea, to the supply chains that would come to define the global electronics industry for the next three decades.

Airoha Technology is sharpening its strategy around global networking and edge AI chips, aiming to expand its customer base and strengthen its competitive moat. The MediaTek subsidiary is targeting infrastructure, audio, and positioning markets with products already shipping, in production, or advancing through development milestones that could matter to users and operators worldwide.

Compal Electronics said it was scaling up its server business and expects server revenue to reach 8-10% of total sales in 2026 as AI server rack-scale systems ramp and a new Texas plant begins operations in the second half. The company reported that server sales rose to 5% of revenue in the first quarter of 2026 from less than 1% previously, driven by a shift from printed circuit board (PCB) assembly to rack-level and full-system solutions that increase revenue per project.