At CES 2026, leading South Korean corporations such as LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, and Samsung Electronics drew attention by focusing on robot actuators—critical components that function as joints in humanoid robots. Industry experts highlight actuators as a key growth market, as a single humanoid robot requires over 100 actuators to ensure performance and manage costs. This focus aligns with the growing interest in physical artificial intelligence applications across sectors.

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%.

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.