NPAQ pivots to AI infrastructure and satellite NTN amid memory market slump
INPAQ Technology, a unit of PSA Walsin Technology, reported that revenue and profit in the first quarter of 2026 fell year on year, citing a supply-demand imbalance in the memory market and sharp raw material price increases. The company said it expected a gradual recovery in the second half of 2026 as industry inventories normalized and new products and customers began contributing. INPAQ also outlined a strategic shift to deepen its antenna businesses and expand passive components for AI servers and high-performance computing.
CoPoS and FOPLP accelerate as Manz delivers its first 310mm electrochemical deposition equipment
Equipment maker Manz recently announced the successful delivery of the world’s first 310mm x 310mm panel-level packaging (PLP) electrochemical deposition (ECD) mass-production tool, further expanding its footprint in advanced packaging process equipment and demonstrating integrated capabilities spanning in-house R&D, process and system integration, and mass-production deployment.
Walsin sees passive component crunch stretching into 2028 as memory shortages weigh
Walsin Technology expects the tight supply of passive components could last into 2028, as demand from AI infrastructure, automotive electronics, and future device upgrades lifts orders while memory shortages weigh on shipments across the broader electronics supply chain.
BESS boom supply chain reshuffle: Automakers pivot to stationary battery systems
US automakers are shifting major battery investment away from electric vehicle traction packs and into stationary battery energy storage systems as policy changes and grid needs have altered market incentives, executives said. The move has accelerated in recent months as the expanding US BESS market and federal and local “Made in the US” subsidies have made large-scale stationary storage a more immediate commercial opportunity than some EV segments.
Taiwan urges tech gains for traditional industries
SpaceX’s US$2T debut forces Wall Street to tear up mega-cap map
SpaceX has broken through the US$2 trillion market-cap mark after completing the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history, surpassing Elon Musk’s other companies Tesla and Meta, and prompting Wall Street to reconsider the long-used “Magnificent Seven” framework.
Galatek opens Penang hub to meet surging semiconductor equipment demand
Galatek Technologies has opened a manufacturing, assembly, and delivery center in Penang, marking the AI-enabled automation and semiconductor equipment supplier’s first manufacturing site in Malaysia.
Apple resists ‘AI-for-AI’ hype as Silicon Valley’s token bill comes due
Amid widespread anxiety sparked by foreign media reports about an impending “Tokenpocalypse,” Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi signaled that Apple is not pursuing “AI for AI’s sake” at WWDC 2026, echoing a growing trend among Silicon Valley tech giants cautioning employees against using AI for the sake of using it.
South Korea’s chip equipment players ride the HBM4 wave
South Korea’s semiconductor equipment supply chain saw a material pickup in orders in the first half of 2026 as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix accelerated investment in advanced DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM4), generating demand across front-end tools, advanced packaging, and inspection equipment. The shift toward high-end process and packaging capabilities for AI memory has driven new contracts and revenue rebounds for domestic suppliers, according to executives and industry reporting.