Imec CEO Patrick Vandenameele said during a media briefing at SEMICON Taiwan 2026 that the Belgian research center is broadening its collaboration base in the AI era, extending beyond IC design firms to include model developers and cloud service providers as AI reshapes how computing systems are built and connected. Vandenameele said Imec is well positioned because what is happening in AI aligns with the organization’s core mission, but its role has also changed significantly.

AI’s early-stage growth is creating a short-term squeeze on land, talent, capital, and power in Taiwan, but there is no such thing as a world that cannot do without Taiwan, ASE Technology CEO and SEMI Global Board Executive Committee Chair Tien Wu said. He made the remarks at a pre-show conference on August 31 ahead of SEMICON Taiwan 2026, which runs from September 2 to 4.

Several Chinese smartphone brands raised prices across entry-level and premium models on September 1, citing IT Home, Antutu, MyDrivers and Sina. The increases coincided with the start of the back-to-school buying season in China and reflected the pass-through of higher component costs to end customers.

Tim Cook’s tenure as Apple CEO has officially drawn to a close after nearly 15 years. Cook stepped down as CEO and became Executive Chairman, while Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus took over as CEO. The move marks Apple’s first major leadership transition since Cook succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011.