02
Dec
Although Taiwan possesses core upstream technologies in the robotics supply chain, downstream applications are only just getting started. To fill the gap, companies have formed the Robotics Innovation Alliance (RIA), emphasizing that future efforts will begin from actual industry needs to connect the supply and demand sides and push applications toward successful commercialization.
02
Dec
TSMC-Intel legal dispute highlights Taiwan’s corporate espionage risks
Judicial authorities continue investigating former TSMC senior vice president Wei-Jen Lo for suspected violations of the National Security Act and for industrial espionage. The Intellectual Property branch of Taiwan’s High Prosecutors Office has instructed the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) to issue a search warrant at Lo’s Taipei and Hsinchu residences, granting permission to seize computers, USB drives, and other related evidence.
02
Dec
Panasonic raises tantalum capacitor prices, following US competitor steps
After Yageo’s subsidiary KEMET raised prices on its tantalum capacitors twice in less than six months, Panasonic, currently ranked as the fourth largest supplier, also decided to increase its quotes and has informed its distributor and direct customers that the new prices will take effect on February 1, 2026, with adjustments on certain specifications of capacitors reaching up to 30%.
02
Dec
Samsung restructures research and memory teams to reclaim HBM market share
Samsung Electronics is undertaking one of its most significant internal restructurings in years as the company pushes to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and regain momentum in the fast-growing HBM memory market. The overhaul includes converting its flagship research arm, the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, into a lab-based system and consolidating memory development teams under a new organization led by senior engineering executives.
02
Dec
New industry alliance aims to position Taiwan at the center of next-generation communications
Taipei Computer Association (TCA) announced on December 1 the establishment of the Taiwan NextGen Communications Alliance (TNGCA), a cross-industry coalition uniting the nation’s telecom operators, electronics manufacturers, and systems-integration firms to strengthen Taiwan’s position in next-generation communications.
02
Dec
Google CEO maps out quantum future and space data center plan
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has dismissed concerns that the company’s rapid expansion of its proprietary artificial intelligence infrastructure threatens Nvidia’s market dominance. He argued that global demand for AI compute is growing fast enough for multiple chipmakers to prosper.
02
Dec
Apple reportedly weighs Intel’s 18A-P for 2027 entry-level Mac chips, challenging TSMC’s exclusive grip
Despite Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and many industry veterans arguing that former TSMC senior vice president Wei-Jen Lo joining Intel will not materially affect TSMC — given the sheer complexity of modern semiconductor manufacturing and the impossibility of any single “hero” reshaping the field — the market is now weighing a more strategic angle behind Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s unusually strong public endorsement of Lo.
01
Dec
CXMT narrows DRAM gap; market impact may be smaller than expected?
China’s memory manufacturer CXMT, backed by government support, shifted to high-end technology development from 2025 and has introduced multiple next-generation DRAM products within a year, with performance approaching Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
01
Dec
Micron reportedly plans new Hiroshima fab to reduce reliance on Taiwan production
Micron Technology is reportedly planning to invest JPY1.5 trillion(US$9.6 billion) to establish a new high-bandwidth memory (HBM) manufacturing facility at its Hiroshima campus, according to Nikkei. The initiative aims to increase production of advanced chips designed for artificial intelligence (AI) systems and to lessen the company’s dependence on Taiwan amid growing concerns over global supply chain vulnerabilities.
01
Dec
PaleBlueDot AI seeks US$300m loan for Nvidia chips
US AI company PaleBlueDot AI is reportedly seeking a US$300 million loan to help Chinese social media platform RedNote (Xiaohongshu) use Nvidia’s high-end AI chips through a data center located in Tokyo.