Research Insight: The rising chip cost inside every car is forcing a rethink in China

As electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies spread rapidly, and as automotive electrical and electronic (E/E) architectures grow more centralized, the value of semiconductors embedded in each vehicle is rising sharply. According to an analysis by DIGITIMES, the average semiconductor content per car is expected to increase from about US$759 in 2024 to US$1,332 by 2030.

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Taiwan-US tariff pact sets stage for machinery industry recovery, currency challenge persists

The recent Taiwan-US tariff agreement, establishing a reciprocal 15% tariff rate under the most-favored-nation (MFN) principle without stacking, marks a significant development for Taiwan’s traditional manufacturing sectors, particularly the machinery industry. The resolution has been welcomed as a move toward restoring fairer competition with key rivals like Japan and South Korea, although concerns about exchange rate volatility persist.

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Quanta rushing to hire and expand as AI server demand holds strong

Server ODM Quanta Computer is aggressively expanding production, with the expectation that capacity will double again by the end of 2026. Quanta’s Executive Vice President and Quanta Cloud Technology (QCT) General Manager Mike Yang said that not only will manufacturing capacity increase, but the engineering staff responsible for R&D will also expand from nearly 3,000 people to an additional 500-800 employees.

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Europe moves to reinforce its satellite internet ambitions with new OneWeb order

Eutelsat, the satellite operator backed by the French and British governments, announced this week that it has placed an additional order for 340 next-generation OneWeb satellites with Airbus Defence and Space. Combined with a previous order of 100 satellites placed in December 2024, the total procurement now stands at 440 low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, with deliveries expected to begin in late 2026.

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Server ODMs shrug off US-Taiwan tariff deal, prioritize customer demands

The recent US-Taiwan tariff agreement has minimal effect on servers’ original design manufacturers (ODMs), as server products were excluded from both previous reciprocal tariffs and the semiconductor-related Section 232 tariffs. Industry insiders say that rather than tariffs, customer preferences drive production decisions, with most companies now manufacturing in the US primarily to meet customer requirements.

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