Audi’s rebranding experiment backfires as Germany’s big-three automakers plunge into China’s price wars

Volkswagen AG’s “in China for China” strategy is facing an uphill battle in the market after less than six months, with the company now entering a fierce pricing war that has spread from the electric vehicle (EV) market to internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, and even dragging BMW and Mercedes-Benz into the crossfire.

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South Korea, Singapore launch FTA upgrade focused on AI, SMR nuclear, space, and quantum

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on March 2 and agreed to launch negotiations to upgrade the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). The upgrade expands cooperation beyond traditional trade into artificial intelligence (AI), small modular reactors (SMR), space and satellite technology, and quantum science, reflecting a shift toward structured technology and energy collaboration.

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Seoul’s AW 2026: Hyundai debuts MobED as China’s humanoid leaders move in

Hyundai Motor Group’s Robotics LAB will showcase its CES Best of Innovation Award-winning mobile robot platform, Mobile Eccentric Droid (MobED), at Smart Factory &Automation World (AW) 2026, underscoring the rapid expansion of AI-driven and humanoid robotics in manufacturing. Held from March 4-6 at Coex in Seoul, AW 2026 is positioning itself beyond a traditional smart factory exhibition, reflecting the industry’s accelerating shift toward AI-native production systems, intelligent logistics, and next-generation robotics.

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Trade tensions deepen Nvidia and TSMC’s strategic grip on AI infrastructure

As expected, Nvidia delivered another strong earnings beat for the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2026, reinforcing the view that global demand for AI computing remains resilient despite mounting geopolitical pressures. For the fiscal year, the company posted more than US$120 billion in profit with a gross margin of 71.1%, underscoring the extraordinary profitability of AI infrastructure even as export controls and trade tensions intensified during the first year of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

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Memory price surge spreads to servers; Wiwynn flags sharp post-holiday cost jump

Memory price increases are beginning to affect the server market. Wiwynn said that in 2025, server customers and memory suppliers were protected by long-term pricing agreements, but price growth accelerated sharply after the 2026 Lunar New Year. Customer demand remains unchanged. Higher memory costs will pressure ODM gross margins, while final profit and earnings per share (EPS) are expected to remain stable.

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