Taiwan posts fastest growth in 15 years as AI boom drowns out hollowing-out fears

Taiwan’s economy expanded 8.63% in 2025, its strongest growth in 15 years, as the island’s semiconductor-driven supply chain continued to underpin global demand for AI computing. Minister of Economic Affairs Ming-hsin Kung said on February 5 that despite a high base effect from the previous year, Taiwan is expected to maintain resilience and flexibility into 2026.

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China pulls the plug on EV door-handle futurism

A single regulatory notice issued recently by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has made the country the first in the world to formally declare the end of what might be called the automotive industry’s “era of invisibility.” Under the new rules, beginning Jan. 1, 2027, all new vehicles sold in China will be prohibited from using fully electric hidden door handles. The regulation effectively applies the brakes to an industry-wide push toward ever more electronic, futuristic design, forcing automakers to return to a basic principle of physical safety.

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MediaTek warns of sharp smartphone revenue drop in early 2026 as cost pressures mount

MediaTek said smartphone-related revenue is expected to fall sharply in the first quarter of 2026. The company’s smartphone segment recorded a quarterly revenue high in the fourth quarter of 2025, with full-year revenue exceeding US$10 billion, up 8% year-on-year and setting a new record. Flagship chips accounted for US$3 billion of that total. Based on end-market demand, MediaTek’s smartphone chip shipments are estimated to be split roughly 30% for high-end models and 70% for mid- and low-tier devices.

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Insight: ASIC servers accelerate liquid cooling adoption, share set to surge in 2026

Liquid cooling adoption has been led by Nvidia servers, with ASIC servers now accelerating the shift. DIGITIMES Research estimates liquid cooling will account for 50% of AI server thermal solutions in 2026, driven largely by ASIC platforms. Industry sources said cooling suppliers are not only targeting Nvidia GPU systems but are increasingly competing for ASIC server orders due to higher margins.

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512Gb NAND wafer shortage triggers forced upgrades, narrows gap with 1Tb

The supply landscape for 3D NAND wafers is being structurally reshaped as major manufacturers shift capacity aggressively toward enterprise storage. While output of mainstream 1Tb dies is ramping rapidly, prices for 512Gb TLC wafers have surged. Though 1Tb TLC wafer prices rose to around US$23 in February 2026, the gap with 512Gb wafers has narrowed sharply to below 30%.

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AI startups capture majority of global venture capital in 2025, Best Brokers analysis shows

Artificial intelligence startups drew more than half of global venture capital funding in 2025, marking a significant shift in investor focus toward AI and machine learning companies, according to an analysis by Best Brokers. The report found that AI startups accounted for US$270.2 billion of the US$512.6 billion deployed worldwide, representing 52.7% of total venture capital deal value.

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