SK Hynix’s production workers’ union has approved a revised pay agreement that raises the cash share of employee profit-sharing bonuses, ending weeks of uncertainty after members rejected the previous proposal by just 25 votes.
Samsung Electronics’ in-house Exynos application processors (APs) are steadily regaining lost ground in the global smartphone market. Samsung’s share of the global smartphone AP market rose to 9% in the second quarter of 2026, up 2 percentage points from the previous quarter and 3 percentage points from a year earlier, marking a second straight quarterly increase.
AI, high-performance computing, and advanced packaging are accelerating demand for glass substrates, but smaller through-glass vias are making conventional filling methods harder to use. Geckos is promoting a copper paste process with vacuum printing as an alternative that could improve yield, lower costs, and support denser interconnects.
Global cloud service providers are continuing to expand AI infrastructure, driving a surge in demand for high-frequency, high-speed PCBs and making copper-clad laminate (CCL) upgrades increasingly critical to system performance. With both PCB layer counts and material specifications rising, Taiwan suppliers including Elite Material (EMC), Taiwan Union Technology (TUC), Iteq, Nan Ya Plastics, and Ventec are expected to sustain strong shipments through the second half of 2026.
As AI servers drive demand for higher-speed optical interconnects and co-packaged optics (CPO) moves toward volume production, silicon photonics testing is shifting from component-performance verification toward wafer-yield protection and earlier risk screening.
International conflicts, shifting trade rules, and rising carbon costs are forcing companies worldwide to rethink investment plans and supply chains. The EU has proposed extending free carbon allowances for sectors covered by its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), while tightening decarbonization expectations, underscoring how climate policy and geopolitics are becoming increasingly linked for global industry.
Slowing EV growth in North America, tariffs, and policy restrictions are pushing automakers and battery suppliers to repurpose idle capacity. At the same time, surging power demand and grid volatility from generative AI data centers are lifting demand for battery energy storage systems (BESS), making energy storage a key diversification market alongside defense, drones, and humanoid robots.
Suppliers in China’s AR glasses supply chain see the approximately 2 billion people worldwide with myopia as a potential market and said shipments are set to double year after year, even as the industry continues to sift winners from losers. At this year’s China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE), smart glasses remained a standout theme alongside optical communications.
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