TSMC doubles down on equipment purchase as AI demand is outpacing semiconductor supply chain planning

TSMC says surging AI demand is stretching the global chip industry beyond its usual planning cycle, with fast-changing procurement needs, labor shortages, and infrastructure constraints affecting markets far beyond Taiwan. The company is expanding aggressively, but executives say the pace of demand is still outrunning the ecosystem’s ability to respond.

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Solomon leverages AI vision and optical tech to tap semiconductor inspection market

Solomon Technology, a Taiwanese artificial intelligence (AI) 3D vision company, is showcasing two key inspection applications that integrate its core AI vision and optical technologies at Semicon Taiwan 2026. The applications include full-wafer warpage detection inside front-opening unified pods (FOUP)/cassettes and through-glass via (TGV) aperture defect inspection technology, aimed at preventing equipment downtime during manufacturing processes and ensuring the yield and quality of next-generation advanced packaging.

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Huawei, Xiaomi to launch new foldable smartphones ahead of Apple

Samsung Electronics launched its new Galaxy Z series foldable smartphones, including its first wide-folding model, kicking off this year’s foldable smartphone battle. With attention on the upcoming release of Apple’s debut foldable smartphone, the market reported on September 2 that Xiaomi and Huawei will unveil new foldables on September 7, ahead of Apple.

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Zeiss deepens Taiwan bet as advanced chip packaging raises the stakes for inspection tools

Zeiss is expanding its Taiwan presence as artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates demand for smaller chips, vertical stacking, and 2.5D and 3D heterogeneous integration. The shift is increasing the need for metrology, inspection, and failure analysis, and Zeiss is planning a semiconductor innovation center in northern Taiwan to support validation and application development.

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AOC Q27U4D is the first model from the new AOC U4 series, boasts a 26.5-inch 144Hz QD-OLED panel

The AOC Q27U4D is the first model from the new AOC U4 series. The brand launched it with a total of three models, each featuring a brand-new stand design, recognized with a 2026 Red Dot Award. The display and its stand adopt a refined dual‑tone treatment that gives the entire unit a calm, modern presence. Its clean, uninterrupted surfaces help it blend naturally into professional spaces where…

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AOC U27U4D and AOC U27U4 go official with 120Hz 4K Penta Tandem QD-OLED panels

In addition to the AOC Q27U4D, AOC has also introduced two other models from the brand new AOC U4 series – the AOC U27U4D and the AOC U27U4. Although AOC provides full specifications for both models and we examined them closely, we were unable to identify any technical differences, despite the additional “D” in the model name. For now, we will treat them as separate entries in case the official…

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SB Energy eyes US listing as Nvidia commits US$1.5 billion

SB Energy, the data center and power infrastructure company under SoftBank Group, filed for an IPO with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 1, planning to list under the ticker “SBE” on Nasdaq and Nasdaq Texas. The deal could value the company at more than US$50 billion, while Nvidia’s promised US$1.5 billion investment has emerged as the most prominent backing for the offering.

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Column: From automation to autonomy—what robotics still needs to make the leap

I visited Automation Taipei 2026 in mid-August, where the show looked lively and occupied a footprint 7% larger than in 2025. Physical AI and vision-language-action (VLA) models dominated the venue. Yet most robots on display still repeated fixed motions behind barriers, highlighting how far robotics has to go to move from automation to autonomy.

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JPC Connectivity sees AI demand driving orders into 2027 as margins benefit from longer lead times

JPC Connectivity said demand tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure continued to strengthen in the second quarter of 2026, lifting orders for optical communications, high-speed transmission, and high-power products. The connector and cable maker said visibility now stretched into 2027, and in some cases into 2028, even as tight supply and longer lead times for key components continued to constrain near-term delivery.

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