The petrochemical industry has been stuck in an intensely competitive red ocean market. The Chinese government has begun promoting measures to curb excessive internal competition, and the cycle of low-price competition is expected to ease in 2026. Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation (FCFC) launched a streamlining plan in the second half of 2025 and is actively shifting toward the compound plastics market. To enter higher-end markets, FCFC plans to complete 5N hydrogen purification equipment by 2027 to secure a foothold in the electronics industry supply chain, while continuing research and development in silicon carbide to align with advanced chip thermal management technologies.

Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, the Government Investment Corporation (GIC), has made significant investments in artificial intelligence startups Anthropic and MiniMax amidst rising concerns about an AI investment bubble. Anthropic recently closed a funding round valuing it at US$35 billion, with GIC as a key backer. At the same time, Chinese AI startup MiniMax saw a strong stock debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, also reportedly supported by GIC.

Unlike previous CES editions that focused on full humanoid robot systems, CES 2026 highlighted the standalone importance of dexterous hands. As the core interface for human–machine interaction, dexterous hands set the ceiling for robotic performance and represent the “last mile” in humanoid robot capability.