Once hailed as a cornerstone for achieving net-zero goals, hydrogen development is losing steam globally amid soaring construction costs and geopolitical headwinds. Many countries are now pivoting to more immediate, cost-effective technologies.

While the aggressive US tariff policy is heaping heavy pressure on Taiwan’s industrial operations and strategic planning, Edwin Liu, president of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), emphasized that Taiwan must turn this crisis into an opportunity for transformation. He urged Taiwanese industries to avoid destructive price wars in saturated markets and instead target niche or “blue ocean” opportunities, leveraging the island’s technological strengths to stay ahead.

Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), a subsidiary of Foxconn, is poised for significant revenue and profit growth in the first quarter of 2025, driven by improving shipments of next-generation AI servers and stable market demand. This promising performance is expected to positively impact Foxconn’s overall financial results.

Compared to the wafer fabrication industry, which is highly restricted by equipment limitations, China’s IC design sector—based on the opportunities within its domestic market—appears to have a more optimistic outlook. According to DIGITIMES, the output value of China’s IC design industry reached US$35.8 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to US$73.2 billion by 2030, achieving double-digit annual growth. From autonomous driving chips to electronic design automation (EDA) tools, China aims to cover all aspects of the semiconductor industry and cultivate domestic leaders in each field. Huawei’s HiSilicon, Cambricon (AI accelerators), Horizon Robotics (ADAS), and Silergy (often referred to as “China’s Texas Instruments”) all play key roles in this ecosystem.