Will Customers Buy Costlier US-made TSMC Chips?
Strong demand for AI chips has boosted revenue for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TMSC), while also being the most important argument for expanding the capacity of TSMC fabs in the U.S. Who will pay for the extra costs borne by supply chain diversification?
‘China First’: Beijing’s Incoming Semiconductor Explosion
China’s wafer foundries are said to be ramping up capacity, and Taiwan’s Powerchip and Vanguard International are already feeling the heat. As China eyes producing all the semiconductors it uses domestically, how will Taiwan’s IC sector respond?
As China exports deflation, can steel, solar, and EVs hold up?
Global supply chains may be eager to shift away from China, but they find themselves unable to resist the allure of low-priced steel and solar panels. With the U.S. engaging in chip wars and imposing tariffs, safeguarding the EV industry becomes paramount.
How Long Can Nvidia’s Lead Last?
The just-concluded Nvidia GTC conference outstripped even Apple's product launches. The surge in demand for hardware driven by generative AI has put Nvidia in the winner's seat. But as computing power shifts from the cloud to the edge, will the landscape change?
Taiwan’s Largest Steelmaker Faces Green Transition Challenge
Taiwan’s leading steelmaker China Steel Corporation (CSC) cannot finance the shift away from conventional coal-based blast furnace production to sustainable steelmaking by itself. While other countries invest huge amounts in the decarbonization of steelmaking, China Steel lacks the financial resources to go green. What can be done?
Why Taiwan ETFs Are Breaking Records
Taiwanese investors have been pouring funds into high dividend ETFs, creating a US$1.33 billion domino effect. These funds are upending Taiwan’s capital markets and financial ecosystem, but are they also putting investors at risk?
The 30-Year Journey of KOI Thé, Taiwan's Bubble Tea Leader
Taiwan, the birthplace of bubble tea, consumes 1.1 billion cups of beverages annually. Despite being in the market for 30 years since its establishment in 1994, why is 50 Lan, KOI Thé’s parent company, still the favorite among consumers?
How the IC market is being shaped by two TSMC wizzes
Two TSMC technical wizzes, both faced with adversity. One stuck it out with the chip making giant, the other broke ties with the company, but both still have outsized impacts on the global chip industry. How are their fates different? Our veteran tech reporter observes.
Why NVIDIA developer conference fails to boost stock price
Nvidia President Jensen Huang graced the company’s developer conference with his presence but investors were somehow unimpressed.
A look inside NVIDIA and Jensen Huang’s ambition
In a visit to NVIDIA's headquarters in Silicon Valley, Jensen Huang explains why he believes NVIDIA is not just a chip company but an "AI platform enterprise."
How Taiwan's auto lighting king Depo breaks into Europe
For Depo Auto Parts Industrial Co., Taiwan's leading vehicle headlight supplier, the past two years have been its best yet in nearly a half-century thanks to finally cracking the European auto market—but only after a grinding 5-year campaign of rejections.
The U.S.-China Battle for Space: Should Low-orbit Satellites Worry Taiwan?
The United States and China are battling for dominance in space, in part by feverishly deploying low-orbit satellites to bolster their communication networks and defense systems. Taiwan wants in on this space race, but can it develop these critical satellites on its own?
Taiwan ETF growth tops the world, highlighting three major risks
High-dividend ETFs, once considered regular investment targets, have transformed into a speculative tool in Taiwan. With Taiwanese retail investors rushing to buy ETFs, boasting the world's highest five-year compound growth rate, what impact will this have on Taiwan's stock market?
How AI Stock Socionext Became Japan’s Largest IPO
Socionext, a joint venture between time-honored Japanese electronics giants Fujitsu and Panasonic, is the largest designer of custom-designed integrated circuits in Japan. Banking on the advanced manufacturing technology of chip foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the company has evolved into a new leader in the AI chip war. What’s the story behind this success?
The Japan-Taiwan semiconductor island chain
TSMC recently opened a new wafer fab in Japan, igniting a new era of semiconductor cooperation between Japan and Taiwan. What motivated TSMC to expand into Japan, and how could this new “island chain” affect the global semiconductor market?
Behind AMAX, one of NVIDIA’s earliest partners
Taiwanese AI company AMAX, which just joined the Taiwan stock market last year, was established in Silicon Valley over 40 years ago. With half of its revenue from AI, it stands as one of NVIDIA's first GPU server partners. How did they achieve this?
Meet Japan's largest semiconductor technology company
In an exclusive interview, Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL), Japan's largest technology company, reveals how it boldly transformed after Japan's semiconductor downturn of three decades, surpassing Sony in market value and becoming the world's fourth-largest semiconductor equipment manufacturer.
Why is Japan's chip czar welcoming TSMC with open arms?
Celebrated as the Japanese political figure with the deepest understanding of the semiconductor sector, Akira Amari, leader of the parliamentary association to promote semiconductor strategy, stresses that Japan will need the capability to manufacture its own high-end logic ICs if it is to maintain autonomy in the world of tech. What role can Taiwan play in this?
What Foxconn's 50th anniversary party reveals
On February 20th, Foxconn held its 50th-anniversary gala dinner in Taipei. The congratulatory videos from Apple CEO Tim Cook and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang hinted at strengthened cooperation in areas like AI. What does this mean for Foxconn's future?
JASM grand opening: Can it restore semiconductor glory in Japan?
On February 24th, TSMC's JASM facility in Kumamoto had a grand opening. Backed by strong Japanese government support, it's ahead of schedule compared to the Arizona plant in the US. TSMC's founder, Morris Chang, openly admits Japan's advantageous semiconductor industry development. What impact will JASM have on Japan's semiconductor revival?
How Shein exports China’s “sinking market”
Chinese e-commerce companies Shein and Temu have conquered the world, capturing teenage American girls. CommonWealth’s investigative team went deep into the territory behind Guangzhou-based Shein’s empire to understand how China is drawing the entire world into Shein’s vortex of consumption.
Taiwan-made machinery is still sold in Russia, what can the manufacturers do about it?
The U.S. has intensified its scrutiny over Taiwanese machine tools being rerouted to Russia through third countries, with investigations reportedly encompassing more than 90 companies. The majority of the machine tool industry finds itself caught in the "Russian storm". If measures such as customer restrictions and signing non-resale agreements are futile, what solutions remain?
Can Taiwan’s first Mandarin LLM prevent an invasion of Chinese Mandarin AI?
Since the emergence of ChatGPT and Chinese Internet giant Baidu’s announcement of its own Chinese language chat bot, Taiwan has felt the need to develop a generative AI solution that is leveraging Traditional Chinese data from Taiwan instead of China. Does it meet expectations?
‘Made by China’ Hiding in SE Asia: A 10-year analysis of Apple supply chain
The U.S.-China trade war and China’s zero-COVID shutdowns accelerated Apple’s desire to move production out of China and diversify its manufacturing bases. But after combing through lists of Apple’s suppliers over the past 10 years, CommonWealth Magazine found that the number of Chinese enterprises among those suppliers actually increased rather than decreased, squeezing out American and Japanese companies.
Taiwan joins US-China low-orbit satellite arms race
The United States and China are battling for dominance in space, in part by feverishly deploying low-orbit satellites to bolster their communication networks and defense systems. Taiwan wants in on this space race, but can it develop these critical satellites on its own?
Revelations from Mark Liu's last shareholders' meeting before retiring from TSMC
During TSMC's shareholders' meeting on January 18th, Mark Liu made his final appearance as chairman of the semiconductor giant. He shared his insights on TSMC's plans to expand overseas. How will TSMC navigate the challenges of the precarious geopolitical environment?
How MediaTek left Huawei in the dust
One unanticipated side effect of the U.S. chip export ban is that Chinese tech companies like Huawei have turned the crisis into an opportunity. But smartphones fitted with Taiwan's MediaTek chips are still the king of the market. What is MediaTek's secret?
What’s Trend Micro’s solution to the AI cybersecurity crisis?
Around 50% of small and medium-sized companies in Taiwan have been targeted by hackers demanding ransom payments, and generative AI is making it easier for cybercriminals. In light of the increasing number of cybersecurity incidents and a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, how does Trend Micro's new platform, Vision One, turn the tide?
U.S. weapons maker Northrop Grumman to add Taiwan to its supply chain
Northrop Grumman, a US-based multinational aerospace and defense technology company, has opened a new office in Taiwan, preparing to invest US$100 million in Taiwan’s domestic defense industry. The production of 30 mm chain gun ammunition on the island under license has been confirmed.
Coretronic drones soar over DJI in the US market
Taiwanese-made Coretronic drones are becoming popular in the United States. With their advanced AI and flight control systems, they're competing strongly against China's DJI. The key to their success? Coretronic doesn't have its own brand, and that's working really well for them.
MEAN WELL Suzhou new factory capitalize on worldwide growth momentum
MEAN WELL, in its continuous pursuit of excellence, has established the world's largest standard power supply production base at its Suzhou Smart Park. Moreover, it is actively expanding its presence in China with a goal of partnering with 100 ESG enterprises by 2030.
Are Taiwan’s drone makers ready for action?
Drones have featured heavily in conflicts around the world, and Taiwan is hoping that locally made commercial-grade drones can gain traction domestically and internationally. CommonWealth Magazine looks at some of the key private players involved in the initiative.
The Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan 2.0 : Transforming Taiwan into an AIoT Innovation Hub
Innovation is the essence of national strength. Taiwan must transition from an OEM-based economy to one focused on technological innovation to maintain its stance on the global stage. In 2016, the government launched the "5+2 Innovative Industries Plan," with the Internet of Things (IoT) being one of the key sectors. To connect with innovative technologies from the Silicon Valley and help Taiwanese industries seize new opportunities driven by IoT, the National Development Council (NDC) formulated the "Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan," which was approved by the Executive Yuan in September of the same year. The plan aims to drive Taiwan's new economic development with two main drivers: "stimulating economic growth through innovation and entrepreneurship" and "promoting industrial transformation and upgrading through IoT."
Foxconn's US$1.6 billion bid to build iPhones in India
Foxconn is investing US$1.6 billion to expand iPhone production in India, aiming to manufacture 25% of its iPhones there by 2025. Is this a pipe dream?
Taiwan stock market surpasses Hong Kong: true meaning?
For the first time in almost three decades, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) index overtook Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (HSI). What does this historic shift say about both markets?
The Evolution of a Highly Anticipated Cancer-Fighting Weapon: Allogeneic Cell Therapy as the Key Technology for Democratizing Cell Therapy
(Left) Stephen Opat, President of Hematology Society of Australia and New Zealand (Right) Alex Huang, VP & Head of Cell Therapy, BeiGene