TSMC Pushes Ahead on AI Nodes: TSMC says 3nm output is set to reach 180,000 wafer starts per month in early Q4 2026—about 2–3 months early—while its 1.4nm (A14) Taichung build is also ahead of schedule, underscoring how fast AI demand is pulling Taiwan’s leading-edge roadmap forward. HBM Supply Lock-In: SK hynix’s board approved ₩54.3T for new DRAM/NAND fabs through 2029, deepening the reality that US AI infrastructure still lacks domestic HBM wafer capacity—another reminder that Taiwan’s chip ecosystem is tied to global memory bottlenecks. Cross-Strait Civil Exchange: Over 100 Taiwan-based civil groups joined a cross-Strait event in Beijing covering culture, tech, health, youth and grassroots governance, with organizers calling for more people-to-people visits. Humanoid Perception Tech: Solomon Technology is expanding AI-powered 3D vision and machine perception for humanoid robots, drones and industrial inspection—aiming to tackle the key “seeing” bottleneck for real-world autonomy. Drone Autonomy Demo: Shield AI and Taiwan’s NCSIST demonstrated multi-drone autonomous search teaming in Taiwan, showing practical coordination for defense and inspection use cases. Japan Typhoon Dolphin Hits: Typhoon Dolphin battered Okinawa and nearby areas, injuring six and disrupting power and flights—an operational reminder for regional resilience as storms intensify. Japan vs Taiwan/Korea Trade Shift: A Nikkei analysis says South Korea and Taiwan surpassed Japan in export value in H1 2026, driven by AI semiconductor demand.