I. Industry

• The State Council promulgates the Revised Regulations on the Protection of Integrated Circuit Layout‑Designs
On August 3, the State Council issued the newly‑revised Regulations on the Protection of Integrated Circuit Layout‑Designs. Consisting of 6 chapters and 54 articles, the Regulations shall come into force on October 15, 2026. They further expand the scope of layout‑design protection, improve systems for registration application, examination and right remedy, and strengthen liability for compensation for infringement damages, delivering more comprehensive institutional safeguards for integrated‑circuit design innovation and commercialization of research outcomes. (Xinhua News Agency)

• PBOC outlines H2 work agenda: moderately accommodative monetary policy to continue
On August 2, the People’s Bank of China released arrangements from its 2026 second‑half‑year work conference. It stated that it will continue to implement a moderately accommodative monetary policy, maintain ample liquidity, keep the comprehensive social financing cost at a low level, and leverage tools such as re‑loans for sci‑tech innovation and technological transformation to scale up support for priority areas including sci‑tech innovation and small‑and‑medium‑sized enterprises. At end‑June, the outstanding aggregate social financing rose 7.4% year‑on‑year, while broad money supply M2 grew 8.0% year‑on‑year. (People’s Bank of China)

• July Manufacturing PMI stands at 49.2%, business activity weakens on both supply and demand sides
Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on July 31 show that the July Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) came in at 49.2%, down 1.1 percentage points from the previous month. The Production Index registered 49.9% and the New Orders Index 48.5%. The figures point to slower manufacturing output and market demand. The electronics information and PCB sectors shall keep close track of downstream order volumes, inventory levels and raw‑material price fluctuations. (National Bureau of Statistics)

II. Market

• Shortages of PCB raw materials worsen; lead‑times for high‑end boards extend further
On July 30, European PCB supplier Confidee noted that AI infrastructure build‑out is rapidly consuming critical materials such as high‑performance copper‑clad laminates and fiberglass fabrics. Lead‑times for certain high‑end PCBs have been pushed out to 2028. Suppliers are mitigating supply‑disruption risks via multi‑source qualification, alternative materials and traceability management. Material availability has become a key factor governing PCB quotations and deliveries. (Evertiq)

• Global silicon wafer shipments rise 7.4% YoY in Q2; AI‑driven demand keeps expanding
On July 30, SEMI‑the global semiconductor equipment and materials industry association‑published statistics. Global silicon‑wafer shipment area reached 3.573 billion square inches in Q2 2026, representing a 7.4% year‑on‑year increase and a 9.1% quarter‑on‑quarter gain. According to SEMI, AI‑related demand has spread from advanced logic and memory chips to power devices and photonic devices. Meanwhile industrial and automotive demand is recovering, and continuous fab capacity expansion is expected to underpin silicon‑wafer demand. (SEMI)

• 2026 AI server shipment growth forecast revised up to nearly 31%
On August 3, TrendForce upgraded its forecast for the year‑on‑year shipment growth rate of global AI servers in 2026 from 28% to nearly 31%. Capital expenditure by nine cloud service providers‑Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, ByteDance, Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu‑is projected to exceed USD 886.7 billion in total for the full year, up roughly 90% year‑on‑year. This will continuously fuel demand for server PCBs, high‑speed interconnections, advanced packaging, liquid cooling, power supplies and memory. (TrendForce)

III. Enterprises

• Pengding Holdings completes acquisition of minority equity interest in Shengxin Company
On August 4, Pengding Holdings announced via public filing that its wholly‑owned subsidiary Qingding Precision Electronics (Huai’an) Co., Ltd. acquired the 23.53% equity stake in affiliated entity Shengxin Park Management Co., Ltd. for RMB 160.87 million. Relevant industrial‑and‑commercial registration changes were finalized on July 30. Upon completion of the transaction, Shengxin Company becomes a wholly‑owned subsidiary of Pengding Holdings, which will help optimize asset structure and reduce related‑party transactions. (Sina Finance)

• ASIP breaks ground on USD 260‑million advanced packaging‑and‑test plant in India
On August 4, ASIP Technologies held a groundbreaking ceremony for its semiconductor packaging and testing facility in Andhra Pradesh, India. With total investment of approximately USD 260 million and site area of 30 acres, the plant is planned for an annual output of 96 million chips. Developed in partnership with South‑Korean firm APACT, the project will initially adopt wire‑bonding and flip‑chip BGA technologies, with 2.5D and 3D advanced‑packaging capabilities to be added in later phases. (Evertiq)

• Ta Yih’s new‑generation notebook FPC enters mass production; AI‑server and smart‑glass shipments commence
On August 3, Taiwan‑listed FPCB manufacturer Ta Yih Technology reported that its operating loss in Q2 narrowed quarter‑on‑quarter. Flexible printed circuits for new‑model notebooks for US customers have entered mass production, while small‑batch shipments for smart glasses and AI‑server products have kicked off. With rising proportion of high‑value‑added applications, the company expects its AI‑server‑related shipment volumes to more than double. (DIGITIMES)

• SK Group expands AI‑factory and memory‑chip cooperation with NVIDIA
On August 3, SK Group signed a letter of intent with NVIDIA to broaden collaboration covering AI‑factory construction, computing‑power infrastructure and AI memory supply. SK Telecom plans to build a 2‑GW‑scale AI cloud in South Korea based on NVIDIA DSX platform and Vera Rubin system. SK Hynix will establish long‑term AI‑memory cooperation with NVIDIA and jointly optimize next‑generation HBM solutions. (Evertiq)

• Intel and Lens Technology cooperate to develop glass‑substrate‑based advanced packaging
On August 3, Intel and Lens Technology announced a strategic partnership. The two parties intend to combine Intel’s strengths in semiconductor architecture and advanced packaging with Lens Technology’s expertise in precision glass processing, laser manufacturing and large‑volume production. They will jointly explore glass‑substrate packaging solutions and study extended cooperation covering AI PCs, structural thermal components for data‑center servers and robotic hardware platforms. (Intel)

• JLC Tech lists on Shenzhen Stock Exchange
On August 4, JLC Tech was listed on the Main Board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Its offering price stood at RMB 84.46 per share. The stock closed at RMB 208.01 on its first trading day, up 146.28%, with total market capitalization of roughly RMB 115.6 billion. It marks the fourth Shenzhen‑based IPO company whose market cap exceeded RMB 100 billion on debut this year, following Dapu Micro, HKC Corporation and CR New Energy. The online valid subscription multiple for this offering hit 4,577, ranking among the highest for new‑share issuances this year, reflecting growing capital‑market interest in the electronics‑industry service track. (CNR)