TrendForce Predicts AI, Liquid Cooling, and Robotics Will Define the Landscape
TECHNOLOGY
TrendForce highlights 10 key technology trends for 2026.
The tech industry is on the cusp of an intense revolution, and according to global market intelligence firm TrendForce, the year 2026 will be the definitive inflection point. In its latest report, TrendForce identifies 10 key technology trends that will reshape the global landscape, confirming that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is moving beyond the conceptual stage and into the operational infrastructure of nearly every major sector.
The core takeaway is that the massive demand for generative AI is forcing simultaneous breakthroughs across computing, hardware, and mobility, changes that will intensify competition and rapidly redefine entire product categories.
The Intensifying AI Arms Race and the Cooling Solution
The foundation of this shift is the data center. TrendForce predicts that global AI server shipments will surge by over 20% year-over-year in 2026, fueled by capital spending from major North American Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and the rise of sovereign cloud projects worldwide.
This extreme processing power, however, creates an enormous thermal challenge. As AI processors like NVIDIA's upcoming B200 and B300 approach or exceed 1,000W of thermal design power (TDP) per chip, liquid-cooling solutions are becoming mandatory. TrendForce projects that liquid-cooling adoption in server racks will reach 47% by 2026.
Competition in the chip sector will also intensify. While NVIDIA remains the leader, AMD is challenging with new full-rack solutions, and North American CSPs are ramping up in-house ASIC development.
Innovation in Hardware: Chips and Robotics
The need for speed and power is driving two simultaneous hardware revolutions:
Next-Gen Semiconductors: Wafer fabrication is transitioning to 2nm GAAFET architecture, which offers superior current control and transistor density. Crucially, the growth of heterogeneous integration (2.5D and 3D packaging) is merging multiple chips with different functions to meet the high performance and efficiency demands of AI, with giants like TSMC, Intel, and Samsung fiercely competing in this space.
Humanoid Robotics Surge: The year 2026 is projected to be a pivotal turning point for the commercialization of humanoid robots. Global shipments are expected to surge by over 700% to surpass 50,000 units. This growth is driven by AI adaptivity, enabling robots to learn and make flexible decisions in unpredictable settings, positioning them for specific application-oriented roles in manufacturing logistics and warehouse sorting.
The Future of Consumer Tech and Mobility
The report also details how AI will redefine consumer-facing products:
Premiumization of Displays: OLED technology, offering better contrast and slimmer design, is accelerating its adoption in notebook displays and will be key to the growth of foldable smartphones.
Autonomous Driving: The adoption rate of L2 and higher assisted-driving systems in passenger cars is projected to surpass 40% by 2026. This makes vehicle intelligence the next key growth driver in the automotive sector, while the Robotaxi sector accelerates its global L4 autonomy expansion across Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.
TrendForce’s forecast makes it clear: 2026 will not be a passive year for the tech industry. It will be a year of intense investment, unprecedented technological evolution, and commercial breakthroughs driven entirely by AI.