AI boom pushes server makers beyond traditional assembly role: Wistron

Taipei, June 4 (CNA) The rapid growth of AI is transforming the role of server manufacturers, forcing them to expand globally and take on increasingly complex integration work that extends far beyond traditional hardware assembly, according to Wistron Corp.

At a Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) media briefing held alongside the 2026 Computex expo in Taipei on Thursday, Wistron CTO David Shen (沈慶堯) said AI infrastructure projects are becoming increasingly complex, requiring manufacturers to integrate computing, networking, storage, cooling and semiconductor technologies.

"The scale [and] the growth is quite amazing," Shen said, noting that Wistron's revenue grew from NT$1.049 trillion (US$33.26 billion) in 2024 to NT$2.186 trillion in 2025.

AI infrastructure accounted for 46 percent of revenue in 2024, rising to 71 percent in 2025 and 79 percent in the first quarter of 2026, according to company data.

Shen said the increase was driven almost entirely by AI-related business, while traditional PC operations continued to post more modest growth.

Shen also pushed back against suggestions that overseas expansion is primarily driven by tariffs, saying Wistron is expanding manufacturing, engineering and research and development operations closer to customers in key markets, particularly the United States.

New facilities have recently been established in Dallas, Fremont and San Jose, while the company is also expanding operations in Europe and Asia, he said.

One of the biggest changes brought about by AI is what Shen described as "super integration."

Unlike traditional server manufacturing, AI infrastructure requires original equipment manufacturers to coordinate technologies spanning networking, storage, cooling systems, power distribution and advanced semiconductor packaging.

As AI clusters grow larger and more powerful, manufacturers must work closely with suppliers throughout the supply chain, including semiconductor companies, to optimize system performance, thermal management and power efficiency, Shen said.

Other companies participating in the briefing echoed the growing complexity of AI infrastructure.

Cooling-system supplier Asia Vital Components (AVC) said demand for liquid-cooling technologies is accelerating as increasingly powerful AI chips generate more heat, while Delta Electronics pointed to electricity supply as a growing constraint on future AI deployment.

Meanwhile, Delta said it is developing solutions including microgrids, energy storage systems and next-generation power architecture to help data centers cope with rising energy demands.

The event was hosted by the TWSE as part of its efforts to showcase Taiwan's AI supply chain during Computex.