Semiconductors, Data Centers & AI

Co-packaged optics (CPO) is gaining significant attention as the next architecture for next-generation switching. The shift toward co-packaged optics is also reshaping competitive positioning among semiconductor vendors. This article examines the differing approaches of NVIDIA and Broadcom, with further detail available in IDTechEx's latest report, "Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) 2026-2036: Technologies, Market, and Forecasts".

Batteries are used in data centers as part of uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS) to prevent data loss and to cover critical loads. However, as AI data centers become more prevalent, as does the need to manage the volatility in their power loads. This article from IDTechEx examines emerging battery technology trends for data centers.

Latency, energy, privacy. By shifting AI computation from the cloud to the edge, these issues can be alleviated. 2025 was a breakout year for many AI applications, with consumer electronics leading the way in revenue due to the trend to towards AI smartphones and PCs, and rising costs of chips manufactured on leading process nodes.

Quantifying the smallest phenomena or enabling the securest of communications is possible with developments in quantum technologies. This article covers the latest trends and forecasts across quantum sensing, computing, and communications.

Join IDTechEx Principal Technology Analyst Conrad Nichols on Tuesday 17th February for this expert webinar "Battery Storage Trends in Data Centers and Commercial & Industrial Applications". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times during the day.

IDTechEx analyst Conrad Nichols discusses the role of batteries in data centers.

Missed out on CES this year? Or did you attend but miss the chance to explore the sensor innovations on display? In this article, IDTechEx Principal Technology Analyst Dr Tess Skyrme outlines three important trends for the sensor market evident from our trip to Las Vegas this year.

As optical transceivers continue to advance in bandwidth, power efficiency, and integration level, their influence is extending beyond the data-centre network and into the way AI systems themselves are architected. Increasingly, the transition toward optical interconnects is not driven by raw bandwidth demand alone, but by the growing tension between electrical SerDes scaling, system power budgets, and physical architecture constraints. To understand how this shift is unfolding, it is useful to first distinguish between scale-up fabrics, connectivity in AI systems.

In this article, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Noah El Alami explores the material and fabrication challenges in scaling up quantum computers and sensors based on superconducting chips.

Join IDTechEx Principal Technology Analyst Dr Yu-Han Chang on Thursday 15th January for the expert-led webinar "CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) Technologies and Market Outlook for Next-Gen AI Systems", offering independent, research-backed insights.