- Material innovation for the AI era and the applications of tomorrow
- Material solutions helping customers meet evolving demands in performance, sustainability and supply reliability
On the occasion of Computex 2026, Covestro, a leading supplier of high-performance polymer materials, presents its series of high-performance, sustainable material solutions in Taipei. Under the theme “The Material Effect,” the company is showcasing how its material solutions, such as engineering plastics and TPU, are enabling innovations across AI computing, embodied intelligence, and connected devices.
The global AI infrastructure market is experiencing rapid expansion across multiple sectors. AI server shipments to the United States from Taiwan-based manufacturers nearly doubled year-on-year in 2025[1], driven by demand from hyperscale data center operators, while data center power densities in AI-optimized facilities now exceed 100kW per rack. The robotics sector is transitioning from research and development to commercial deployment, with embodied intelligence applications—including logistics robots, humanoid platforms, and intelligent automation systems—entering mass production. Taiwan's semiconductor industry, which accounts for over 60% of global advanced semiconductor manufacturing capacity[2], is projected to reach NT$7.1 trillion in output in 2026, representing 24.4% year-over-year growth[3] driven by High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), GPU production, and advanced packaging technologies, according to the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC). As production scales across these sectors, manufacturers require material solutions that meet technical specifications while providing supply reliability and local technical support.
“Technology is moving faster than ever, and AI is opening up entirely new possibilities across industries,” said Lily Wang, President of Engineering Plastics at Covestro. “At Covestro, we deliver high-performance, sustainable material solutions that help our customers move faster, backed by a stable global supply network that scales with them. ‘The Material Effect’ is about pushing industry boundaries while advancing the circular economy, and turning good ideas into lasting impact.”
Unleashing the AI Computing Revolution
Covestro is presenting material solutions for AI data centers, computing hardware and semi-conductor manufacturing during COMPUTEX 2026.
“We bring together expertise from across our business areas to create integrated solutions that help customers accelerate innovation,” said Thomas Derichs, Global Head of Industrial Marketing Electronics & Electrical at Covestro. “Through close collaboration, we are enabling the leap from prototype to production, from concept to commercial.”
For AI data centers and supercomputing servers, Covestro's polycarbonate solutions provide flame retardancy, thermal management, and lightweight properties for power distribution, energy management, cooling systems, IT hardware, and chips. These solutions support reliable operation in high-density computing environments and mission-critical applications.
Further upstream in the supply chain, advanced semiconductor wafer storage and transport demand strict cleanliness, visibility and dimensional precision. Covestro’s ultra-clean transparent solutions for FOSB (Front Opening Shipping Box) provide low outgassing and high transparency, while anti-static solutions protect wafers from electrostatic discharge damage and particle adhesion. These polycarbonate solutions contribute dimensional stability and heat resistance to help reduce contamination risks, improve chip yield and support the safe handling throughout wafer storage and transportation process.
AI notebooks, gaming devices and peripherals are driving demand for materials that support both performance and distinctive design. Covestro offers carbon fiber-reinforced, high glass fiber-reinforced, and transparent flame-retardant polycarbonates, enabling lightweight, high-strength designs, premium quality and bold visual effects.
Shaping the Future of Embodied Intelligence
As one of COMPUTEX 2026's core focus areas, embodied intelligence represents a defining frontier where The Material Effect comes to life. Drawing on expertise across its businesses, Covestro provides a broad material portfolio for embodied intelligence.
Covestro’s polycarbonate solutions enhance lightweight structural components with outstanding impact resistance, and provide high infrared transmittance for accurate environmental sensing in sensor housings. Rigid polycarbonate films support human-machine interaction through ambient lighting and touch functionality, while flexible TPU films bring tactile sensing to dexterous hands and electronic skin. Flexible TPU elevates hands and fascia with soft, elastic, skin-like conformability for fingertip covers and outer panels, delivering durable, chemical-resistant performance under repeated stress.
Covestro is also working with value-chain partners to accelerate material solutions for real-world robotics applications. Through its collaboration with Hikrobot, Covestro supports high-performance material solutions for smart logistics and machine vision applications, helping advance the commercialization of logistics robots. Together with Carthane, Covestro is exploring structural components, Cast PU elastomers for feet and joints protection systems for robots.
For commercial robot vacuum cleaner, Covestro worked with Roborock to develop more sustainable material solutions for next-generation intelligent products. The company’s sustainable TPU solutions enable lighter, easily processable functional parts—such as brushes and wheel coverings, support both performance and design freedom.
Crafting Tomorrow's Connected World
As AI drives intelligence into every connected device, advanced connectivity is raising the requirements for smart devices and the infrastructure behind them. Beyond performance, applications increasingly call for refined design, sustainability and engaging user experiences.
Covestro’s material solutions support these evolving needs across connected applications. For satellite broadband and communication equipment, Covestro’s polycarbonate solutions combine high signal transmittance with long-term outdoor stability, supporting reliable connectivity in demanding environments. In next-generation Wi-Fi routers. Makrolon® TC polycarbonate solutions help dissipate heat while maintaining signal transparency, and optimizing total cost ownership, addressing both thermal management and cost-efficiency needs of more compact and powerful connected devices.
In smart home and IoT devices, flame-retardant design-forward materials bring connected homes to life. For AR/VR and wearable devices, optical-grade materials deliver comfort, durability and visual immersion for long-term everyday use. Covestro’s HMI (human to machine interface) solutions further enhance smart living experiences by integrating interfaces, sensing functions and lighting effects into compact device designs, creating more intuitive and seamless smart surfaces.
Combining Sustainability and Aesthetics
In the era of sustainable consumption, low-carbon products with refined aesthetics have become a key differentiator for businesses.
Covestro addresses this from the ground up, building a diversified recycling ecosystem to secure supply chains, matching PCR (post-consumer recycled) waste streams to specific technical requirements that fulfill industry standards. To strengthen material traceability, supply stability, and quality consistency, Covestro has diversified PCR feedstock with various sources such as water bottles, ELV (end-of-life) headlamps, and wafer boxes broadly used in the semiconductor industry as wafer carriers, to empower a comprehensive PCR portfolio and GLOCAL supply. This diversified approach has contributed to the high-performance Makrolon® R series, delivering glass-fiber reinforced grades with strong impact strength as a distinctive and reliable solution for the market.
Covestro also offers bio-circular attributed material options, helping customers further reduce carbon footprint without compromising performance. This is demonstrated in products like the Bayblend® RE in BLUETTI’s Elite 100 V2 power station, which contains 25 percent bio-circular attributed content, reducing its carbon footprint by over a fifth compared with the conventional model. Additionally, Covestro offers a portfolio of NIA-PFAS (Non-Intentionally Added Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) materials with good flame-retardant performance and robust mechanical properties, aligning with the EU’s proposed PFAS restrictions and the latest EPEAT guidelines.
In the global AI era, CMF trends reflect both functional imperatives and emotional design language. Translucent and gradient finishes communicate technological transparency and innovation, while nature-inspired textures and earth-tone palettes bridge the digital-physical divide, making advanced AI systems feel approachable rather than alien. Covestro works closely with design institutions and enterprises to find the right balance between aesthetics, functionalities and environmental footprint of sustainable materials. Covestro's CMF capabilities ensure that material innovation keeps pace with design ambition. By integrating color consistency, surface innovation, and circular material science, Covestro empowers customers to bring both sustainability and aesthetics to life, translating circular material choices into distinctive, reliable and market-ready products that meet the evolving demands of the AI era.
Join Covestro at the “Grab the development trend of material effects in AI era” seminar in Taipei on June 4, 2026, to discover how high-performance materials can support the next wave of AI-driven innovation. Register at: http://www.caemolding.org/activity-20260604/
You can find more information on the Covestro homepage.