Taiwan's chip design industry is shifting toward custom-made chips built for single big customers, and companies like Realtek see that as good news for their future business.

• Nvidia has taken a large stake in MediaTek, and Realtek's chairman Chiu Shun-chien calls the move a natural step in Taiwan's chip industry moving up the value chain.
• Chip designers used to sell mostly standard, off-the-shelf products; big global tech firms now want chips tailored to their own systems.
• Realtek says it will keep expanding its own custom-chip business and work more closely with customers.
• Tie-ups like this let Taiwanese firms get products to market faster, speeding up the whole global tech hardware cycle.

Outlook: Expect more Taiwanese chip designers to chase custom-chip deals with large overseas tech companies.