IC Insights: Taiwan has maintained its lead in production of integrated circuit 200mm wafer fab capacity for the 4th consecutive year

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/02/16
By: Taiwan Today,Agencies

TAIPEI (Taiwan Today) — Taiwan maintained its global leadership in integrated circuit

200mm-equivalent wafer fab capacity for the fourth consecutive year, according to U.S.-based IC Insights Inc.

According to a report recently released by the semiconductor research firm, Taiwan boasts an average monthly capacity of 4.13 million wafers as of December 2018. This represents a global share of 21.8 percent, positioning the country ahead of South Korea, 21.3 percent; Japan, 16.8 percent; North America, 12.8 percent; and China, 12.5 percent.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/02/16
By: Liu Li-jung and Frances Huang 

Taipei, Feb. 16 (CNA) Taiwan’s economy is expected to continue to weaken over the next six months in the wake of lower investment and private consumption, according to the German think-tank Ifo Institute.

In its latest quarterly World Economic Climate survey released earlier this week, Ifo said the economic climate indicator in Taiwan for the first quarter of this year fell from minus 42.1 in a similar survey released three months ago to minus 52.9 points.

The fall in the indicator for Taiwan indicates the local economy is expected to fare worse over the next six months.

Ifo cited economic experts as saying Taiwan will see its overall economy slow down, with capital formation and private consumption falling over the next six months.
[FULL  STORY]

AIT Director discussed the future of semiconductor industry with Hsinchu mayor Wednesday

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/02/15
By: Ryan Drillsma, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) published a Facebook

post Thursday describing Taiwan as a “fellow super-innovator.”

The message states Taiwan and the U.S. have enjoyed a cooperative partnership in the field of technology for many years, with the city of Hsinchu as the epicenter of their relationship.

The U.S. and Taiwan held their first joint digital economy forum in 2015, which each year since has served as a platform for experts from both sides to share their knowledge, and for launching joint programs and initiatives.

AIT Director Brent Christensen reportedly spent Wednesday discussing the future of the semiconductor industry with experts in Taiwan and spoke to Hsinchu mayor Lin Chih-chien (林智堅) about how to further deepen bilateral cooperation.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/02/15
By: Chang Chieh-chung and Frances Huang 

Taipei, Feb. 15 (CNA) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, reported a six-month low for sales in January, which analysts chalked up to weakening global demand.

In a statement released Friday, TSMC said it posted consolidated sales of NT$78.09 billion (US$2.53 billion) in January, down 13.1 percent from a month earlier and also down 2.1 percent from a year earlier.

It was the third consecutive month that TSMC’s monthly sales fell, and the January figure was the lowest since the company reported sales of NT$74.37 billion for July 2018, TSMC data showed.

Analysts felt slowing global demand was a bigger factor in the drop in sales than a production problem encountered by the company in January and reported to the Taiwan Stock Exchange on Jan. 29.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: Feb. 15, 2019
By: Chang Chien-chung and Evelyn Kao 

TAIPEI (CNA) — Taiwan has maintained its global lead in wafer production capacity,

according to Semiconductor market research firm IC Insights.

As of December 2018, Taiwan led all regions/countries in wafer capacity with a 21.8 percent share, a slight increase from 21.3 percent in 2017, and continued its status as the world wafer capacity leader.

Taiwan’s capacity share was only slightly ahead of South Korea, which accounted for 21.3 percent of global wafer capacity in 2018, according to the recently released Global Wafer Capacity report by IC Insights.

Taiwan first became the global wafer capacity leader in 2015, according to the report.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chip maker, and Samsung and SK Hynix of South Korea accounted for the vast share of wafer fab capacity in each country and were the top three capacity leaders worldwide.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/02/14
By:  Central News Agency

The Japanese government welcomes all countries that can accept the principles and standards of a Japan-led international economic bloc, Taiwan included, and has called on Taipei to solicit support from other economic bloc members, a Taiwanese diplomat said Thursday.

Taiwan’s government has confirmed Tokyo’s official stance in welcoming Taipei’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Deputy Secretary-General Hsieh Bor-huei (謝柏輝) told a news briefing.

It has always been Japan’s stance that such a trade deal will be open to countries or regions that accept its principles and are willing to meet its standards, Hsieh said.

He said a previous comment made by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, who said Taiwan’s decision to maintain a ban on Japanese food products from nuclear disaster-affected areas might hamper Taipei’s CPTPP bid was made in response to media inquires and may reflect his personal view only.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/02/14
By: Chung Jung-feng and Flor Wang 

Taipei, Feb. 14 (CNA) A liquid-crystal display (LCD) plant in Guangzhou, in which Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) has invested, is slated to start mass production in October, according to the company.

An advanced 8K mask aligner, a device used to manufacture integrated circuits, was installed at the facility on Thursday as scheduled.

Equipment testing at the plant will be conducted in June, with annual output expected to be worth about 92 billion Chinese yuan (US$13.6 billion) a year.

Gou said he expects mass production at the plant to help foster creative industries and connect key production bases in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay area, which he likened to Route 101 in Silicon Valley in the United States.    [FULL  STORY]