Gogoro and Yamaha consider new scooter partnership based on Gogoro’s design and manufacturing expertise

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/09/14
By: Scott Morgan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s Gogoro Inc. and Japan’s Yamaha Motor Co. announced that the pair will look into a partnership to manufacture Yamaha-branded electric scooters inspired by Gogoro designs, Yamaha said in a statement on Sept. 11.

Yamaha said that the potential partnership will lead to Yamaha-branded scooters being made and joint-developed by Gogoro, as well as sharing of Gogoro’s Taiwan battery swapping network.

Gogoro is a leader in electric scooters in both Taiwan and the world more broadly. The company has seen strong sales in recent years, and is currently in a push to expand its battery system throughout Taiwan.

Taiwan’s electric scooter market is heating up, off the back of a potential ban of petrol scooters entering into force perhaps as early as 2035. Competitors Kymcoand SYM have recently introduced new electric scooters, and are investing heavily in the emerging technology.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/09/14
By: Pan Chih-yi and Frances Huang

Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) and Innlux Corp., the two largest flat panel makers in Taiwan, have been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI-World).

In a statement released on Friday, AUO said it was the ninth consecutive year for the company to become a constituent of the DJSI-World, which showed its efforts in corporate governance and green industrial innovations have been recognized worldwide.

Since 2010, AUO has joined the assessments by the DJSI, and this year, the company ranked among the top six firms in the ITC Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components category of the index, being chosen from a total of 52 companies worldwide competing to be selected in this category.

AUO said the company scored high in climate strategy, risk and crisis management, and supply chain management in the assessment.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s companies retain a global edge despite efforts by China to compete by spending huge sums on tempting their talent.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/09/14
By: By Matthew Fulco, Taiwan Business TOPICS Magazine

For years, industry analysts have cautioned that Chinese competitors in the semiconductor sector would steadily erode the technology advantages of Taiwanese chipmakers, ultimately wooing away many local chip-makers’ customers with lower prices.

Despite China’s rapid progress in the semiconductor sector in recent years, Taiwan has thus far been able to leverage its considerable strengths to ward off that challenge. At the same time, local IC (integrated-circuit) makers know they will need to be vigilant to remain ahead of their Chinese competitors. As semiconductors are among Taiwan’s most important exports, it can’t afford to cede the industry to China.

In its Made in China 2025 plan, Beijing has targeted semiconductors as a strategic industry it aims to dominate. Since 2015, China has surpassed Taiwan in terms of annual output value for IC design, one of the main segments of the semiconductor industry. It is also closing the gap with Taiwan in another area, IC packaging and testing.

Uncertainty over U.S.-China trade dispute is driving many companies away from the Chinese market

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/09/13
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – At least two dozen Taiwanese companies are considering returning to Taiwan amid the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China, said Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津).

Taiwanese corporations involved with internet, communications, electronics, and transportation industries which have built a presence in China are mulling relocation back to Taiwan, including big name companies such as Quanta Computer (廣達), Compal Electronics (仁寶), Pegatron (和碩), Delta Electronics (台達電), and Sercomm Corporation (中磊), reported Liberty Times on Sept. 13.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/09/13
By: Liao Yu-yang, Elaine Hou and Romulo Huang

Taipei, Sept. 13 (CNA) Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) met with

United States trade officials Thursday at his office, discussing a wide range of trade and investment issues.

Prior to the meeting with the U.S. delegation headed by Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China Affairs Terrence J. McCartin, Shen said the two sides would discuss bilateral trade and economic issues, while seeking to further strengthen cooperation during the meeting.

Asked if he would ask the U.S. to grant a tariff exemption for imports of Taiwan’s steel and aluminum products, Shen said that would depend on how the discussions progressed.

As of press time, the Ministry of Economic Affairs had not released any information about the meeting.    [FULL  STORY]

LONGER SUMMER? An economy ministry official said electricity consumption data showed peaks in May, which might be added to the months when rates are higher

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 14, 2018
By: Lisa Wang  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday kept electricity rates unchanged for the next

six months, rejecting a proposal by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) for an 8.21 percent hike — despite regulations limiting increases to 3 percent — as the government aims to stabilize consumer prices amid rising global crude oil prices and flooding in the nation’s south last month.

The electricity rate is to stay at NT$2.6253 per kilowatt-hour, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生) said at a media briefing after the committee to review electricity prices concluded a 2.5-hour meeting.

“Our main consideration is consumer prices,” Tseng said. “We do not want to see consumer prices following the upswing in global fuel prices.”

Global crude oil prices might pull back later this year, but consumer prices might not follow, because they have less flexibility, Tseng said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/09/12
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Sept. 12 (CNA) Taiwan-based China Airlines (CAL) and Tigerair Taiwan said Wednesday they will restart some flights to Osaka as typhoon-stricken Kansai International Airport has resumed partial services.

CAL said it will fly a total of 18 round-trip flights between Sept. 14 and Sept. 20, adding that it will use bigger aircraft for flights CI154/155 between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya, which is close to Kansai airport, by the end of September.

Larger aircraft will also be used for flights CI178/179 Sept. 16 and CI278/279 Sept. 17 between Taoyuan and Takamatsu Airport, the carrier said.

In addition, CAL said, it will use bigger aircraft for flights CI100/101 between Taoyuan and Tokyo Narita by the end of September.    [FULL  STORY]