Taipei Times
Date: Aug 31, 2016
By: Kuo Chia-erh / Staff reporter

Hiwin Technologies Corp (上銀), one of the nation’s leading machinery makers, yesterday said it will start mass production of its new automated robotics with 3D vision next year.

The new robotics will be outfitted with 3D depth sensors developed by local chip designer Etron Technology Inc (鈺創), Hiwin chairman Eric Chuo (卓永財) told reporters at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

Hiwin already uses Etron’s 2D sensors in its industrial robotics.
Chuo said he expects strong demand in the near future for “smart” machinery tools and 3D sensors, which are the key components for upgrading machinery to Industry 4.0.

He was speaking at a news conference held by the nation’s four major machinery and semiconductor industry associations after they signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop “smart” machinery.     [FULL STORY]

The China Post
Date: August 31, 2016
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taipei-based game developer XPEC Entertainment Inc. (樂陞科技) is considering taking legal action against Japan-controlled Bai Chi Gan Tou Digital Entertainment Co (百尺竿頭數位娛樂), after the latter made a last-minute announcement to withdraw from an agreement to purchase a controlling stake.

According to a statement posted online by Bai Chi Gan Tou, the company would not be able to deliver required payments to XPEC by Wednesday, the deadline for purchase under an agreement made between the two developers.

The Japanese company has authorized CTBC Bank to return shares to tenderers, the statement read.

Bai Chi Gan Tou said XPEC Entertainment had allowed its stock price to fluctuate dramatically, and rumors over the company’s future saw a dive in stock prices.     [FULL STORY]

HEAVY METAL:Construction of the facility, which the firm sees as an entry point to the European market, is to start in the fourth quarter, with production set for late next year

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 30, 2016
By: Kuo Chia-erh / Staff reporter

Lemtech Holdings Co, Ltd (聯德控股) is to build a new plant in the Czech Republic, a company official told an investors’ conference in Taipei yesterday.

The New Taipei City-based metal stamping components and precision press tool supplier operates plants in Kunshan, China, Thailand and the US, producing the metal parts used in many industries including computer, telecommunication, consumer electronics and automotive components.

“Although the [Czech] factory might not benefit Lemtech’s sales significantly in the beginning, we see it as a milestone for our entry into Europe’s automobile and electronic parts business,” Lemtech spokesman Zac Lu (盧晉佑) said.

The company expects the Czech plant to break even in 2018, he said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-08-29
By: Wendy Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taiwan’s consumer confidence index (CCI) has dipped 0.62 points to 79.56 points in August, according to the latest National Central University (NCU) consumer survey.

Consumer sentiment among Taiwanese continues its downward spiral, as the latest survey shows a downward trend in all six indicators featuring in the survey, including one’s perception of consumer prices, family finances, job prospects, future economic climate, local stock market, and durable goods purchase, according to media reports.

Among all six indicators, stock market sentiment has declined the most, down by 2.3 points from 73.1 points last month to 70.80 points in August.     [FULL  STORY]

SEEKING SALES DRIVERS:Analyst Wang Chung-ching said Taiwanese manufacturers need to look to emerging markets and find niches where they can best compete

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 29, 2016
By: Kuo Chia-erh / Staff reporter

The nation’s electrical engineering and machinery industry could consider Southeast Asia as a market for new demand, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER, 台灣經濟研究院) said last week.

Given the region’s stable economic growth, demand from Southeast Asian countries would be more favorable in the long term, TIER senior analyst Wang Chung-ching (王忠慶) told a seminar organized by Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp (台灣證券交易所) on Wednesday.

As demand in Taiwan is unlikely to increase significantly in the near future, manufacturers need to seek new sales drivers in emerging markets while the government could help manufacturers find new buyers via existing channel networks, as many Taiwanese companies have operated in Southeast Asia for years, Wang said.

Taiwan’s exports of machinery equipment dropped 6.9 percent to US$19.4 billion last year from a year earlier, the fourth consecutive year of decline, data compiled by the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI, 台灣機械工業同業公會) showed.     [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: August 29, 2016
By: CNA

TAIPEI — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chip-maker, is expected to take a 58 percent share of the global pure-play wafer foundry operating market in 2016, and retain the world’s No. 1 title, according to market information advisory firm IC Insights.

In a research note, IC Insights said that TSMC is expected to post US$28.57 billion in sales for 2016, up 8 percent from a year earlier. Despite the sales growth, TSMC’s market share for 2016 is likely to fall one percentage point from a year earlier, IC Insights added.

GlobalFoundries Inc. of the United States is expected to come in second by generating US$5.65 billion in sales in 2016, up 12 percent from a year earlier, to take an 11 percent share in the world market, lagging far behind TSMC, according to IC Insights.

United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC, 聯電), another contract chip-maker from Taiwan, is expected to grab a 9 percent stake in the world pure-play wafer foundry market in 2016 to take the third spot in the rankings by posting US$4.49 billion in revenue, up 1 percent from a year earlier, IC Insights added.     [FULL  STORY]