Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-24
By: Central News Agency

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) Taiwan’s three science-based parks posted total production revenue of NT$2.31 trillion (US$69.51 billion) for 2015, down 0.7 percent year-on-year and the first annual drop in five years, according to statistics published Wednesday by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

Last year, the Hsinchu Science Park generated revenue of NT$1.10 trillion, down 5.34 percent year on year, while the Central Taiwan Science Park had NT$492.1 billion, declining 5.74 percent, and the Southern Taiwan Science Park generated NT$715.1 billion, climbing by a record high of 11.84 percent, mainly due to strong demand for semiconductor products and the rolling out of new smartphones, according to the statistics.

Tu Chi-hsiang, director-general of the Hsinchu Science Park Bureau, attributed the park’s weaker-than-expected performance last year largely to a year-on-year decrease of NT$95 billion in revenue for MediaTek Inc., one of Taiwan’s leading integrated circuit designers, which is located in the park.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/02/24
By: Chiu Po-sheng and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) Taiwan’s central bank on Tuesday reported a surplus of US$1.34 billion in its overall balance of payments in the fourth quarter of last year, reflecting a rise in the bank’s reserve assets.

The Q4 current account posted a surplus of US$20.01 billion, and the financial account showed a net outflow of US$22.04 billion, according to the bank report.

For the year of 2015 as a whole, the current account registered a surplus of US$76.17 billion, the financial account posted a net outflow of US$68.04 billion, and the overall balance recorded a surplus of US$15.01 billion, reflecting an increase in the bank’s reserve assets, the report said.     [SOURCE]

FLOW ON:Some companies in southern Taiwan told the Ministry of Economic Affairs that they would adjust shipping dates because the Feb. 6 earthquake had affected performance

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 25, 2016
By: Lauly Li / Staff reporter

The nation’s export orders plunged 12.4 percent to US$34.19 billion last month, representing the largest scale of annual decline since June 2009, mainly due to a weak international economy and sluggish demand for handheld devices, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.

The monthly result also marked the 10th consecutive month of annual decline, ministry data showed.

As negative factors, such as the weak global economy and volatility in international crude oil and stainless steel prices persist, the ministry said it expects the nation’s export orders to linger in the negative territory this quarter.     [FULL  STORY]

‘MORE HARM THAN GOOD’:SPIL said the merger would undermine chip testers and packagers’ competitiveness and trigger an exodus of local raw material suppliers

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 24, 2016
By: Ted Chen and Lisa Wang / Staff reporters

The Fair Trade Commission is to make a ruling on Advanced Semiconductor Engineering’s (ASE, 日月光半導體) takeover bid of rival Siliconware Precision Industries Co (SPIL, 矽品精密) on Wednesday next week at the earliest, the commission said in a statement yesterday.

SPIL has been resisting ASE’s takeover bid, saying that the merger would do more harm than good to Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain.

“The merger would undermine the competitiveness of Taiwan’s chip testers and packagers,” SPIL said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-22
By: Central News Agency

Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) Taiwan’s Asustek Computer Inc. has been ranked fourth on a list of the world’s most admired companies in the computer industry in 2016 by U.S.-based Fortune magazine, up two notches from last year.

Asustek finished behind America’s Apple Inc. and EMC Corp. and China’s Lenovo Group.

The annual survey ranks companies on nine criteria: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment value, quality of products and services, and global competitiveness.     [FULL  STORY]

‘FLAWED STUDY’:Chairman Michael Chang voiced confidence in the firm’s breast cancer drug and said there were flaws in the methodology for the clinical trial study

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 23, 2016
By: Ted Chen / Staff reporter

Shares of OBI Pharma Inc (台灣浩鼎) yesterday fell by the maximum daily limit of 10 percent to close at NT$613, after the company on Sunday released discouraging results on the second and third-phase clinical trials of a new breast cancer drug, OBI-822.

OBI-822 remains an effective treatment option and the trial’s less promising than expected outcome stemmed from a number of factors, OBI Pharma chairman Michael Chang (張念慈) told an investors’ conference yesterday.

The drug is designed to target Globo H, an oligosaccharide tumor antigen, by triggering the human body’s immune system to generate antibodies that activate cytotoxic T cells to destroy cancer cells, and more than 80 percent of     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/02/22
By: Milly Lin and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) A total of 21 Taiwanese food companies, led by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), are participating in the Middle East’s largest food expo Gulfood as part of their efforts to promote Taiwan’s products in the huge Muslim market.

Among the companies are Lian Hwa Foods Corporation and a Taichung-based frozen food importer and exporter whose frozen noodles and Japanese sashimi have been hot items at the Dubai World Trade Center.

TAITRA officials said some Sri Lankan buyers were also interested in ordering spring roll wrappers from the frozen food merchant, an indication that Taiwanese food materials fit Muslim consumers’ taste buds.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-21
By: Central News Agency

Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) said Sunday that the nation will still have an electricity reserve margin of 12.5 percent to maintain a stable power supply, after Unit 1 of the Linkou Thermal Power Plant in New Taipei begins commercial operation this summer as expected.

Taipower was responding to media reports that Taiwan may face a high risk of power outages this summer due to the postponement of two power-plant projects.

The annual power reserve capacity margin refers to a utility’s capacity to generate more energy than the total power system normally requires.     [FULL  STORY]