As labor shortages arise, more automation and intelligence have been introduced in various industries. Canada-based Cyberworks Robotics develops self-driving technology for mobile machines and vehicles. Its solution has been adopted by airports, greenhouses and other organizations.
Shanghai-based SAIC Motor is poised to scale up in Europe. The automaker said on July 4 that it saw car sales outside China grow by 40% in the first half of the year, driven mainly by the European market. It also has been looking to set up a production site in Europe.
After experiencing a long inventory adjustment period, Taiwan-based Win Semiconductors, Visual Photonics Epitaxy Company (VPEC), and Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Company (AWSC) have started to see recovery signs in the mobile phone power amplifier (PA) IC market.
Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics assembler, has taken another step to scale up its EV ambitions. The company aims to invest close to US$250 million in producing EV and telecommunication components in Vietnam.
Vietnam has become a popular destination for supply chain expansion in Southeast Asia in response to changes in the international environment, but industry insiders have identified two major challenges for local expansion: power supply and site management.
More China-based EV makers are expanding in Southeast Asia: Great Wall Motor (GWM) aims to enter the Vietnam market in August. GAC Aion has launched its operations in Thailand, planning to set up a regional headquarters this year.
Chin-Poon Industrial is concentrating its expansion efforts in Thailand, reiterating its commitment to PCBs for the automotive industry and other niche markets, such as low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, high-end communications, and mid-volume PCBs.
Inventory adjustments at Compal Electronics' notebook customers have come to an end, according to Martin Wong, president of the Taiwan-based ODM. The company expects the second half of 2023 to be more profitable than the first, with a revenue split of 45% to 55% between the first and second halves of this year.
Seeing 2023 remains a challenging year, Compal Electronics will continue pushing its three major investments in Taiwan: the smart innovation park at its headquarters and the medical long-term care facility, both in northern Taiwan, and a PC and 5G AIoT R&D center in southern Taiwan, according to company chairman Rock Hsu.
IC leadframe demand is expected to grow sharply in the next several years, as a result of expansions of packaging capacity. Texas Instruments (TI), for example, has recently announced plans to expand its internal manufacturing footprint in Malaysia with two new assembly and test factories in Kuala Lumpur and Melaka.
HDI PCB maker Compeq Manufacturing is scheduled to kick off production at its new plant in Thailand in the second half of 2024, according to the Taiwan-based company.
Siemens AG will invest €2 billion ($2.2 billion) to expand high-tech manufacturing, including a new plant in Singapore and an expansion at its Chinese plant in Chengdu.
With ODMs Inventec and Quanta Computer disclosing their intentions to establish server SMT manufacturing lines in Thailand, as well as a number of PCB manufacturers transferring production from China, Thailand will emerge as a significant server production center in Southeast Asia, industry observers believe.
Official government data shows that India's handset exports have spiked over the past five years thanks to investments by Samsung and Apple suppliers. However, India still fell behind Vietnam in terms of mobile phone shipments.
