Big jump in chip sales predicted
The Asia-Pacific region will see strong growth in sales of semiconductor chips next year with revenues jumping 23.4 percent over last year, a revised forecast said yesterday.
The California-based Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said an "accelerated growth path" prompted the body to hike its forecast of revenues for the region, excluding Japan, to US$75 billion next year, up from US$60.6 billion this year.
SIA, whose members make up 85 percent of the US semiconductor industry, had in June anticipated US$69 billion in revenues for Asia-Pacific.
"We're on an accelerated growth path," John Daane, chief executive officer of Altera Corp, was by The Business Times quoted as saying.
The Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan, is expected to account for about 37 percent of the world's US$163 billion semiconductor market this year, according to SIA.
By 2006, it is forecast to account for more than 40 percent of the US$219.6 billion global semicondutor market.
Hitachi may invest in HannStar
Hitachi Ltd, which is providing flat-panel display technology to Hann-Star Display Corp (瀚羽彩晶), may invest in the company to secure supplies of television screens, a Chinese-language newspaper reported, without saying where it obtained the information.
Tokyo-based Hitachi is Japan's biggest electronics maker.
The company wants more than 30 percent of the output from a so-called fifth-generation flat-panel plant that HannStar is opening, the report said.
Hitachi could invest by buying stakes in HannStar's bonds convertible into shares that have been sold overseas or other securities that have been sold abroad, the paper said, citing HannStar vice president Chou Ding-hui (周定輝), who declined to confirm whether Hitachi had such a plan.
HannStar, the nation's fourth-largest flat-panel maker, said last November that it and Hitachi would work together to make notebook computers and flat-panel televisions in an agreement that would last through June 2008.
Last month, AU Optronics Corp (友達光電), the country's biggest flat-panel maker, said surging sales of televisions made with the screens has caused a shortage of parts.
Yu pushes Taichung MRT
The proposed mass rapid transit (MRT) system in the greater Taichung area is expected to start soon, with all the expenditures to be subsidized by the central government, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said Thursday during a field visit.
After hearing a briefing prepared by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Yu said all funds needed for the project -- which is expected to cost NT$30 billion (US$882.3 million) -- will be covered by a proposed NT$500 billion budget for public construction plans.
The railroad running through the greater Taichung area will be transformed into an MRT system and the project is scheduled to be completed in seven years, said Chiang Hsin-ju (蔣鑫如), director of the Railway Improvement Engineering Bureau.
The project will start as soon as the NT$500 billion budget clears the Legislative Yuan, Yu said, adding that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has directed the Cabinet to speed up the implementation of various major construction programs in central Taiwan to help boost development in the region.
NT dollar gains ground
The New Taiwan dollar yesterday notched up small gains against its US counterpart, rising NT$0.008 to close at NT$34.012 on the Taipei foreign exchange market. Turnover was US$293 million.
RSS