Lite-On Technology doubles funding for R&D center

Lite-On Technology Corp (光寶科技), one of the nation's biggest computer peripheral makers, doubled funds for its research center this year to pave the way for more innovative products and boost revenues, a company executive said yesterday.

"In the past, clients just gave us specifications to make their products. We want to show them that our own innovations are viable for production. This will bring us new business opportunities," Lite-On vice president Tom Tang (唐德銘) said.

The company's Technology Research Development Center budget was increased to NT$200 million (US$6.16 million) this year, double the NT$100 million it allocated last year, Tang told reporters on the sidelines of an industrial design forum.

The center has begun to research new IT products, he said.

It has, for example, designed a new mobile printing device, whose track is attached to the back of a laptop's screen. The light and slim printing accessory was designed to make it easier for users to carry.

Another product is the Digital Video Broadcast (DVB-T) tuner, a silicon tuner that allows users to watch digital TV programs by simply plugging the device into a USB (universal serial bus) port of a computer.

These innovations made Lite-On the third-largest Taiwanese winner at the coveted iF product design award competition in Germany this year, as it scooped five awards. BenQ Corp (明基) was the largest Taiwanese winner, with more than 10 awards.

Established in late 2003, Lite-On's development center has more than 100 employees, including 30 industrial designers.

On another note, Lite-On has set its sights on the emerging automobile electronics sector by aggressively integrating related resources of its affiliates this year, Tang said.

"We are in the middle of laying out our strategic plans for this year," he said.

For example, it announced last month that it would increase its stake in auto-part maker Stark Technology Inc (敦揚科技) from about 18 percent to 100 percent.

The company is one of several electronics manufacturers -- along with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) and Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦) -- which have entered into the promising auto electronics industry.

According to Tang, Lite-On is poised to introduce more concrete auto solutions next year in the telematics areas (transportation, communications and information technology).

The auto electronics business is expected to gradually gain importance along with Lite-On's four other core businesses -- LED (light-emitting diodes), imaging, power supplies and enclosures for servers and computers.