Print

Mail

wiki links

Business Briefs

Gateway CEO to step down

Acer Inc, the world's fourth-largest computer maker, yesterday said that Ed Coleman, chief executive of newly acquired Gateway Inc, had offered his resignation.

Coleman would leave the Taiwanese computer company at the end of January, Acer said in a statement.

At the same time, Acer appointed Rudi Schmidleithner, who has been heading the Acer Pan America Organization since 2004, to fill Coleman's vacancy.

Schmildleithner will be responsible for completing the integration programs between Acer and Gateway.

Coleman joined Gateway as CEO in September last year and successfully led the company through a very challenging period of intense competition, the preparations for and eventual sale of the company.

Hsinchu Science Park inks MOU

The Hsinchu Science Park Administration (HSPA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Yokosuka Research Park (YRP) in Japan to promote exchanges and cooperation in technological fields, HSPA Director Huang Te-jui (黃得瑞) said yesterday.

Huang and Shigo Ohmori, a YRP representative, signed the document on Thursday at the Hsinchu park office.

The signing ceremony was held alongside a celebration marking the HSPA's 27th founding anniversary.

Huang said that the document was signed with the aim of promoting cooperation and exchanges between the HSPA and the YRP in various scientific fields, including technological research.

The HSPA has grown to become one of the world's most significant areas for semiconductor manufacturing, while the YRP is the world's first ever international hub dedicated to research in mobile communications.

Danone offers deal to Wahaha

French food and drink maker Danone said yesterday it was willing to suspend legal action against its Chinese joint venture partner if the partner showed "concrete action" to reunify their group.

The offer from Emmanuel Faber, president of Danone Asia Pacific Group, comes after the partner, Wahaha Group (娃哈哈集團), won an arbitration ruling allowing it to use the popular Wahaha brand name outside of the 39 joint ventures operated by the two.

There needs to be "an appropriate process of negotiations with what we believe is an appropriate platform for an agreement. It would be held with appropriate guidance from authorities," Faber told a news conference.

OPEC raises 2008 estimate

OPEC yesterday raised its estimate for world oil demand growth next year, owing to fast-growing demand for transport and industrial fuel, but kept unchanged its forecast for world oil demand this year.

"The coming holiday season is keeping the kerosene jet fuel demand healthy worldwide," the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries said in its December monthly report.

"Total world oil demand growth in 2007 is forecast at 1.2 million bpd [barrels per day] or 1.42 percent," the report said.

Nevertheless, world oil demand next year was projected to rise by 1.3 million barrels per day or 1.54 percent next year.

The International Energy Agency yesterday raised its forecast for oil demand for next year by 115,000 barrels per day citing demand from emerging economies

NT dollar loses ground

The New Taiwan dollar lost ground against the US dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange yesterday, declining NT$0.016 to close at NT$32.376.

A total of US$1.01 billion changed hands during trading.
This story has been viewed 743 times.