Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技), the nation’s second-largest maker of computer memory chips, said yesterday it was still in discussions with US partner Micron Technology Inc over a proposal for government assistance to ride out the industry’s worst-ever downturn.
Nanya’s move garnered attention after bigger rival Powerchip Semiconductor Corp (力晶半導體) submitted a consolidation plan involving its Japanese partner Elpida Memory Inc and their joint venture Rexchip Electronics Inc last week, hoping to obtain a capital injection from the government by selling a stake.
“We are still [in the stage of] discussion,” Nanya spokesman Pai Pei-lin (白培霖) said over the phone.
When asked weather Nanya would propose a merger with smaller DRAM maker ProMOS Technologies Inc (茂德科技) to cope with the government’s push for industrial consolidation, Pai said: “We will focus on enhancing the competitiveness of Taiwan’s DRAM [dynamic random access memory] industry rather than [targeting] any single company.”
Media have been speculating that Nanya may propose a merger with ProMOS to help it transform into a non-DRAM company making NAND, another type of memory chip, using Micron’s technology.
This would help the company reach the government’s goal of reducing the number of local DRAM players as well as obtaining advanced technologies for Taiwanese firms.
“We are evaluating all kinds of options,” Pai said in response to the speculation.
Dutch brewing company Heineken NV yesterday said that it has reached an agreement to acquire a subsidiary brewery of Taiwan’s Sanyo Whisbih Group (三洋維士比集團). Heineken is to assume majority ownership and management rights of the Long Chuan Zuan Co (龍泉鑽興業) brewery in Pingtung County’s Neipu Township (內埔), the Dutch company said. It would become the first multinational brewing company to operate brewery in Taiwan once the acquisition is completed. The deal has been approved by the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Investment Commission, but details of the financial transaction cannot be disclosed at this time, as terms of the settlement have not been completed,
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