TECHNOLOGY
GCS inks Epistar pact
GCS Holdings Inc (GCS, 環宇通訊), which supplies gallium arsenide chips mostly used in telecom equipment, yesterday said it has inked a strategic collaboration agreement with Epistar Corp (晶電), the nation’s leading LED chip manufacturer, to cooperate in 5G and consumer electronics applications. It also plans to acquire 16,400,000 common shares, or a 16.4 percent stake, of Unikorn Semiconductor Corp (晶成半導體), a 6-inch wafer foundry and a wholly owned subsidiary of Epistar, by the end of this quarter, according to a regulatory filing.
MANUFACTURING
Casetek back in black
Casetek Holdings Ltd (鎧勝) yesterday said it swung back into profit last quarter, with a net income of NT$482 million (US$15.6 million), or earnings per share of NT$1.15. Thanks to higher shipments of MacBook Airs and iPad Pros last quarter, sales increased 32.4 percent quarterly and 2.9 percent annually to NT$10.18 billion, the metal casing supplier said in a regulatory filing. However, the company still posted a net loss of NT$1.7 billion for the whole of last year, because of losses in the first three quarters, with a net loss per share of NT$4.13. Total sales were NT$30.49 billion, with gross margin of 5 percent and operating margin of minus-5 percent, it said.
RECYCLING
Taiwan Steel Union upbeat
Taiwan Steel Union Co Ltd (鋼聯), which collects valuable zinc from electric arc furnace (EAF) dust generated during steel manufacturing, yesterday said it is positive about this year’s outlook, after reporting strong financial results for last year. The volume of EAF dust would increase to 160,000 tonnes this year, it said, adding that sales of zinc oxide products are expected to be higher than last year. A new subsidiary focusing on the recycling of steelmaking slag is scheduled to begin operations in June, it said. Net income for last year was NT$785 million, up 3 percent from 2017, or earnings per share of NT$7.11. Consolidated sales grew 13 percent annually to NT$2.15 billion.
COMPUTERS
New COO for Asustek
Asustek Computer Inc’s (華碩) board of directors has approved the appointment of corporate vice president Joe Hsieh (謝明傑) to replace chief operating officer (COO) Jerry Tsao (趙允明). In a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange on Tuesday, Asustek said Tsao tendered his resignation for personal career planning reasons and is to step down at the end of this month. Tsao, former Intel Corp sales and marketing regional head, took the post on March 5 last year. His announced departure comes after a shake-up late last year involving several top executives.
FOOD
Namchow net profit up 48%
Namchow Holdings Co (南僑投資控股), which produces baking oil and frozen foods, on Monday reported an unaudited net profit of NT$144 million for last month, up 48 percent over December 2017, or earnings per share (EPS) of NT$0.58, while revenue increased 10.17 percent to NT$1.76 billion. Last month’s net profit and revenue set company records. For last year as a whole, Namchow reported a net profit of NT$1.003 billion, up 1 percent from 2017, or EPS of NT$4.04. Consolidated revenue increased by 6.43 percent to NT$18.28 billion, according to the company’s regulatory filing.
Taiwan Transport and Storage Corp (TTS, 台灣通運倉儲) yesterday unveiled its first electric tractor unit — manufactured by Volvo Trucks — in a ceremony in Taipei, and said the unit would soon be used to transport cement produced by Taiwan Cement Corp (TCC, 台灣水泥). Both TTS and TCC belong to TCC International Holdings Ltd (台泥國際集團). With the electric tractor unit, the Taipei-based cement firm would become the first in Taiwan to use electric vehicles to transport construction materials. TTS chairman Koo Kung-yi (辜公怡), Volvo Trucks vice president of sales and marketing Johan Selven, TCC president Roman Cheng (程耀輝) and Taikoo Motors Group
Among the rows of vibrators, rubber torsos and leather harnesses at a Chinese sex toys exhibition in Shanghai this weekend, the beginnings of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven shift in the industry quietly pulsed. China manufactures about 70 percent of the world’s sex toys, most of it the “hardware” on display at the fair — whether that be technicolor tentacled dildos or hyper-realistic personalized silicone dolls. Yet smart toys have been rising in popularity for some time. Many major European and US brands already offer tech-enhanced products that can enable long-distance love, monitor well-being and even bring people one step closer to
RECORD-BREAKING: TSMC’s net profit last quarter beat market expectations by expanding 8.9% and it was the best first-quarter profit in the chipmaker’s history Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), which counts Nvidia Corp as a key customer, yesterday said that artificial intelligence (AI) server chip revenue is set to more than double this year from last year amid rising demand. The chipmaker expects the growth momentum to continue in the next five years with an annual compound growth rate of 50 percent, TSMC chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家) told investors yesterday. By 2028, AI chips’ contribution to revenue would climb to about 20 percent from a percentage in the low teens, Wei said. “Almost all the AI innovators are working with TSMC to address the
Malaysia’s leader yesterday announced plans to build a massive semiconductor design park, aiming to boost the Southeast Asian nation’s role in the global chip industry. A prominent player in the semiconductor industry for decades, Malaysia accounts for an estimated 13 percent of global back-end manufacturing, according to German tech giant Bosch. Now it wants to go beyond production and emerge as a chip design powerhouse too, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. “I am pleased to announce the largest IC (integrated circuit) Design Park in Southeast Asia, that will house world-class anchor tenants and collaborate with global companies such as Arm [Holdings PLC],”