SMARTPHONES
HTC to back blockchain fund
HTC Corp (宏達電) is to support a US$50 million venture capital fund for a new blockchain start-up, Proof of Capital, with the aim of introducing cryptographic technology to the wider public. HTC chief crypto officer Phil Chen (陳信生), who is in charge of the company’s Exodus blockchain smartphone, said in a statement that the partnership would focus on defining the standards and interactions for the next generation of the Internet, and introducing mobile and hardware expertise to its portfolio companies. The US$50 million fund is being led by Chen; Edith Yeung (楊珮珊), a partner at 500 Startups; and Chris McCann, who founded and led the community program at Greylock Partners in Silicon Valley.
COMMUNICATIONS
UMT net profit surges 110%
Universal Microwave Technology Inc (UMT, 昇達科技), which supplies electronic parts and materials for broadband wireless communications, yesterday reported net profit of NT$71 million (US$2.3 million) for the first quarter of this year, up 110 percent from a year earlier, the highest for the first quarter in the company’s history. Revenue in the first quarter rose 8 percent annually to NT$449 million, or earnings per share of NT$1.1. The company said that shipments for this year are expected to continue growing due to several countries’ continued 5G-related investments and rising demand for millimeter-wave and satellite communication products.
TELECOMS
CHT executive shuffle likely
Chunghwa Telecom Co (CHT, 中華電信) is likely to see a high-ranking executive shuffle soon, as speculation swirls that chairman David Cheng (鄭優) is to retire at the end of June. The company did not deny media reports about Cheng’s retirement, but said that any changes in its operational executives would be made following related rules. CHT president Sheih Chi-mau (謝繼茂) has been picked by the government to succeed Cheng, local media reported. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications holds a 35.29 percent stake in the company.
CEMENT
Work unaffected by quake
Asia Cement Corp (亞泥) said that an earthquake in Hualien County yesterday had no significant effects on the company’s financial and business operations. A magnitude 6.1 earthquake early in the afternoon caused no harm to equipment or personnel at its Hualien plant and quarry, the firm said. The plant’s No. 2 kiln was shut down due to the earthquake, but resumed normal operations at 1:23pm, it said. In related news, Taiwan Land Development Corp (台灣土地開發) said that there were no injuries at its mixed-use New Paradiso (新天堂樂園) complex in Hualien following the earthquake.
ELECTRICITY
Plants unaffected by quake
The Hualien earthquake did not affect the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Shihmen District (石門) nor the Guosheng Nuclear Plant in Wanli District (萬里), Taiwan Power Co (台電) said yesterday, after it completed routine inspections. The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Ma-anshan (馬鞍山) also continued to function normally, as did hydroelectric and coal-fired power plants, the firm said. However, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said that four hydropower firms have stopped supplying electricity to Yilan County’s Longte Industrial Park (龍德工業區). Meanwhile, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) reported no accidents at its facilities and instituted preventive measures due to aftershocks.
SEMICONDUCTORS: The German laser and plasma generator company will expand its local services as its specialized offerings support Taiwan’s semiconductor industries Trumpf SE + Co KG, a global leader in supplying laser technology and plasma generators used in chip production, is expanding its investments in Taiwan in an effort to deeply integrate into the global semiconductor supply chain in the pursuit of growth. The company, headquartered in Ditzingen, Germany, has invested significantly in a newly inaugurated regional technical center for plasma generators in Taoyuan, its latest expansion in Taiwan after being engaged in various industries for more than 25 years. The center, the first of its kind Trumpf built outside Germany, aims to serve customers from Taiwan, Japan, Southeast Asia and South Korea,
Gasoline and diesel prices at domestic fuel stations are to fall NT$0.2 per liter this week, down for a second consecutive week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) announced yesterday. Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to drop to NT$26.4, NT$27.9 and NT$29.9 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said in separate statements. The price of premium diesel is to fall to NT$24.8 per liter at CPC stations and NT$24.6 at Formosa pumps, they said. The price adjustments came even as international crude oil prices rose last week, as traders
POWERING UP: PSUs for AI servers made up about 50% of Delta’s total server PSU revenue during the first three quarters of last year, the company said Power supply and electronic components maker Delta Electronics Inc (台達電) reported record-high revenue of NT$161.61 billion (US$5.11 billion) for last quarter and said it remains positive about this quarter. Last quarter’s figure was up 7.6 percent from the previous quarter and 41.51 percent higher than a year earlier, and largely in line with Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co’s (元大投顧) forecast of NT$160 billion. Delta’s annual revenue last year rose 31.76 percent year-on-year to NT$554.89 billion, also a record high for the company. Its strong performance reflected continued demand for high-performance power solutions and advanced liquid-cooling products used in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers,
SIZE MATTERS: TSMC started phasing out 8-inch wafer production last year, while Samsung is more aggressively retiring 8-inch capacity, TrendForce said Chipmakers are expected to raise prices of 8-inch wafers by up to 20 percent this year on concern over supply constraints as major contract chipmakers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and Samsung Electronics Co gradually retire less advanced wafer capacity, TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said yesterday. It is the first significant across-the-board price hike since a global semiconductor correction in 2023, the Taipei-based market researcher said in a report. Global 8-inch wafer capacity slid 0.3 percent year-on-year last year, although 8-inch wafer prices still hovered at relatively stable levels throughout the year, TrendForce said. The downward trend is expected to continue this year,
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