Unity Opto Technology Co (東貝光電) is to invest more than NT$1.9 billion (US$63.42 million) to expand its local production, after the Ministry of Economic Affairs approved its application to join a government program to stimulate local investment, the ministry said yesterday.
The program, which was launched early last year during an escalating US-China trade dispute, has attracted 173 local firms to invest NT$718.8 billion in the nation, creating about 59,449 jobs.
Following in the footsteps of flat-panel makers Innolux Corp (群創) and AU Optronics Corp (友達光電), Unity Opto, the nation’s largest supplier of backlight modules for LED panels, is to set up six new smart production lines for mini-LED and micro-LED products at its existing plant in New Taipei City’s Wugu Industrial Park (五股工業區), the ministry said.
While seeking to capitalize on increasing demand for LED TVs, Unity Opto also plans to make backlight modules for various applications in automotive devices, optical sensors and other products that use visible-light communication technologies, the ministry said.
The ministry said that it also approved investment applications from three other companies.
MSSCorps Co Ltd (汎銓科技), which specializes in material analysis in the semiconductor sector, is to invest NT$1.2 billion in equipment purchases, after the company late last year set up a new manufacturing site in Hsinchu County, the ministry said.
MFC Sealing Technology Co Ltd (麥豐密封科技), which operates in the upstream of the semiconductor industry, is to invest about NT$10 billion to set up a new automated plant in Taoyuan’s Yangmei District (楊梅), the ministry said.
The company, which manufacturers oil seals, o-rings and rubber molded parts, is to set up 10 production lines as it seeks to expand into other markets, such as automotive — batteries for electric vehicles — healthcare and green energy, the ministry said.
Also looking to increase its operations in Yangmei, contact lens manufacturer I-See Vision Technology Inc (昕琦科技) is to invest NT$1.9 billion to expand its existing facility by adding 21 automated production lines and a clean room.
The company’s application comes after it entered the Japanese market, where it is seeking to strengthen its presence by developing a completely automated manufacturing process, the ministry said.
In Italy’s storied gold-making hubs, jewelers are reworking their designs to trim gold content as they race to blunt the effect of record prices and appeal to shoppers watching their budgets. Gold prices hit a record high on Thursday, surging near US$5,600 an ounce, more than double a year ago as geopolitical concerns and jitters over trade pushed investors toward the safe-haven asset. The rally is putting undue pressure on small artisans as they face mounting demands from customers, including international brands, to produce cheaper items, from signature pieces to wedding rings, according to interviews with four independent jewelers in Italy’s main
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has talked up the benefits of a weaker yen in a campaign speech, adopting a tone at odds with her finance ministry, which has refused to rule out any options to counter excessive foreign exchange volatility. Takaichi later softened her stance, saying she did not have a preference for the yen’s direction. “People say the weak yen is bad right now, but for export industries, it’s a major opportunity,” Takaichi said on Saturday at a rally for Liberal Democratic Party candidate Daishiro Yamagiwa in Kanagawa Prefecture ahead of a snap election on Sunday. “Whether it’s selling food or
CONCERNS: Tech companies investing in AI businesses that purchase their products have raised questions among investors that they are artificially propping up demand Nvidia Corp chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Saturday said that the company would be participating in OpenAI’s latest funding round, describing it as potentially “the largest investment we’ve ever made.” “We will invest a great deal of money,” Huang told reporters while visiting Taipei. “I believe in OpenAI. The work that they do is incredible. They’re one of the most consequential companies of our time.” Huang did not say exactly how much Nvidia might contribute, but described the investment as “huge.” “Let Sam announce how much he’s going to raise — it’s for him to decide,” Huang said, referring to OpenAI
Nvidia Corp’s negotiations to invest as much as US$100 billion in OpenAI have broken down, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, exposing a potential rift between two of the most powerful companies in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. The discussions stalled after some inside Nvidia expressed concerns about the transaction, the WSJ reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the deliberations. OpenAI makes the popular chatbot ChatGPT, while Nvidia dominates the market for AI processors that help develop such software. The companies announced the agreement in September last year, saying at the time that they had signed a letter of intent for a strategic
RSS