Japanese to invest in Chia Hui
Electric Power Development Co, an electricity wholesaler owned by Japan's government and nine utilities, will invest Japanese Yen 8billion (US$65.9 million), its largest ever overseas investment, in Chia Hui Power Corp (嘉惠電廠).
Electric Power, known as J-Power, will buy a 40 percent stake in the company from Asia Cement Corp (亞泥) as part of a plan to expand its overseas business, J-Power spokesman Satoshi Masui said in an interview. Chia Hui Power will issue new shares to J-Power next year, he said.
SiGe technology versatile
The semiconductor manufacturing industry's capability to make commercial applications for advanced technologies can contribute to nanotechnology research and development in Taiwan, a senior researcher of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) said yesterday.
Shyu Jyuo-min, director of the ITRI's Electronics Research and Service Organization, said at a workshop on SiGe (silicon germanium) technology in Hsinchu that the ITRI has made SiGe technology an important part of its nanotechnology R&D program.
SiGe material has substantially higher mobility than silicon material. The major advantage of SiGe is that it is compatible with CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) and devices can be designed which can be fabricated on a silicon chip along side CMOS and bipolar.
Dell doubling orders
Dell Computer Corp will double orders for flat-panel monitors from suppliers BenQ Corp (明電) and Lite-On Technology Corp (光寶科技), a local newspaper reported, citing unidentified officials of the Dell suppliers.
Dell next year will double the flat-panel monitors it sells with desktop computers to 40 percent, after prices of the screens fell by almost a third since June, the report said.
Hewlett-Packard Co, which Dell displaced earlier this year to become the No. 1 PC maker, will also double its orders with local suppliers for desktop flat-panel monitors next year, the report said.
Korea Air charters set
Korean Air Co, South Korea's largest carrier, will offer three weekly charter flights between Seoul and Taipei for two months as the two countries try to revive national carrier links which were ended in 1992 after Seoul established diplomatic relations with China.
Korean Air will operate the flights between Dec. 27 and Feb. 21, using either Boeing Co 737 or Airbus SAS A330 planes, depending on the demand, the country's Ministry of Construction and Transportation said in a statement.
Transasia Airways Corp (復興) last month won South Korean approval to operate four weekly charter flights between Taipei and Yang Yang airport in Gangwon Province during the peak ski season from Dec. 22 until Feb. 18.
AU Optronics plans buyback
AU Optronics Corp (友達光電), the nation's largest maker of flat-panel displays, said it plans to buy back about 0.5 percent of its outstanding shares.
The company will spend NT$470 million (US$13.5 million) to buy back 20 million of its 4 billion common shares listed on the TAIEX, it said in a statement to the exchange. The buyback will start today and last until Feb. 16.
AU Optronics plans to buy the stock for prices ranging from NT$17.5 to NT$23.5. The shares, closed yesterday at NT$20.2.
NT dollar rises slightly
The New Taiwan dollar yesterday rose against its US counterpart, gaining NT$0.011 to close at NT$34.785 on the Taipei foreign exchange market. Turnover was US$397 million, compared with the previous day's US$331 million.
Agencies
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