German companies will for the first time be outnumbered by international firms as the world's top general IT fair, CeBIT in Hanover, takes on a visibly Asian accent next week.
As displays are built for the huge March 10-16 show, organizers said Thursday that Taiwanese companies had booked a record 777 stands, up from 700 last year, while Chinese vendors had sharply boosted bookings from 182 a year ago to 310.
The hottest products at the fair are likely to be the software and services that automate business processes as well as wireless technologies incorporating third-generation mobile phone standards and WLAN, said Willi Berchtold, president of sponsors BITKOM.
Memory technology, new advanced processors and digital entertainment are also likely to be high on buyers' shopping lists.
Security issues remain an enduring focus, with hacking, spam and virus attacks as bad as ever, according to Berchtold. BITKOM is the German federation of IT and communications technology manufacturers.
Deutsche Messe, the company that owns the Hanover fairgrounds and stages the event, said Asian participation in the fair had practically doubled since 2001. Of this year's 6,270 exhibitors (6,109 last year), 3,293 (2,941) were from outside Germany.
BITKOM said Asian sales were expected to grow 6 percent this year and 7 percent next year.
Contract chipmaker United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) yesterday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Polar Semiconductor LLC to collaborate on the production of 8-inch wafers in the US. The collaboration aims to strengthen 8-inch wafer manufacturing in the US amid Washington’s efforts to increase onshore manufacturing of semiconductors, contribute to supply chain resilience against shifting geopolitical dynamics, and ensure a secure domestic supply of power semiconductors critical to automotive, electric grids, robotic manufacturing and data centers, the companies said in a joint statement. Under the MOU, Polar and UMC will identify devices for Polar to manufacture at
TECH TITANS: Amazon’s latest chip joins Google in competing for the 90 percent market share held by Nvidia, which claims it is ‘a generation ahead of the industry’ Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Tuesday launched its in-house-built Trainium3 artificial intelligence (AI) chip, marking a significant push to compete with Nvidia Corp in the lucrative market for AI computing power. The move intensifies competition in the AI chip market, where Nvidia dominates with an estimated 80 to 90 percent market share for products used in training large language models that power the likes of ChatGPT. Google last week caused tremors in the industry when it was reported that Facebook-parent Meta Platforms Inc would employ Google AI chips in data centers, signaling new competition for Nvidia. This followed the release last month of
TARIFF TALKS: The US secretary of commerce is eyeing more than US$300 billion in investments and said Taiwan would train US workers, but Taipei has denied the latter US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the US is expecting a large investment pledge from Taiwan in trade talks, while President William Lai (賴清德) listed areas that need improvement in order for projects to be completed. “We’re in the midst of discussions,” Lutnick said on Wednesday. “But the fact is, this administration’s goal is to bring semiconductor manufacturing to America.” Lai on Wednesday said Taiwan is supportive of US President Donald Trump’s goal of reindustrializing the US, including efforts to ramp up semiconductor production. Such a goal would require the US to reduce its reliance on Taiwan as a key source
Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團) and Luxshare Precision Industry Co (立訊精密) plan to add millions of gaming devices to Vietnam’s annual output, according to documents they submitted to local authorities, reinforcing the country’s role in the global supply of game consoles. Vietnam assembles a variety of electronic products destined for foreign markets, including smartphones, computers and tablets. Information on its production of consoles is not public, but Foxconn EV Energy & Component (Vietnam) Co, a subsidiary of the Taiwanese manufacturer, has capacity to produce up to 4 million gaming devices in a factory in Northern Vietnam, according to a company document from
RSS