Taiwan’s integrated circuit (IC) provider Raydium Semiconductor Corp (瑞鼎科技) said yesterday that its operations would not be affected by its chairman’s death.
Raydium chairman Bishop Chen (陳榮宏) died in a paragliding accidenton Wednesday in the mountains of Yilan County. He is said to have plunged to the ground after flying for 50m from a launch site at about 3:30pm.
The 53-year-old allegedly became detached from his paraglider before falling to his death when a security buckle at his crotch broke loose. After the accident, Chen was rushed to a local hospital where doctors performed five hours of emergency treatment in an effort to save his life, but they were unable to revive him.
The hospital said Chen suffered from heavy bleeding, a severe lung injury because of broken ribs and a chest injury. He was in a coma when he arrived at the hospital.
Raydium, an AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電) affiliate, said in a statement yesterday that the company would maintain normal operations and its board of directors would soon elect a new chairman to succeed Chen.
Under the leadership of Chen, Raydium had earned more than its registered capital for four consecutive years. During the first half of the year, the company’s net profit was NT$422 million (US$14.58 million), down almost 50 percent from the same period last year. However, its earnings per share still reached NT$6.50, the highest among all listed IC providers in Taiwan.
Raydium shares fell 1.25 percent yesterday to close at NT$79 on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
Separately, AUO, the world’s No. 4 LCD panel maker, said on Wednesday that it would split its display operation into three business groups, effective yesterday.
This arrangement divides AUO’s display business operation into video solutions, mobile solutions and touch solutions, AUO said.
The Video Solutions Business Group will be led by vice president Michael Tsai (蔡國新), Mobile Solutions Business Group by vice president T.K. Wu (吳大剛), and Touch Solutions Business Group by vice president Fred Hsieh (謝世枋).
AUO also announced the establishment of the Executive Strategic Planning Division, led by associate vice president Frank Ko (柯富仁), to develop long-term strategies.
After several years flying high as Asia’s best Nvidia Corp proxy, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is increasingly vying with other artificial intelligence (AI) stocks for investor attention. Stock traders are chasing a wider array of beneficiaries as mainstream usage of AI creates demand for hardware beyond the most-advanced chips TSMC makes for Nvidia. Subthemes from the deepening memory crunch to advances in robotics are also luring bids. At the same time, investment caps on single stocks are pushing funds to diversify, while retail investors long familiar with TSMC through its US depositary receipts are being offered a broader set of
UNDER MICROSCOPE: Taiwan detained three people who allegedly conspired to buy servers in Taiwan and export them using fraudulent documentation, prosecutors said Nvidia Corp chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Saturday urged Super Micro Computer Inc to tighten up on compliance after Taiwan detained three people this week for allegedly making fraudulent declarations about artificial intelligence (AI) servers made by its US partner. The development marked the nation’s first crackdown on semiconductor smuggling, which grew after the US slapped restrictions on exports of high-end chips such as Nvidia AI accelerators to China. Nvidia is “rigorous” in explaining regulations to all of its partners, Huang told reporters after arriving in Taipei. “Ultimately Super Micro has to run their own company,” he said in response to
Netherlands-based semiconductor equipment supplier ASML Holding NV yesterday said that it is planning to hire an additional 1,000 people in Taiwan this year in response to growing demand from clients. ASML had previously planned to recruit 600 people this year, but that the plan has been adjusted upward, ASML vice president and ASML Taiwan general manager Grace Wang (汪佳慧) told reporters. ASML has a workforce of more than 4,500 in Taiwan, accounting for about 10 percent of its global total, Wang said. This year’s recruitment campaign would focus on adding people in the customer support, manufacturing and supply chain domains to assist ASML
TECH RELIANCE: Growth is increasingly reflecting an unequal K-shaped distribution, where technology sectors outperform and other industries struggle, an expert said Standard Chartered Bank has significantly raised its forecast for Taiwan’s economic growth to 9.5 percent this year, up from 7.6 percent previously, citing surging artificial intelligence (AI) demand driving exports, semiconductor production and investment. The upgrade reflects a sustained AI supercycle that continues to fuel demand for advanced chips and technology infrastructure, which form the backbone of Taiwan’s exports, the bank said in a report this week. “We raise our 2026 growth forecast to reflect a much stronger-than-expected first-quarter GDP figure,” Standard Chartered senior economist for greater China and Asia Tommy Wu (胡東安) said in the report. Driven largely by a 35.3 percent
RSS