Mon, Sep 17, 2012 page14

• [ BUSINESS BRIEFS ]

  • Staff writer, with Agencies
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  Science park production slows

  Production at the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP, 中部科學園區) fell during the first half of the year as the global economic slowdown dragged down demand for flat screens and DRAM chips, which are the two pillars of the park.

  In the first six months of the year, the output value of companies in the science park totaled NT$138.9 billion (US$4.71 billion), down about 10 percent from the same period a year earlier.

  Despite the decline in output, exports from companies in the science park during the six-month period rose 6.7 percent from a year earlier to NT$98.55 billion, CTSP administration director-general Yang Wen-ke (楊文科) said.

  Yang said companies in the park are expected to reach the target of NT$300 billion in output this year, as electricity and water consumption has risen since July, a sign of increasing production.

  Dow Jones lists UMC

  United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電), the world’s second-largest contract chip maker, has been selected as one of the global components under the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for five years in a row.

  UMC said in a statement on Friday that it has also been included into the DJSI-World and DJSI-Asia Pacific indexes for the same period of time.

  UMC said the selection was based on evaluation of about 2,500 enterprises in the world, with only 340 of them qualifying as the global components of the DJSI.

  The chip maker said only five semiconductor companies were selected in the world index, while four integrated circuit firms were listed in the Asia-Pacific index.

  According to UMC, the company earned its highest scores in evaluations for innovation management, environmental policy and management system, product stewardship, corporate citizenship and philanthropy and stakeholder engagement.

  EU-Taiwan study to be released

  A study on a potential trade agreement between the EU and Taiwan will be released on Thursday in Taipei, according to the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei (ECCT).

  The results will be announced at the ECCT’s monthly members’ lunch, where Martin Thelle, partner at consultancy Copenhagen Economics and chief researcher in charge of the new study, will give a presentation, the ECCT said in a statement.

  The new study will update figures from the past four years and take into account recent developments in regional and global trade, the statement said.

  Those developments include the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed by Taiwan and China and the free-trade agreement between the EU and South Korea, the ECCT said.

  According to the ECCT, European corporations are the largest foreign investors in Taiwan, with more than US$30 billion in foreign direct investments. However, between 2000 and 2008, EU investments in Taiwan only increased by 57 percent, the ECCT said.

  Luxgen eyes Vietnam

  Luxgen Motor Co (納智捷汽車), a subsidiary of Yulon Motor Co (裕隆汽車), said on Saturday it would participate in an auto exhibition in Vietnam later this month to introduce its sedans to potential buyers there.

  Vietnam Motor Show 2012, one of the most important annual events for the Vietnam auto industry, is scheduled to run from Sept. 26 to Sept. 30 at Hanoi’s Giang Vo Exhibition Center.

  Luxgen Motor said it would be the first time for the company to unveil its sedans in the Vietnam market after it launched several sport utility vehicle and multi-purpose vehicle models in Vietnam more than a year ago.

  The company is planning to open a large show room and maintenance facility in Hanoi this week.

  World Trade Center awarded

  The facilities and services of the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) have been awarded internationally renowned certificates for their excellence, according to the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) on Saturday.

  The TWTC received “Best Practice” certificates for all eight categories of the US-based World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), TAITRA said.

  This year, the Taipei center is the only association member to win certificates in all the rated categories, TAITRA added.

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