PHARMACEUTICALS
Lotus, Fuji push agreements
Lotus Pharmaceutical Co (美時化學製藥) and Fuji Pharma Co yesterday announced the execution of capital and business collaboration agreements. Under the terms of the cash-natural capital collaboration, Fuji acquired a 2 percent stake in Lotus for about US$20 million, while Lotus acquired a 3.9 percent stake in Fuji for an equal sum. The transaction is designed to bolster the two firms commercial platform in Japan and other key Asian pharmaceutical markets, explore cross-selling opportunities, achieve manufacturing synergies and jointly invest in the development of specialty products for the region.
TECHNOLOGY
HTC using Nvidia tech
Smartphone maker HTC Corp (宏達電) on Tuesday said it has teamed up with US graphics chip designer Nvidia Corp for its latest virtual-reality (VR) headset. HTC announced at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California, that its new Vive Pro Eye model, which was introduced in January, but has not hit stores yet, uses Nvidia’s variable rate shading (VRS) technology to cater to professional VR users. VRS increases rendering performance and quality by applying varying amounts of processing power to different areas of the image. The Vive Pro Eye is equipped with eye-tracking hardware, HTC said. Last year, HTC posted a net profit of NT$12 billion (US$389.2 million), or NT$14.72 per share, compared with a net loss of NT$16.91 billion, or a loss of NT$20.58 per share, in 2017.
ENERGY
Fuhai project approved
Taiwan Generations Corp (永傳能源) yesterday received approval from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) for the second phase development of its Fuhai offshore wind project off the coast of Changhua County. The project, which had been rejected twice by the EPA, was approved after the company made changes to its plans to minimize the impact on the environment and the flight path of migratory birds. The company would also move its construction schedule from November to March next year, to October to April next year, and promised that its marine engineering crew would not spend more than 20 days at sea consecutively during construction. The turbines would also be relocated to more than 5km from neighboring offshore wind projects to avoid interference, the company said.
E-COMMERCE
PChome offers low fees
E-commerce operator PChomestore Inc (商店街) has teamed up with Taiwan FamilyMart Co (全家便利商店) to offer shipping subsidies to boost sales. Until the end of this month, PChomestore customers could enjoy delivery fees as low as NT$45 on orders of more than NT$299 when they choose to pick up their orders at a FamilyMart store. The discounted delivery rates are eligible for all purchases meeting the minimum amount. Parent company PChome Online Inc (網路家庭) last year reported a net loss of NT$1.77 billion, or a loss of NT$8.49 per share.
TECHNOLOGY
Hon Hai chair vows to sue
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) yesterday took to social media and vowed to sue a TV station and its producers after a guest in a political talk show hinted at his ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Gou denied claims that he had been “instructed” by Beijing to cooperate with Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and invest in the city.
SEEKING CLARITY: Washington should not adopt measures that create uncertainties for ‘existing semiconductor investments,’ TSMC said referring to its US$165 billion in the US Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) told the US that any future tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors could reduce demand for chips and derail its pledge to increase its investment in Arizona. “New import restrictions could jeopardize current US leadership in the competitive technology industry and create uncertainties for many committed semiconductor capital projects in the US, including TSMC Arizona’s significant investment plan in Phoenix,” the chipmaker wrote in a letter to the US Department of Commerce. TSMC issued the warning in response to a solicitation for comments by the department on a possible tariff on semiconductor imports by US President Donald Trump’s
The government has launched a three-pronged strategy to attract local and international talent, aiming to position Taiwan as a new global hub following Nvidia Corp’s announcement that it has chosen Taipei as the site of its Taiwan headquarters. Nvidia cofounder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Monday last week announced during his keynote speech at the Computex trade show in Taipei that the Nvidia Constellation, the company’s planned Taiwan headquarters, would be located in the Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區) in Taipei. Huang’s decision to establish a base in Taiwan is “primarily due to Taiwan’s talent pool and its strength in the semiconductor
An earnings report from semiconductor giant and artificial intelligence (AI) bellwether Nvidia Corp takes center stage for Wall Street this week, as stocks hit a speed bump of worries over US federal deficits driving up Treasury yields. US equities pulled back last week after a torrid rally, as investors turned their attention to tax and spending legislation poised to swell the US government’s US$36 trillion in debt. Long-dated US Treasury yields rose amid the fiscal worries, with the 30-year yield topping 5 percent and hitting its highest level since late 2023. Stocks were dealt another blow on Friday when US President Donald
UNCERTAINTY: Investors remain worried that trade negotiations with Washington could go poorly, given Trump’s inconsistency on tariffs in his second term, experts said The consumer confidence index this month fell for a ninth consecutive month to its lowest level in 13 months, as global trade uncertainties and tariff risks cloud Taiwan’s economic outlook, a survey released yesterday by National Central University found. The biggest decline came from the timing for stock investments, which plunged 11.82 points to 26.82, underscoring bleak investor confidence, it said. “Although the TAIEX reclaimed the 21,000-point mark after the US and China agreed to bury the hatchet for 90 days, investors remain worried that the situation would turn sour later,” said Dachrahn Wu (吳大任), director of the university’s Research Center for
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