Adimmune Corp (國光生技) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Indonesia-based industrial-estate developer PT Berkah Kawasan Manyar Sejahtera (BKMS) as it eyes a new factory in Indonesia.
BKMS, a subsidiary of AKR Corporindo Tbk PT, helps foreign companies invest in Java Integrated Industrial Ports and Estate, which has been designated a special economic zone, Adimmune said.
“We will perform due diligence to determine whether to invest in the zone, and so far there is no specific timeline,” Adimmune spokesman Pan Fei (潘飛) told the Taipei Times by telephone yesterday.
“The zone is a strong candidate for overseas expansion, due to its infrastructure and advantageous policies, in addition to the large consumer base in Indonesia,” Pan said.
The Indonesian government welcomes investment from foreign biotech and pharmaceutical firms, as local production is expected to alleviate pressure on it to import drugs and vaccines, Pan said.
If Adimmune proceeds, it would produce its own influenza vaccines for the Indonesian market and others in Southeast Asia, he said, adding that the firm has halal certification for its flu shots.
It would focus on contract development and manufacturing to help clients develop their own vaccines, Pan said.
Adimmune chairman Steve Chan (詹啟賢) said at a signing ceremony on Thursday that the firm was planning clinical trials in Indonesia for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Adimmune has conducted phase 1 trials in Taiwan and is considering phase 2 human trials in Indonesia, Pan said, adding that talks are ongoing with Indonesian regulators.
“We will not rush to complete the trials to obtain emergency use authorization from Indonesian regulators. Instead, the aim is for a normal approval procedure, as we believe that demand for COVID-19 vaccines will be long-term,” Pan said.
Adimmune’s cumulative sales fell 77 percent annually to NT$94 million (US$3.35 million) for the first six months.
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
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
Nvidia Corp yesterday announced that CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) would attend an employee meeting in Taipei tomorrow to celebrate the launch of the company’s Taiwan headquarters project. Huang would attend a gathering at the site of Nvidia’s planned headquarters in Beitou Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區), the company said in a statement. After arriving in Taiwan on Saturday last week, Huang told reporters that he plans to meet with Quanta Computer Inc (廣達) chairman Barry Lam (林百里) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), and would attend the groundbreaking ceremony for Nvidia’s Taiwan headquarters tomorrow. Nvidia has not yet applied
Huawei Technologies Co (華為) said it has come up with a new pathway to shorten its gap with industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), potentially achieving a breakthrough in making advanced semiconductors without cutting-edge equipment. Right now there is about a five-year gap between what TSMC is capable of and what Huawei, together with its manufacturing partner Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (中芯), can produce. Huawei is to start making 1.4-nanometer chips by 2031 with its own “LogicFolding” technology, Huawei semiconductor chief He Tingbo (何庭波) said in a rare public appearance during a chip conference yesterday, while TSMC has
RSS