Catcher Technology is nearing the end of site acquisition discussions and may begin work on a new factory in Vietnam in the second half of this year, according to Allen Hung, chairman of the chassis maker.
Indonesia's largest taxi operator will turn to BYD Co. for 80% of its electric-vehicle fleet while reviewing its Tesla Inc orders as lower-cost models win out in the country.
Judging from India, Vietnam, and Thailand's present import-export structures for semiconductors and electronics, we can imagine what the future ecosystem will be like. Major ASEAN countries import semiconductors mostly through the logistics services providers in China and Hong Kong. But neither China nor Hong Kong has its home-grown distributors who can handle international sales. It's Taiwanese companies that are playing the key role behind the scene.
Vietnam's electric-car maker VinFast recalled all 999 of its initial sport utility vehicles shipped to the US over malfunctioning software that can lead the main screen to go blank.
Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution have embarked on a joint effort to scale up in the US. The pair announced on May 26 that they will build an EV battery cell plant together in Georgia. Production is expected to begin at the end of 2025.
South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Ministry announced on May 23 that the government and local automakers will invest KRW14.3 trillion (US$10.9 billion) in the automotive component industry, helping EV production grow fivefold by 2030.
Taiwan-based OSATs such as ASE Technology, and IC test interface specialists including Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT) and WinWay Technology, have all expanded their operations in Southeast Asia to meet rising demand from the local IC industry, according to industry sources.
Boasting favorable government policies, lower overall labor costs, burgeoning local semiconductor actors such as Viettel, Vingroup, and FPT, Vietnam is garnering more than mere attention from international firms.
Contract electronics maker Pegatron has announced plans to purchase land and a building in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, for a total of NT$755 million (US$24.6 million).
Taiwan-based Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) manufacturer Complex Micro Interconnection Co. expects that FPC shipment momentum in third-quarter 2023 will gradually recover as customer inventory levels decrease. The company is also stepping up the construction of a second production base in Thailand in response to global supply chain shift and the bottleneck in the surface mount (SMT) back-end process.
Taiwan-based automotive PCB maker Dynamic Electronics has accelerated the construction of its new plant in Thailand, which is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2024.
VinFast founder Pham Nhat Vuong said the electric vehicle maker could be profitable after 2025 if operations are "smooth" and break even by the end of 2024.
Sweden-based battery company Northvolt decided to move forward with a plan to construct a factory in Germany as long as government financial support is available. In addition, China-based Eve Energy secured land in Malaysia last week to expand battery production in the country.
Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE), which specializes in high-layer count (HLC) PCBs for servers and PCs, has disclosed plans to set up a new plant in Thailand.
PCB production used to be heavily concentrated in Kunshan, China and Taiwan. However, recent changes in the global economy and politics, as well as growing geopolitical conflicts, have led both upstream material suppliers and downstream rigid and flexible PCB manufacturers to plan or enact strategies for new production bases in third countries.
