The US is apparently turning the heat up on China's semiconductor industry. China's fledgling memory industry may become the next tagret for US sanctions. The US-China trade war has already sent many Taiwanese companies leaving the world's factory. Taiwanese IC backend service provider SPIL has just sold a subsidiary in China, citing Huawei's woes. Meanwhile, Taiwanese III-V IC firms have reported clear order visibility for 4Q20, thanks to upcoming launches of new smartphones.Micron eyeing new patent infringement lawsuit against China memory firm: Micron Technology has expressed its concerns to DRAM module manufacturers that chips developed by China-based ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) may violate its patents, according to industry sources.SPIL sells China subsidiary on Huawei woes: ASE Technology Holding has announced that Siliconware Electronics (Fujian), a wholly-owned subsidiary in China of its member firm Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL), has been recently sold to Shenzhen Hiwin System for CNY966 million (US$142.2 million).Taiwan III-V IC firms see order visibility for 4Q20 strengthened: GaAs foundry Win Semiconductors and other Taiwan-based III-V semiconductor players are ramping up their output for new smartphones, with order visibility for the fourth quarter strengthened, according to industry sources.
Global notebook shipments are forecast to rise at a CAGR of 0.9% from 2020 to 2025, according to Digitimes Research's latest five-year forecast for the notebook industry.Stay-at-home activities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic have been driving robust shipment growth for the notebook industry in 2020. The pandemic is likely to linger in 2021, with stay-at-home activities becoming the new normal to continue sustaining notebook shipments. But notebook shipments in 2021 are expected to stay flat only from a year ago due to the weakening global economy and reduced stimulus subsidies.With lockdowns eased, shipment momentum in 2022 and 2023 is expected to weaken, but competitions among CPU platforms will become fiercer. Notebooks based on AMD's 5nm processors and Arm-based solutions are expected to be more competitive in price/performance ratios.The notebook market will see a new round of replacement demand in 2024 and 2025.Chromebook shipments are expected to surpass 30 million units in 2021 thanks to demand from the global education segment and emerging markets. The Chrome-based devices are also expected to see stronger shipment growth than Windows-based consumer and enterprise models, Digitimes Research's forecast figures show.With AMD, Apple, MediaTek and Qualcomm all developing processors for notebooks, Intel CPUs' share of worldwide notebook shipments is expected to slip below 70% in 2021. The proportion of notebooks featuring touchscreen functions will also break 20% of overall volumes in 2021 as the functionality is a standard specification for Japan's education procurement projects and Microsoft's Surface series products.
Going into its fourth year, startup AdvMeds provides consolidated medical information services with a focus on leveraging information and communications technology (ICT) advances to integrate medical and healthcare services and deliver AI-enabled smart solutions. By providing and promoting access to medical information, AdvMeds helps partners improve the quality and performance of their medical and healthcare services. Its customer base currently comprises hospitals, medical care institutions, insurance firms, healthcare product manufacturers and healthcare service providers. Its market footprint now includes 12 countries and regions around the world.According to Johnson Huang, general manager of AdvMeds, since its creation in 1995, Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) program has achieved impressive results that the rest of the world is envious of. Boasting a 99.5% satisfaction rate, the program is advancing toward precision medicine and looks to export Taiwan's smart healthcare technologies. The AdvMeds team has created a spectrum of solutions based on its years of experiences in developing and promoting medical systems. Extending from a data hub, AdvMeds offers wide-ranging products that cater to a variety of user requirements and use scenarios, including: mHIS, a cloud-based hospital information system; and LinkBox, a health AIoT device that collects lifestyle data of patients or community residents and connects with vendors in the "Big Health" industry such as assistive device makers or dietary supplement suppliers for cross-industry collaborations that create new business opportunities.To address the situation where medical care is largely provided in hospitals and becomes hardly accessible after patients leave hospitals, Huang said its team has developed a solution that aggregates patients' self-measured physiological data such as blood pressure and blood sugar levels from 255 nodes on the network connecting home care and health AIoT devices. By conducting AI-based analyses on the data collected at communities, the solution can issue medical care alerts and help patients complete measurement charts. It can serve as a basis for tailor-made healthcare services and health education video delivery. Several hospitals located in Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Penghu have put the solution to use.AdvMeds' platform currently has 230,000 registered members and 150,000 of them are active, according to Huang. Through a diversity of collaboration models, the platform enables a myriad of extended services including insurance, healthcare and physical examination referral. Its smart AI-based analyses allow precise dissemination of information. Tailored services targeting patients with chronic diseases, health education videos played on smart robots and online health education courses are also available to reduce hospitals' needs for human resources so AdvMeds' solutions are enthusiastically embraced by medical care institutions.Expanding into Thailand and Malaysia, AdvMeds bridges the digital divide in healthcareWith the assistance from the Smart City Development Projects Office, Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), AdvMeds has initiated efforts toward Southeast Asian markets, where medical information is still largely paper-based and software-enabled services need time to develop. For the time being, AdvMeds chooses to target partnership opportunities in Thailand and Malaysia, according to Huang. In Thailand, it is working with medical universities and Bangkok Hospital to use its health kiosk solution for blood alcohol testing and COVID-19 screening and management. AdvMeds has exported 200 devices amounting to an impressive NT$60 million in revenue during phase-one collaboration.In Malaysia, AdvMeds is working with an insurance company on a proof-of-concept solution that offers services to encourage individuals to take actions on improving their health, sid Haung. Incentives such as deductions in insurance premiums are offered to individuals who reach their goals. Such solutions can also be introduced to Taiwan-based insurance firms that offer similar health insurance policies.The AdvMeds team participated in Taiwan's electronic medical records project and has been actively driving ICT advances for hospitals and non-governmental organizations. Huang said he took part in multiple AIDS information system projects in Africa and WHO's tuberculosis control project. They now endeavor to join efforts across Taiwan's healthcare sector to bring what Taiwan has achieved with medical data aggregation to Southeast Asian countries through cloud-based platforms. For a long-term goal, they look to partner up with suppliers of assistive devices, ventilators, pulse oximeters and dietary supplements to foray into emerging markets. AdvMeds aims to bridge the digital divide in healthcare by improving and boosting people's quality of life through technology and particularly targeting medical information applications and technology development for remote villages, underprivileged communities and developing countries.AdvMeds-developed smart medical services solutionsPhoto: Company
The server sector has seen robust demand triggered by stay-at-home activities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, but server brands are slowing down the pace of orders for fourth-quarter 2020 pending the release of Intel's new CPU platform. But PCB makers expect strong shipment momentum in the fourth quater for the notebook and handset segments. Gaining momentum is also 5G notebook development, with chip vendors and PC brands developing AiP modules supporting both sub-6GHz and mmWave technologies.Server brands decelerate 4Q20 orders to wait for Intel new CPUs: Server shipments to brand vendors in the fourth quarter are expected to be weaker than in the third due to Intel postponing the release of the next-generation CPU platform, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.PCB makers to see strong 4Q20 shipments for handsets, notebooks: Taiwan's PCB makers are expected to embrace a strongest-ever fourth quarter in 2020 thanks partly to orders for the year's new handsets concentrating in the quarter and partly to shipment pull-in momentum from major notebook clients staying robust, according to industry sources.5G notebook development gains momentum: First-tier chip designers and PC brand vendors have begun cooperation to develop notebooks with integrated antenna-in-package (AiP) modules to support both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G technologies, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.
BOE Technology will lead China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) by more than 10pp in capacity share for large-size LCD panels after outbid the rival to take over the control of two fabs - one 8.5G and another 8.6G - from CEC-Panda LCD Technology, according to Digitimes Research.The capacity gap comes even though CSOT has also managed to sign a deal to take over the control of Samsung Display's 8.5G line in Suzhou, China. The combined production capacity of CEC-Panda's two fabs is higher than that of Samsung's fab.CEC-Panda's two fabs have a total capacity of 12.71 million square meters of LCD panels a year compared to 8.58 million square meters of Samsung Display's Suzhou plant.CEC-Panda was forced to sell the two plants due to heavy losses incurred by the two fabs, while Samsung Display sold its in line with its withdrawal from the LCD segment.With newly added capacities, the two Chinese panel makers are expected to take up the top-two spots for the supply of large-size LCD panels in 2021, after becoming the only two out of the world's top-six panel suppliers that experienced revenue growth in the first half of 2020, according to Digitimes Research.CEC-Panda's Oxide TFT technology will help BOE develop high-end panels for notebook, tablet and monitor applications.CSOT will have two 11G LCD fabs in 2021 giving it sufficient capacity for LCD TV panels, while Samsung Display's Suzhou 8.5G line will enable it to roll out monitor panels for Samsung Electronics and other clients.
Face recognition is not only the most talked about application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies but also a key AI strength indicator of the tech heavyweights in the global arena. A face recognition application takes in a database containing millions of faces, based on which a machine learning model is trained for use in access control or attendance management systems. It is growingly applied by government agencies, banking institutions and service industries.CB Insights' Artificial Intelligence Trends 2019 report identifies face recognition and edge computing as the two major trends with the most market strength and high industry adoption, even surpassing autonomous driving at the center of the automotive market's attention. The disruptive innovations to be enabled by face recognition applications are exciting. Papago chairman Liang-Yi Chien is well aware of how rapidly face recognition technologies and applications expand in the B2B market segment.Papago began to develop its face recognition engine in 2016. The 100% locally developed platform based on its own modules and algorithms is called "Face8," which won the 2019 Taiwan Excellence award. Integrated with customers' application programs or software, Face8 has been powering wide-ranging smart solutions to support a variety of application requirements. These solutions are being used by banking institutions, fitness clubs, construction companies, hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises and government agencies for access control, VIP customer service and a slew of other applications.Two main advantages help Face8 broaden its application scopeAccording to Chien, building Face8 as a technology core, Papago further enhances its capability for system integration to enable better end-product performance. Face8 is able to bring a large number of face recognition applications to reality and create lucrative business opportunities based on two major advantages. The first is that Face8 is built on top of a strong AI technology foundation. It has been qualified by National Institute of Standards and Technology's Face Recognition Vendor Test. It outperforms world-class vendors in the 1:1 and 1:N tracks and is highly praised by its partners and system integrators, Chien said.The second advantage is Papago's one-stop system integration service. The software engine can only realize its benefits on top of hardware systems so only through close collaborations will the integrated solution deliver maximum performance. For example, in the case of a face recognition system for use at a fitness club, the system has to conduct training on a local database containing millions of faces as required by the customer. A face recognition process that takes one to two seconds to complete would be unacceptable to a fitness club where many members enter and exit frequently. To address this, Papago leverages edge computing to capture images and extract features, which are then sent to the cloud for identification. This reduces the time of the recognition process to 0.2 second. The impressive performance not only pleases customers, but also makes Papago's face recognition technology the most widely adopted in Taiwan, Chien said.Smart City Development Project Office helps Face8 expand into Southeast Asian marketsWith the assistance from the Smart City Development Project Office, Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Papago looks to expand the market footprint of Face8 into Southeast Asia. Chien attributes the major progress Papago has made to IDB's role in facilitating capital acquisition and technological development. The first successful project made possible through IDB's assistance is a partnership with a Malaysian distributor and system integrator to build a face recognition system for use at a learning center. In addition to authenticating registered members of the learning center, the system can also identify the parents who drop off and pick up primary and middle school students at the learning center, setting an exemplary use case of security applications.Face8's debut in Malaysia will demonstrate Papago's strength to other countries in the region including Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand, facilitating its developments in Southeast Asia. Papago has established market presence and brand image in Southeast Asia with its automotive GPS navigation system for many years, Chien said, adding Papago will fuel new energy into its operation in the region by offering services enabling higher levels of customization with Face8.Papago chairman Liang-Yi ChienPhoto: Sandy Du, Digitimes, September 2020
While China's biggest foundry house SMIC is still waiting for the axe to fall, specualtion has already emerged about the next targets of the US trade sanctions that threaten to nip China's semiconductor push in the bud. China's memory makers could be the next targets. Memory ASPs so far this year have been falling on weak demand and excess inventory in the wake of the pandemic, though DRAM spot prices have remained stable. But memory ASPs stand a chance of stopping falling in first-quarter 2021. The pandemic has slowed the start of the 5G era, but Chinese telecom carriers are now renewing their 5G infrastructure construction projects, reigniting momentum for CCL suppliers.China memory chipmakers could be next US trade ban target: With Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) at risk of being blacklisted by the US government, concerns are growing about whether China-based memory chipmakers ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) and Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) will be the next trade ban target.Memory ASPs may stop falling in 1Q21: Memory ASPs are likely to fall through the fourth quarter of 2020, but there are signs that they will stabilize in the following quarter, according to sources at memory module makers.CCL makers to see shipments bolstered by new 5G infrastructure projects in China: Taiwan-based Iteq and Taiwan Union Technology (TUC) expect their shipments of high-frequency and high-speed CCLs for 5G base station applications to regain momentum in fourth-quarter 2020, thanks to Chinese telecoms renewing infrastructure construction projects, according to industry sources.
The global IC foundry industry output is forecast to increase 17% to US$70 billion in 2020, and rise another 6.8% in 2021, according to Digitimes Research's latest report.Despite the coronavirus pandemic and US-China trade tensions' impacts on the global semiconductor supply chain and overall demand, the output in 2020 will still be driven up by a number of factors.Demand created by stay-at-home activities is expected to remain robust in the second half of 2020, and the semiconductor supply chain has been ramping up orders to stock up extra inventory as a precaution amid tight foundry capacity.As 5G smartphones will see increased penetration rates, and new CPUs for high performance computing (HPC) applications will be launched, orders with upstream wafer foundries will continue to rise in the second half of 2020.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Samsung Electronics will continue expanding their capacity, unaffected the pandemic.With emerging applications such as 5G expected to take off and more advanced manufacturing process to be made available, the output value will grow further in 2021.In the next five years, emerging applications such as 5G and AI will enjoy faster growths. TSMC and Samsung will continue advancing their manufacturing processes and packaging technologies to attract IDMs such as Intel to expand outsourcing.GlobalFoundries and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), despite turning their R&D focus to niche manufacturing processes, are still expected to expand their deployments in emerging businesses such as IoT and autonomous driving.Digitimes Research expects the global IC foundry industry output to grow at a five-year CAGR of between 6-7% from 2020-2025 to reach US$95 billion in 2025. However, the trade brawl between the US and China remains the biggest uncertainty.
Taiwan General Textile Technology (TGTT) has developed Frontier cloud computing platform that helps shorten time taken in the entire process from design, production to launch of clothing items, according to company CEO Victor Chao.The process usually takes several months and quite often products are already out of fashion when they are launched, with 40-80% of the items ending up in the inventory, Chao noted.Frontier, leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS) functions, enables exchange of digital textile data among all parties in the process to form a complete textile ecosystem, Chao indicated.Frontier allows suppliers to scan fabrics for cloud-based display instead of manually setting up fabric files.Frontier enables real-time communication and data exchange between textile supply chain makers, Chao said.Taiwan General Textile Technology CEO Victor ChaoPhoto: Annie Chen, Digitimes, September 2020
Taiwan Advanced Instrumentation Project (TAIP) is a project in the digital infrastructure category of the government's Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program. It aims at promoting Taiwan's R&D, manufacture and utilization of advanced instruments. According to the program's first principal investigator and Academia Sinica academician Chung-Hsuan Chen, Taiwan imports more than NT$170 billion (US$5.86 billion) worth of analytical instruments every year. In view of the enormous market sizes both at home and abroad, the Taiwan government looks to consolidate domestic research efforts to help instrumentation industry and hopes to become Asia's No. 2 exporter of advanced instruments, second to Japan.Chen pointed out two unique advantages of Taiwan's instrument industry - flourishing developments of machinery, electronics and semiconductor industries and continuing government investments into infrastructure build-up. These will provide a solid foundation for TAIP. For example, as semiconductor manufacturing moves forward into advanced process technologies, such as the 3nm node, the production efficiency heavily relies on advanced analytical instruments to conduct high-precision tests and measurements of ultra-low level impurity materials to improve yield. Such instruments that are fundamental to process technology advances may not all be readily available on the market. This is where Taiwan's advanced instrument development teams come into play. It is also the goal that the teams are striving for. This team aims to develop novel instruments taking into account both functionality and cost advantage while enabling portability to achieve on-time and on-spot analysis for expanding world market share for Taiwan's instrument industry.TAIP: Measurement technology IP protection and control software developmentYi-Sheng Wang, researcher, Genomic Research Center, Academia Sinica, currently heads TAIP. According to Wang, the program focuses on facilitating development of advanced analytical instruments including mass spectrometers, electro-optical analytical instruments and biomedical analytical instruments. It is aimed at accelerating and broadening industrial applications of research results. The category of biomedical analytical instruments generally encompasses all testing equipment used at medical institutions. Electro-optical analytical instruments are often used for illegal drug, environmental pollutant and food safety testing. Mass spectrometry is seeing important technological breakthroughs and enjoying rapid growth in application market in recent years, making mass spectrometers indispensable for scientific tests and measurements.Wang noted that the development of advanced analytical instruments hinges on technological know-how. For example, to develop an innovative and competitive product requires a group of machinery, electronics and software experts to work in collaboration, so that the protection of intellectual property is crucial. Global advanced instrument manufacturers generally develop their products by way of system integration. They protect their core products with strong patent planning or obtaining licensing from research organizations to maintain their competitive edge. Another key point is the ability to design software that performs robust and fast data analytics. As to brand name that consumers attach great importance to, it usually cannot be built overnight but can only be crafted over time.The program has generated impressive results with multiple startup firms being formed. For example, for illegal drug testing, a National Taiwan University (NTU) team has developed a portable rapid screening device and an Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) team has developed a terahertz imaging system to help the government crack down on substance abuse. For biomedical applications, an Academia Sinica team has presented a solution combining photochemistry and microscopic imaging technology to precisely capture images of specific cells, which is of great significance to biomedical and pharmaceutical researches. Moreover, an IRTI team has created an AI-enabled infrared camera system for patient care, which can actively issue alerts to reduce the chance of accidents and help boost long-term care institutions' capacity and quality. Additional research achievements include chemical analysis instruments and public safety devices, for which Academia Sinica teams are working on early-stage development and commercialization can be expected when manufacturers or brand vendors take over.Easing of regulations will invigorate the industry with resources for sustainable developmentExecuters of TAIP are making plans to enable continuing development as the program is set to complete its short-term objectives and conclude by year-end 2020. As most investors want to see a quick return on their investment, the instrument industry usually needs sustainable development. Chen suggests that the government start by easing regulations as what was done with the Act for The Development of Biotech and New Pharmaceuticals Industry to allow more flexible use of investors' funds and diverse sources of funding for the industry. Efforts should also be made to bridge venture capital funds with Taiwan's high-tech industries and build up connections that will bring bigger opportunities for Taiwan's instrumentation industry.Chung-Hsuan Chen, Academia Sinica academician (left), and Yi-Sheng Wang, researcher, Genomic Research Center, Academia Sinica (right)Photo: Sandy Du, Digitimes, September 2020
