Taiwan-based Wistron Medical Technology is deepening its deployment in four domains seeking to leverage its parent firm's ICT prowess to informatize, digitalize, and smartize medical solutions, according to company CEO Donald Huang, concurrently chief technology officer at Wistron.Huang said Wistron Medical now focuses its efforts on vitro diagnosis, medical imaging, robotic assistive devices and smart hospital architecture incorporating AI and big data applications.In vitro diagnosis, the company has rolled out a series of non-invasive inspection and analysis instruments developed in cooperation with healthcare startups.In medical imaging, it has developed 3D optical scanners and low dose radiation hand-held dental ex-ray instruments.The company has also developed robotic exoskeletons to help patients suffering reduced mobility move freely, Huang said, adding that the development can serve as the best example of the firm's software-hardware integration capability.As to smart hospital architecture, it is a system aimed at providing personalized and intelligent bedside healthcare to patients by employing IoT, big data analysis and AI.Wistron Medical has also developed a smart hemodialysis solution, ICD-10 smart recommendation solution and a voice-activated communications platform for medical professionals, which can improve their efficiency by simplifying administrative work and accelerating their access to patients' medical records, according to Huang.Huang noted his company will not rule out an IPO listing plan for raising funds to support development of more smart healthcare solutions.

Four startups shared their business ideas with investors and big companies at an event jointly organized recently by Taipei City's Department of Economic Development and Digitimes to promote cross-sector collaboration in building an audio-visual entertainment ecosystem.Mind & Idea Fly (Mifly), Pi Square, King Kong Streaming and SoftChef attended the Startup X event presenting their ideas to venture capital firms, industrial associations, and enterprises including Taiwan Mobile, Far EasTone Telecommunications, PricewaterhouseCoopers Taiwan, HTC, Nvidia and Compal Electronics.Mifly, a developer of AR mobile apps, indicated that 5G, due to fast transfer speeds, is expected to enrich user experience by enabling AR/VR in gaming, marketing, e-commerce and education. Mifly has used AR/VR technology in education helping teachers and students at elementary and middle schools, company CEO Roger Lu said.Pi Square's PiStage, in-house-developed software enabling directors to preview 5G-based real-time high-definition images at different working places in the process of producing animation, can reduce cost and time spent in modifying draft animation by 25%, company CEO Spoke Yao noted.Live video streaming, as compared with other types of video streaming, needs extemporaneous ideas and interactive scenarios and the demand can be met by 5G's high transmission speeds and low latency, especially outdoor activities, according to King Kong, which plans to use 5G in AI-based recognition to screen out unsuitable content and big data analysis to find users' preference.SoftChef provides B2B IoT solutions in AWS Serverless architecture to help traditional manufacturers upgrade their manufacturing processes. 5G's high transfer speeds and low latency is helpful for the purpose.MiFly CEO Roger LuPi Square CEO Spoke YaoPhotos: Michael Lee, Digitimes, December 2019

Demand for 5G smartphones is expected to pick up fast next year, with mobile SoC prices for these handsets to stay at high levels at least in the first half of 2020. Tight capacity at TSMC's 7nm node will prevent production cost for 5G mobile chip from falling and Andriod phone vendors will not have too many alternatives in terms of SoC supply: it's basically either Qualcomm or MediaTek. 5G mobile SoC pricing will stay above US$100, a few time that for 4G ones. Mobile applications are also expected to play a key role in reversing the memory price trend from freefall to recovery in 2020. Memory ASP could rally as much as 30% next year.5G chip price to stay above US$100 in 1H20: 5G mobile SoC unit price will stay above US$100 in the first half of 2020, several times that for 4G solutions, as tight capacity at TSMC's 7nm node is likely to keep production cost at high levels, according to industry sources.Memory ASP to rebound sharply in 2020: Average selling prices (ASP) for memory could rise as much as 30% in 2020, driven mainly by strong demand for server and mobile applications, according to industry sources.

Yallvend, AuthMe and BiiLabs have jointly developed a KYC (know your customer) solution for vending machines to enable them to sell products, such as cigarettes or alcohol, to qualified consumers via personal identity verification, according to Yallvend CEO Duncan Huang.Yallvend is a mobile payment and cloud-based stock management solutions develolper for vending machines. AuthMe develops digital personal identification technology, while BiiLabs is a distributed ledger technology developer.AuthMe-developed personal identity verification works by reading data from the passport chip via NFC technology into consumers' smartphones, and then verifying the consumer's identity using facial recognition and algorithm-based liveness detection, company CEO Andy Lee explained. As the specification of passport chips conforms to International Civil Aviation Organization's standards, the personal data contained in such chips are highly reliable in terms of authenticity, Lee noted.Most of smartphone-read personal data, after being verified, are encrypted while some are processed for being disclosed such as "the person is qualified for buying cigarettes or liquor", BiiLabs COO Amanda Ye said.The collaboration began in September 2019. The KYC solution is at the POC (proof of concept) stage and is expected to be showcased at CES 2020, Huang noted.Yallvend has also developed VUK module equipped with a 4G antenna and a QR code sticker for vending machines to enable consumers to use mobile payment and machine operators to conduct cloud-based stock management, Huang said.AuthMe CEO Andy Lee (left) and Yallvend CEO Duncan Huang Photo: Yihan Li, Digitimes, December 2019

Paris-Saclay, a research-intensive and high-tech business cluster in the south of the French capital city, aims to become an international scientific and technological hub competiting with Silicon Valley, according to senior project manager Jeremy Herve.Paris-Saclay consists of University of Paris-Saclay, Ecole Polytechnique, higher education institutions, public and private research organizations as well as R&D centers and labs set up by international high-tech firms such as Dassault Systemes, General Electric and Airbus, Herve said.Based on these resources and innovative spirit, Paris-Saclay incubates startup businesses, and enterprises stationed there are able to evaluate commercial feasibility for startups' innovations and marketability, Herve said.Paris-Saclay focuses on five areas: ICT technologies; healthcare; energy efficiency; aerospace, defense and security; mobility services, Herve said. In addition to accelerators/incubators established in university campuses and enterprises, there are independent ones, Herve noted.The French government has set aside a budget of EUR10 billion (US$11.0 billion) to help accelerators/incubators and encourage big businesses to provide operational resources for startups, Herve indicated.Under government's financial assistance and Paris-Saclay's operational mechanism, most of the startups at Paris-Saclay remain independent. Cedric Auliac, an AI expert at Paris-Saclay, indicated that if all startup businesses are eventually acquired by big businesses, it will be difficult to bring about real changes to technological development.One of the startups YoGoKo, which provides communication solutions, has helped France-based Vedecom Tech develop IoV positioning technology with errors of only a few centimeters.Paris-Saclay senior project manager Jeremy Herve (right) and AI expert Cedric AuliacPhoto: Yihan Lee, Digitimes, December 2019

The prospect of 5G definitely looks promising, but players in the supply chain have to make sure they have sufficient support from one another in order to fully enjoy the opportunities promised by the arrival of 5G. Chipmakers and their partners are gearing up to build key components inventory. UMC also sees strong growth momentum coming from the 5G sector, expecting explosive expansion in demand for foundry services in 2020. The memory sector is also anticipating a recovery driven by demand from the 5G and server sectors. Now the memory sector is expecting double-digit supply shortfalls for DRAM and NAND flash in the second-half of 2020.Chipmakers, partners moving to secure 5G key components inventory: Mobile chipmakers are gearing up to secure stronger support from supply chain partners aiming to gain a greater presence in the market for 5G smartphones whose shipments are estimated to reach at least 200 million units in 2020, according to industry sources.UMC sees clear growth momentum for 5G in 2020: Taiwan's pure-play foundry UMC will see clear growth momentum in 2020 come from ever-increasing chips foundry demand for 5G applications, with clients moving actively to pull in shipments to build up inventory, according to company co-president SC Chien.DRAM, NAND flash supply may see double-digit shortfalls in 2H20: The memory sector is expected to resume growth momentum in 2020 thanks to steady increase in demand for 5G and server applications, with DRAM and NAND flash to see supply shortfalls in second-half 2020, accoding to industry sources.

Medical Augmented Intelligence (MAI) has applied VR technology to developing solutions based on restructuring medical images for use in simulating surgical operation and medical education in anatomy, according to company founder and CEO Sam Jang.The Taiwan-based startup has developed Digital Twin by restructuring medical images including X-ray, CT (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) for VR application to precision medicine, Jang said. By virtue of immersive VR experience, Digital Twin enables surgeons gain insight into 3D details of the parts of the bodies to be operated on from different viewing angles, Jang noted. Besides, surgeons can let patients know conditions of diseases and explain optimal surgical operation to them.MAI has also developed BodyMap, a standardized comprehensive and medically accurate anatomical system through restructuring human bodies for use in teaching anatomy, Jang said. VR-based education using BodyMap can enable students to understand the structures of human organs in relation to vascular and nervous systems as well as to simulate optimal paths of surgery in terms of depth and angle, Jang indicated.MAI looks to use VR technology to integrate human organs and tissues in western medicine with theories about nerve-based acupuncture, Jang noted. The integration matched with AI and big data analysis may find correlation, interaction and influence between organs/tissues and symptoms of diseases to explore therapeutic possibilities, playing a bridge between western and Chinese medicine, Jang explained.MAI founder & CEO Sam JangPhoto: Company

TripMoment uses VR technology to develop online tourism platforms to enhance tourist experience, according to company founder James Lee.The Taiwan-based startup has developed three platforms: TripMoment, a travel agency and TripMoment VR, Lee said.TripMoment provides video content of detailed information about tourism sites to let tourists as thoroughly as possible know their tourism activities beforehand, aiming to hike tourists' satisfaction with sight-seeing trips. TripMoment plans to introduce AI to provide customized sight-seeing trips, Lee noted.The travel agency provides a complete package of travel services for tourists and advertising-based marketing services for partnering government tourism authorities, airlines, hotels and restaurants, Lee indicated.TripMoment VR is a VR theme park to provide users with VR experience and immersive interactions about tourism destinations around the world, Lee said.The tourism industry needs to use technology to provide customized sight-seeing trips on a large scale, Lee indicated.Currently focusing on the domestic market, TripMoment plans to tap other markets in Asia, and it plans to modularize VR services for use on a franchise basis in overseas markets, Lee said.TripMoment founder James LeePhoto: Vicky Liu, Digitimes, December 2019

MedicalTek has developed MonoStereo, a 3D endoscopic visualization system that provides 3D images to help surgeons hike accuracy and quality for minimal invasive surgical operation.MedicalTek, a startup business engaged in developing medical solutions for minimal invasive surgery and incubated by Show Chwan Health Care System in central Taiwan, showcased its solutions in a recent Dtalk forum arranged by Digitimes.MedicalTek aims to improve quality and safety for minimal invasive surgery through strengthening surgeons' sensing capability by virtue of converting 2D endoscopic images to 3D ones, the company said.MedicalTek has signed with 12 sales agents in Taiwan, the UK, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Myanmar and plans to offer 4K models in 2020.San Draw, a startup incubated at Berkeley SkyDeck, an accelerator program of the University of California, Berkeley, unveiled a silicone 3D printer in early 2019, according to company CEO Michael Lu at the Dtalk event.Founded in 2015, San Draw obtained a US patent for its silicone 3D printing technology in 2017 and raised funds from international venture capital firms in 2018, Lu said.The silicone 3D printing technology features various colors and adjustable hardness of printed products and multiple materials used in the printing, and can be applied to RTV (room-temperature-vulcanizing) silicone and liquid silicone, Lu noted. In addition to the US, San Draw has obtained patents in Taiwan, Japan and China for the technology, Lu indicated.Silicone 3D printing, for production of silicone-based materials for medical use, entails much less cost and time than manual molding and liquid injection molding, Lu said.Broadsims has developed AI-based verification system (AVS) to secure regulatory compliance for development of medical instruments and devices, company founder and CEO Bruce Yu said during the forum.With built-in YY, JJG and IEC technical standards, AVS can automatically interpret the related regulations to check regulatory compliance for a medical instrument or device to be developed, facilitating the product's certification, Yu said.Broadsims has developed several versions of AVS for medical instruments or devices used in monitoring patients, ECG (electrocardiogram) monitoring, Holter ECG monitoring, SpO2 monitoring (pulse oximetry), NIBP (non-invasive blood pressure) monitoring, infusion pumping, diagnostic and monitoring ultrasound, high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound.San Draw CEO Michael LuBroadsims founder & CEO Bruce YuPhotos: Digitimes staff, November 2019

With the arrival of 5G's commercialization, Taiwan- and China-based makers of components including PCB and cooling modules, are expected to see rising orders from the segment, which will also improve their operations in 2020. Meanwhile, as true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds have grown popular among consumers, many smartphone vendors are planning to bundle one with their upcoming flagship products and will increase related chip demand.Chinese makers to see 2019 earnings double on strong HLC PCB demand: China's leading PCB makers Shennan Circuits and Wus Printed Circuit are expected to see their net earnings for 2019 double from 2018 on robust demand for high-layer-count (HLC) PCBs with higher margins for use in servers as well as 5G base stations that are under massive construction in China, according to industry sources.Cooling module makers eyeing robust application demand for 5G devices: The commercialization of 5G communication networks will spur the growth of both base station and smartphone markets, which in turn will significantly drive demand for high-performance cooling modules in 2020, according to industry sources.Taiwan chipmakers optimistic about demand for TWS earbuds in 2020: Chip demand for true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds and earphones is set to remain robust in 2020, according to industry sources in Taiwan.