Taiwan-based makers together shipped 6.735 million LCD TVs in first-quarter 2017, the lowest quarterly level since first-quarter 2010. The volume represents decreases of 33.2% sequentially and 8.4% on year, according to Digitimes Resaerch.Among regional markets, Asia accounted for 43.6% of the shipments, North America 28.9%, Europe 21.0% and others 6.5%, Digitimes Research indicated.TPV Technology was the largest maker shipping three million LCD TVs, followed by Foxconn Electronics with 2.49 million units, Amtran Technology with 470,000 units, Compal Electronics with 380,000 units and Wistron with 125,000 units.Shipments in second-quarter 2017 are forecast to rebound to 8.371 million units, with Asia and North America to account for 41.3% and 34.5% respectively.

China-based panel makers exhibited small- to medium-size TDDI (touch and display driver integration) LTPS TFT-LCD panels and flexible AMOLED panels at China Information Technology Expo (CITE) 2017 in Shenzhen, southern China, during April 9-11, according to Digitimes Research.Panel makers at the exposition included BOE Technology, Tianma Micro-electronics and Royole, as well as LG Display, Digitimes Research indicated.The China-based makers mainly showcased 5- to 5.5-inch full HD TDDI LTPS TFT-LCD panels for use in smartphones.Among panels used in automotive displays, the main type was for use in rear-view mirrors with long-rectangle shapes. For panels used in smart wearable devices, makers focused on panels for use in VR (virtual reality) devices, although AMOLED has become the mainstream display technology for VR devices.

Taiwan's LCD monitor shipments dropped 6.2% on year to reach below 20 million units in the first quarter of 2017, while worldwide shipments also experienced a similar decline of 6.8% on year. For the second quarter, Taiwan's volume will continue to see an on-year decline of 8.4%, while worldwide shipments will drop 7.2%, showing the market has yet to recover.Taiwan's share of worldwide LCD monitor shipments also dropped below 65% in the first quarter because of fierce competition for orders from China-based makers. China-based makers' advantages in pricing and stable in-house panel supply have already become strong threat to Taiwan-based makers, according to Digitimes Research's figures.In terms of product size, Taiwan's shipments of 22-inch and above LCD monitors accounted for over 50% of the overall volume for the first time in the first quarter and large-size models are expected to make up the bulk of Taiwan makers' shipments.Among Taiwan-based makers, Qisda performed the best in the first quarter, while Wistron is expected to achieve good on-year shipment growth in the second quarter.In 2016, worldwide LCD monitor shipments were 124 million units, down less than 1% on year, but the volume is expected to drop 2.4% on year to reach only 121 million units in 2017.

Biometric sensor technologies are mainly separated into two major categories: the static type such as fingerprint, iris, face, palm vein recognition; and the dynamic type such as voiceprint, heartbeat and gait recognition. In 2016, fingerprint recognition sensor shipments were around 780 million units, accounting for 96% of all biometric sensor product shipments. As more new sensor technologies will begin entering the market, biometric sensor product shipments are expected to achieve a CAGR of 31.2% from 2017-2020.In 2016, most biometric sensor products were being adopted in consumer electronics devices such as smartphones, followed by financial applications and surveillance systems, according to Digitimes Research's new research reportHuman’s static characteristics have their own uniqueness and are difficult to duplicate or fabricate, while dynamic characteristics may change. For example, catching a cold could alter a user's voice. Therefore, adoption of a sensor technology requires consideration of the application’s characteristics.Currently, the fingerprint recognition is the most commonly used biometric technology, especially after Apple adopted a fingerprint sensor as a standard feature for its smartphone products after the iPhone 5s. It has prompted other smartphone vendors to follow suit and start using fingerprint sensors for their products.

IR (infrared) and UV-C (ultraviolet with wavelength of 240-290nm) LED, automotive headlights, Micro LED and OLED lighting were major attractions at Taiwan International Lighting Show (TILS) and LED Taiwan 2017 jointly taking place in Taipei during April 12-15, according to Digitimes Research.High-power IR LED devices have seen increasing adoption for iris, fingerprint and facial recognition applications, visual enhancement applications for nighttime driving and surveillance, Digitimes Research indicated.Japan-based Nikkiso has developed 280nm UV-C LED devices with optical output power of 75mW for use in disinfection. Nikkiso has cooperated with its US-based subsidiary AquiSense Technologies to offer water purifiers, with the smallest model equipped with three UV-C LED chips able to purify 2-3 liters of water per minute.LED epitaxial wafer and chip maker Epistar showcased LED automotive headlights made of CSP (chip-scale packaging) of LED chips. LED automotive headlights are expected to be developed toward AFS (adaptive front-lighting system) of which multiple lighting sources can be separately controlled and lighting pattern can be adapted based on road conditions to reduce impact of dazzling.PlayNitride exhibited PixelLED, its patented Micro LED display technology used in smart watches with resolution of 1,500ppi.For OLED lighting, government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute showcased an OLED lighting device with thickness of below 6mm, a weight of 8g and luminous efficiency of 32lm/W while US-based OLED Works exhibited 63lm/W OLED lighting products which will be soon launched in the Taiwan market.

Digital payments platform Paypal has been forced to stop processing domestic payments between accounts registered in Taiwan in order to comply with local laws and regulations. But in a case of taking corporate doublespeak to absurdity the company has attempted to pass off the loss a service as an enhancement.In a recent email sent to affected accounts the company wrote, "We're streamlining our services in Taiwan and our system will be enhanced to ensure that domestic commercial payments will not be processed, in compliance with local laws and regulations."The email goes on to make it clear via an FAQ that this "enhanced" service is only being applied locally, and users in Taiwan will still be able to send and receive payments internationally. There is no mention on how long users in other markets will be forced to continue to use the presumably inferior, unenhanced Paypal service.Paypal is the latest in a series of international companies to feel pressure from Taiwan regulators. Notably, Uber was forced to suspend services in Taiwan in February after battling with the government, but was able to reopen in April after negotiations.Meanwhile, digital software platform Steam, which is operated by Valve, recently announced it will be raising prices in a few markets including Taiwan in order to collect local value added tax. This announcement came as a surprise to some users since local pricing on Steam is already at parity with pricing in other markets, and the Steam store page already claims "All prices include VAT where applicable." In this instance "where applicable" appears to be corporate speak for "where we can't get away with it."

The China government began to implement the Broadband China policy in 2013 and consequently fiber-optic infrastructure has been widely established. The number of FTTH subscribers quickly increased to 227.7 million as of the end of 2016, accounting for 76.6% of all fixed-line broadband Internet-access subscribers, according to Digitimes Research.Of the 227.7 million FTTH subscribers, 61 million lived in rural areas, hiking 90% on year, Digitimes Research indicated. In comparison, the number of xDSL subscribers shrank to 19.8 million at the end of 2016, decreasing 60.6% on year.In addition to fast growth in FTTH user base, the proportion of fixed-line broadband Internet-access subscribers using download speeds of 20Mbps and above increased to 77.8% at the end of 2016.The fast growth in FTTH user base was mainly due to China Mobile's active promotion. China Mobile obtained an operating license much later than China Telecom and China Unicom, but its subscribers outnumbered China Unicom's in October 2016.For fixed-line broadband access, the China government will focus on increasing coverage around China and enhancing infrastructure construction in rural areas.

As part of Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen's five-plus-two innovative industries initiative, Taiwan is looking to transform into a center of biotechnology and medical R&D in Asia and has budgeted NT$10.94 billion (about US$360 million) in 2017 for a biomedical promotion plan.Recently, Corning Life Sciences VP Richard M Eglen visited Taiwan for the first time to meet with ITRI and discuss possible future partnerships between Corning and Taiwan organizations. Digitimes sat down with Eglen to discuss key trends in the life sciences market.Q: In Taiwan, Corning is known for its glass products, can you provide some background for the Life Sciences Division at Corning?A: Life sciences at Corning got stated about 100 years ago with the invention of Pyrex glass (Pyrex is a Corning brand name). Pyrex was a mainstay of the life sciences and chemistry industry for many years. For example, Pyrex containers were used when they were first scaling up insulin production, Pyrex glass was used when penicillin was first being scaled up and Corning was involved when Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine.The thing about Pyrex is that it is very resistant to chemical damage so it is perfect in terms of surviving broad ranges of hot and cold temperatures, which is a necessary trait for certain types of experimentation. It is also perfect for holding chemicals since there is no interaction between the glass and the chemicals. So it quickly became a standard product for chemical research as well as biological experimentation.Since then, Corning Life Sciences has moved more toward plastics but we remain focused on the same principles that have made us a success in the past.Q: What is the focus now for the Life Sciences Division?A: There are three major areas where we focus. The first is on standard laboratory products. Almost anywhere you go in a life science laboratory you will see Corning lab bottles or containers.Another area is in the growth of cell cultures. When it comes to growing cells in the lab you need specialized products that can host the cells and that are really a fit when it comes to growing the cell cultures.Q: What do you mean when you say specialized products?A: Well, you have to offer a range of vessels that come in a variety of shapes and feature an assortment of coatings. Some of the coatings are naturally derived like agar but other vessels need to be chemically coated in order to make the plastic more friendly to the cells; in a way you need to influence the cell biology.Q: What is the third area of focus?A: The growth of cell cultures has naturally flowed into the area of bio production. For example, drug development needs to be able to move from basic research or cell discovery into mass production of vaccines or the mass production of biologically based drugs, just like any other industry. As a manufacturing company, Corning has strong understanding of this area and we are a key player in that ecosystem.Q: When we see plastic bottles or containers, even in the medical field, the first thought of many people may be of inexpensive production from China rather than a value-added brand such as Corning. How can you compete in the market? Is it the quality of the products or the specific coatings that enables Corning to be a major player in this area?A: Of course the first point is the high quality of everything we produce. If you are doing a life science research project the quality of material you are using has to be perfect, really. For many researchers, the Corning brand is a differentiator and we are instantly recognizable in the lab due to the orange caps on all our products.We also have some proprietary designs on the vessels and some proprietary coating that we put on the plastic. But like any business, you cannot simply look at the products; you need to look at the entire operation. As I mentioned previously, Corning is a manufacturing company so we also understand the importance of a reliable and efficient logistical supply chain and the importance of customer service.For example, we have application laboratories all around Asia where customers can receive support from Corning in areas varying from the design of their experiments -- and we do that for pharma and academic customers -- to the best way to supply products that can have requirements such as being very sensitive to temperature. So when you talk about quality, a lot of things can be done that stand behind the product.Q: This is your first visit to Taiwan. Can you talk about some of the trends Corning Life Sciences is seeing in the Taiwan market and why they are of interest to you?A: Like many regions in Asia, Taiwan is facing an aging population and low fertility rates, which has led to a growing interest in healthcare. To give you some numbers, the percentage of the population that is 65 or older accounted for about 11.5% of the population of Taiwan in 2013. That share will rise to 20% by 2020. So you have this aging population which means there is an increase in demand for related health care professions, such as for therapists, but there is also strong government interest in terms of looking at a biological approach to addressing this issue.With regard to Taiwan's five-plus-two programs, areas such as healthcare, biotechnology and biological drug production are seeing increased investment. So my purpose here is to evaluate the situation in terms of the interest level in terms of products but to also see if we can develop partnerships with local organizations. For example, I will be meeting with ITRI to discuss technology associated with 3D cell cultures, which is an area that ITRI is interested in researchingQ: Can you speak briefly about trends in 3D cell cultures?A: As you can imagine, cells grow in your body in three dimensions to form tissue but historically biologists have grown cells on a flat surface - think of the petri dish most people were first introduced to in high school. In a petri dish, cells grow on the agar in flat sheets. This may be a convenient way of growing cells but there is an increasing recognition that cells don't behave in the body like they do in a petri dish so there is strong interest in developing technologies that allow cells to grow in three dimensions, which is closer to the way cells grow in nature.And this is not just for basic research but it can also be used to produce better models for disease. Think of a cancer tumor. Tumors are 3D spheres. So there is an interest in doing drug development on cells that are grown in 3D as well.This has been a huge area of interest at Corning Life Sciences. We already know how to engineer plastics. We know how to coat plastics and manufacture them at scale. So now we have gone about producing new design systems to let people do 3D cell cultures and there has been strong interest in this worldwide.Q: How is it done?A: The sheet of cells is grown on a surface where they come together and form a ball of cells. Then, for example, maybe that ball of cells will behave like a tumor does and the related drug research that is done on that ball would be like how a drug would react with a tumor from a patient. It is a new way of doing drug discovery.And the potential can go all the way to making complicated tissues, where you can even print the cells or print tissue structures just you can with 3D printers. So you are getting the authentic biology that you don't get on a flat dish.Q: How new is this development?A: The concept of using 3D cell structures has been in the background for many years but it has really accelerated in the past five years. The reason is that technology companies have become increasingly involved in making the technology simple and easy to use.And this is where a manufacturing company like Corning comes into play in the ecosystem. Previously, this type of research may have been done in isolated research labs but each case was different and the technologies were very unique to that laboratory. So the results didn't scale and were hard to use by others due to complicated protocols, etc.Q: How big is the market?A: Globally, the market for cell cultures is about US$700 million and is growing at about 10% a year.Q: What are some of the key challenges for the life sciences industry moving forward?A: First of all, the biology is moving quickly. People used to make vaccines using chicken eggs, now you can grow them in a dish. So you have this dramatic acceleration of the biological methods. The next challenge is bringing scale to the technical solutions. A research team may be able to achieve something in a closed sterile system but they need to turn it into a manufacturing process because you want to scale production. For example, demand for a new rabies vaccine is very high and would come from all over the globe. So you would need to figure out how to satisfy that demand. And that brings us to the final challenge. Different regions of the world have different barriers when it comes to regulations and barriers for introducing new drugs. After all, we are talking about medicines and this means requiring medical approval.Richard M Eglen, VP and general manager, Life Sciences, CorningPhoto: Company

Nissan Motor launched new Serena, a sedan car equipped with in-house-developed ProPilot semi-autonomous driving technology designed for running in single-lane traffic along highways, in the Japan market in August 2016, and aims to upgrade the autonomous driving level of ProPilot to running in interchangeable-lane traffic along highways in 2018 and on urban roads with complicated traffic conditions in 2020.For upgrade of ProPilot in 2018, semi-autonomous driving cars will be equipped with additional functions of blind spot monitoring, high-speed active cruise control and side radar detection, Digitimes Research indicated.Nissan-developed autonomous driving technology varies with road conditions and regional markets. For different road conditions, for example, sensors used in highway traffic focus on instant detection and interpretation of road conditions ahead while sensors used in urban traffic on detection of surrounding road conditions.Nissan has developed SAM (seamless autonomous mobility), an artificial intelligence platform for management staff members to collaborate with autonomous driving cars to solve problems arising from complicated road conditions. Such solutions are stored on a cloud computing basis.Autonomous driving cars will be developed like automotive super computers of which total vale for software applications including artificial intelligence, cloud computing systems, Big Data analysis and connectivity will account for 60% of the total price for such a car in 2020.

Japan-based Nichia generated revenues of US$2.423 billion from LED packaging in 2016, the highest among all LED packaging service providers around the world, according to Digitimes Research.Taiwan-based Everlight Electronics ranked second with US$963.5 million, followed by South Korea-based Seoul Semiconductor with US$841.8 million, China-based MLS with US$800.2 million, Germany-based Osram Opto Semiconductors with US$787.6 million and South Korea-based LG Innotek with US$613.2 million, Digitimes Research indicated.However, MLS and China-based Hongli Zhihui and Foshan Nationstar Optoelectronics recorded the highest on-year growths at 42.2%, 40.4% and 36.3% respectively in 2016 revenues, mainly due to their expanding production capacities, and mergers. In contrast, Japan-based Toyoda Gosei, LG Innotek and Nichia saw the highest on-year decreases of 44.3%, 11.5% and 9.8% respectively.