With the COVID-19 pandemic debilitating global production for over two years, the global chip shortage has become an unprecedented crisis, making the semiconductor industry one of the most closely monitored sectors internationally. As a major site for semiconductor manufacture globally, Taiwan has shown outstanding results spanning the areas of IC design, packaging and wafer fabrication. Coming up second globally in IC design output value and first in market share for both wafer fabrication as well as packaging and testing, the country is a formidable force driving advances in the semiconductor industry.Despite limitations in material properties and increasing difficulties in realizing Moore's Law, TSMC, the indisputable leader in wafer fabrication, has been utilizing a wide range of innovative technologies to overcome hurdles in advanced processing with stunning results each and every occasion. At the 2022 North America Technology Symposium that has just taken place, TSMC also announced its latest innovative results in advanced logic technology, special technology and three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) technology, and unveiled its next-gen advanced N2 process technology using nanosheet transistors as well as its exclusive FinFlex methodology supporting N3 and N3E processes.As sectors such as next-gen communication, electric cars and consumer electronics continue to flourish and environmental issues become increasingly of focus across the globe, the need for semiconductors with high frequency, high-speed computing and fast charging with be growing each year. As such, R&D in forward-looking, innovative technologies, new materials and new processes will become indispensable for companies seeking to establish solid positions in the global supply chain.All eyes on the semiconductor forum for roadmaps into the next decadeNumerous global trends forums and topic discussions will be held at 2022 Future Tech with content encompassing three major aspects: semiconductors, net-zero transition and sports technology. Leading figures from industry, government, academia and research institutes home and abroad have been invited to partake in the discussions. With Taiwan's semiconductor industry playing a crucial role in the global market, all eyes are now on the global trends forum to take place on opening day, October 13. Taking the lead in the forum entitled "Ahead of the Trend: The Global Market for Semiconductors in the Next Decade," Michael Campbell, senior vice president of engineering for Qualcomm, will be speaking on "Heterogeneous integration shaping the next pinnacle of semiconductors," while Alon Webman, co-founder & CEO at Chain Reaction, will be speaking on "Engineering Semiconductors for the Future of Privacy," and Jack Kang, senior vice president of business development, customer experience (CX), corporate marketing at SiFive will be delivering a keynote titled "The revolution: RISC-V for CPU applications."Just as governments around the world are taking strong initiatives to foster their own semiconductor industries, Taiwan has also formulated the Angstrom Semiconductor Initiative that aims to bolster the country's key competitiveness in the semiconductor industry for the next decade from the aspects of materials, processes and inspection so Taiwan remains a leading contender in the global market.2022 FUTEX goes live both as exhibitions and onlineFocusing exclusively on technology trends of the next three to 10 years, Future Tech (FUTEX) always attracts a large attendance and is hailed as one of the great tech events that warrant annual visits. This year, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has joined forces with Academia Sinica, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare in organizing 2022 FUTEX, which will be taking place both as physical exhibitions and virtually. Exhibitions will be open from October 13 to 15, 2022 at Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 (TWTC Hall 1), while virtual show dates will be from October 11 to 20.The focal point of this year's FUTEX will be "Global Tech and Industry Ties with Taiwan," highlighting in particular the four major technological fields of AIoT & Smart Applications, Sustainable Energy & Evolutionary Materials, Electronics & Optoelectronics and Precision Health. Key achievements from four major projects will be shown, and two major experience zones showcasing R&D in precision health and sports technology will be open to the public, coming up to a total of over 200 advanced technologies on exhibition. A total of 17 companies including Qualcomm, Merck and CES 2022 Innovation Awards winning teams will be present in the International Area, while top US accelerator Muckerlab will be leading six startups in showcasing their innovative applications and technologies.TIE Award facilitates the semiconductor industry's enlisting of global startupsTo converge and augment Taiwan's international prowess in technological R&D, special strategies have been deployed at this year's FUTEX including "Inbound: Attracting overseas talents to come to Taiwan" and "Outbound: Sending Taiwan's high-quality teams abroad" as well as the lucrative Tech Innovation Excellence Award (TIE Award) and Future Tech Award. In particular, the TIE Award Unveil and match-making session will be held on the forenoon of October 13 (Thursday) where TIE Award winning teams will be presenting their achievements onstage, thus accelerating the convergence of global indicator R&D technologies in Taiwan and creating massive opportunities for industry alliances and commercialization.The TIE Award, hosted for the first time this year, is the perfect opportunity for Taiwan's semiconductor industry to call for technology and application entries from startups, companies and research and academic institutes around the world in fields where semiconductors are researched and applied, including AI and AIoT, sensors, energy-efficiency, communications and satellite, smart manufacturing, self-driving cars, and new energy. This year's event attracted 119 technological entries from 25 countries, while a panel of judges was put together by the organizers with assistance from leading industry units such as the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association, SEMI, and Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute. Scoring based on application innovation, value creation and local connection was carried out by judges representing Taiwan semiconductor leader TSMC, Realtek, members of industry and academia, and international venture capital, and 11 award-winning teams were ultimately selected to showcase their achievements at this year's FUTEX.In terms of the Future Tech Award, apart from calling for entries from local R&D teams with breakthrough and innovative technology, teams with potential for developing internationally will also be selected and given assistance to shine on the global stage. The aim of this award is to drive developments in forward-looking technology for the next three to 10 years and recruit outstanding researchers and developers with disruptive innovation for powering industry-academia collaborations and international business opportunities.For more information on forward-looking innovative technologies driving future tech, please visit the FUTEX official website. If you would like an in-depth introduction to participating teams and companies on any given show date, please make a reservation for Group Guided Tour services, and the organizers will ensure you receive a detailed tour of the technologies on show.2022 FUTEX going live from October 13 to 15 at TWTC Hall 1, virtual shows starting October 11.Photo: TCA

At today's Works With Developer Conference, the theme is all about building devices that work together in the ever-expanding Internet of Things and bridging the gaps of connectivity between different networks, protocols, ecosystems, and platforms. And while some technologies, like Matter, offer the potential to address that challenge within the home, what about connectivity beyond the four walls of a particular building? That's where Amazon Sidewalk comes in.For those unfamiliar, Amazon Sidewalk is a secure, always-on, community network underpinned by millions of Amazon Sidewalk-enabled devices already in homes, commercial buildings, and the infrastructure around us. This will help to provide enhanced connectivity that is more affordable and uses less energy than cellular and offers greater range than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.From small, in-home services like locating a misplaced garage door opener or extending connectivity to yards and neighborhoods to big applications like early alerting for wildfires or water quality monitoring, Amazon Sidewalk is working behind the scenes to enable helpful, intelligent innovations that were never before possible. That's the promise of Amazon Sidewalk for users, and Silicon Labs is here to help developers design Sidewalk-enabled devices to fulfill that promise.Today's announcement of the Silicon Labs Pro Kit for Amazon Sidewalk, the first end-to-end Amazon Sidewalk development platform on the market, represents an easy on-ramp for developers to build Amazon Sidewalk-enabled devices. For developers and designers, Amazon Sidewalk offers:*A private, secure, and versatile connection that supports long-range use cases*A reliable and persistent network that gets stronger with each new device that joins, helping to expand coverage and enhance connectivity for endpoint devices for developers and end users *A streamlined process to get to market faster thanks to the Silicon Labs and Amazon collaborationThe new Silicon Labs Pro Kit for Amazon Sidewalk makes Silicon Labs the one-stop destination for Amazon Sidewalk developers. The Silicon Labs Pro Kit for Amazon Sidewalk comes with a pre-flashed software image, Amazon Web Services pre-registration, connectivity hardware for Bluetooth LE and sub-GHz, and Silicon Labs Secure Vault™ security. When combined with Silicon Labs Simplicity Studio, developers have everything they need to embark on their Amazon Sidewalk development journey. Silicon Labs provides developers with tools and support from start to finish so there is little need to engage Amazon support, saving developers valuable time in setup and onboarding as they advance.Amazon Sidewalk

Imaging technology advancement has been driving the adoption of cameras on automobiles, and iCatch Technology (iCatch) is at the forefront of imaging-based Advance Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) solutions.Among all ADAS, electronic mirror is one of the fastest-growing technology that is being widely adopted in both pre-market and aftermarket for both passenger and commercial vehicles. Electronic mirror is replacing traditional rearview and side view mirrors by using cameras and displays in conjunction. The video streams captured by the camera modules installed around the vehicle are fed into multiple displays for the driver to monitor the traffic conditions. The main advantages of electronic mirror over traditional mirror are wider field of view, blind spot reduction, better low light visibility and drag reduction. Electronic mirror is starting to be offered as optional equipment by some car makers on certain car models and is expected to become a standard equipment on newly designed electric vehicles in the near future. Based on this market trend, iCatch has been investing R&D resources in electronic mirror application in the last 5 years and has readied reliable total solutions for customers to ensure driving safety and fast time-to-market.iCatch's AI Imaging SoC has already been adopted by leading dash camera brand names in Japan and Taiwan to offer Dash Cam + Electronic Mirror 2-in-1 combo solutions which entered mass production starting in 2021. These combo solutions not only replace traditional rearview mirror with electronic mirror, but also integrate video recording capability to record videos in front and behind the vehicles simultaneously. This system architecture is expected to further penetrate the dash camera market due to the enhanced visibility and convenience it offers. iCatch has also been cooperating with car makers in China to design multi-camera side view electronic mirror solution for commercial vehicles. The system incorporates two cameras with different field of view for each side to remove blind spot and cover both close and far distance visibility. The product is currently under real-world testing and is expected to enter mass production after the testing is complete.Visibility and Low Latency are two most important factors that need to be considered for electronic mirror application. iCatch AI Imaging SoC has been specially designed to address these two issues to further enhance user experience and driving safety. The proprietary image signal processor (ISP) inside the SoC can support 120dB High Dynamic Range (HDR) and LED Flicker Mitigation (LFM) to overcome the harsh lighting under high contrast environment and minimize the LED Flicker caused by the LED headlight of the vehicle behind. iCatch has also optimized the image processing pipeline inside the SoC to greatly reduce the video latency from camera to display. iCatch's SoC has been enabling electronic mirror systems with video latency of less than 50ms - which is 50% less latency when compared to the general solutions currently on the market. In other words, glass-to glass latency will give us 1.4m safety distance response time in 100km/hr speed. Furthermore, with the built-in deep learning accelerator inside the SoC, iCatch has also been developing in-house AI blind spot detection (BSD) algorithm to detect objects, such as cars, motorcycles, pedestrians, and send out warning to the driver when there is potential hazard. This extra safety feature is expected to be deployed to the market starting in 2023.As vehicle equipment start to migrate from mechanical to electronic solutions, system reliability is being considered as the top priority by the car manufactures. As electronic mirror slowly penetrates from aftermarket to pre-market, SoC reliability is being addressed and emphasized by the automotive industry since any system malfunction will put passengers' safety at risk. Therefore, iCatch Technology will continue to invest in R&D resources to enhance the SoC design in order to provide SoC with better reliability and system redundancy to meet the requirements of ISO26262 international functional safety standard.iCatch Technology driving e-mirror and ADAS advancement.

In 2022, the demand of semiconductor chips is facing an uncertain outlook, apart from the strong surge in orders of previous year. Especially in consumer electronics sectors, the market seems to be lessening demand and showing slowdown. But the power management IC (PMIC) and 5G radio frequency (RF) silicon chips are maintaining continuous strong growth. Driven by multiple applications such as automotive, industrial automation and control systems, PMIC remains high and continues with high attention. The demand for electric vehicle (EV) power charging stations, battery charging control and USB power transition are all relying on PMIC chips to provide the outstanding performance.Seeing the huge growth of electric cars and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), the IC chip makers are looking for the innovative production solutions for pushing a quick ramp-up of the production scale. The fan out panel level packaging (FOPLP) technologies have the potential to ease the current chip shortage concerns with the key benefits of cost reduction and heat dissipation features. The technology and equipment suppliers for FOPLP continuously are becoming technically more demanding.Manz AG as one of the key players of wet chemistry and Cu plating process equipment showcases a major technical breakthrough of FOPLP RDL equipment in 2022 SEMICON Taiwan exhibition. The Re-Distribution Layers (RDL) of FOPLP processes do matter while the high volume production phases kick-in. And these solutions are rapidly transforming FOPLP as the prevailing technology in advanced package sectors.This interview with Robert Lin, General Manager of Manz Asia, takes a closer look at the new development of FOPLP technology and equipment. The current line width and spacing (L/S) specification is reaching to 10/10 to 25/25µm ranges, which is fully fitting the requirements of PMIC production in semiconductor industry. The previous demonstration of the process and equipment was welcomed by the global IDMs and quickly to set the mass production planning in 2023. At this moment before the end of 2022, Manz AG is scheduling to work on the process machinery moving into the customer's factory and fine tune the production parameters. This is a key milestone in a successful manufacturing of FOPLP technology.The IDMs are pushing the FOPLP volume production phase to address increasing chip manufacturing and boosting supply. On the other hand, Taiwan OSAT and major IC design vendors also keeping up the pace with verification testing and FOPLP adoption. Manz is incorporating with supply chain partners and material suppliers to make industry continuing its robust growth on improving the yield rate.Enabling supply chain collaboration to accelerate the adoption of FOPLPTalking the progress of FOPLP process development for PCB and panel makers, the major Taiwan display panel OEM/ODM manufacturer has announced starting to provide the FOPLP manufacturing services to customers. And there are several Taiwan OSAT vendors built the new production lines in the current fabs through Capex investment for preparation of volume production in 2023. This is encouraging for Manz FOPLP technology development and having an ambition to win the project, Lin highlights.Facing the diverse needs of the market, especially the trending heterogeneous integration has become one of the important solutions for the continuation of Moore's Law, Manz will actively expand the reach of its Total Production Solutions to help customers. The current Manz's roadmap is continuing to go to optimum production and provide solutions to overcome major issues such as warpage challenges with the integration of the process equipment form supply chain partners .In the SEMICON booth, Manz's demonstration is the state-of-the-art production design of 700 x 700mm in surface areas. There are several production samples in 340 x 340 mm using stainless steel substrates. The production process has been proven and delivered to customers for pre-production verification. Furthermore, the use of stainless steel substrates has convincing performance results to increase yields. This is a compelling evidence to reach the volume production for FOPLP technology.Targeting 700 x 700 mm process areas as an industrial production standardThere are currently three popular sized for the FOPLP process including 515 x 515, 600 x 600 and 700 x 700 mm. Considering the benefit of production efficiency, the process dimension of 700 x 700 mm is the bigger the better. It will produce the silicon die counts equal to four 12-inch wafers, or nine 8-inch wafers. This will help to achieve the goals of miniaturized packaging and lowering costs while the yields rise. Lin sees 700 x 700 mm in process dimension a great potential for the industrial standard.Manz has been investing FOPLP RDL technological innovations since 2016. The process verification is successfully verified by the precision adjustment of Cu-plating process applied in large area of redistribution layers and overcome the major technical challenges including uniformity of electroplating pattering, high resolution and high electrical connectivity. This development supports key customers to prepare the sample devices and obtains certifications of mass production. The coming actions for Manz will actively expand the reach of its Total Production Solutions to provide the services to build from single equipment to automated production lines with certified manufacturing processes. With the high performance of FOPLP RDL production systems, Manz is seizing the opportunities with continuous innovation in advanced packaging applications.Manz AG as one of the key players of wet chemistry and Cu plating process equipment showcases a major technical breakthrough of FOPLP RDL equipment in 2022 SEMICON Taiwan exhibition

As electric vehicle and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) continue to penetrate the market, iCatch Technology also has been investing lots of resources in imaging-based ADAS technology and business development. How do you ensure that the driver is still paying attention to the road condition ahead when ADAS is activated becomes an important topic for both the car makers and the government. Therefore, Euro NCAP will include Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) in its five-star safety assessment starting in 2023.By adding DMS that monitors driver's attentiveness and health status through multi-sensor fusion and AI edge computing, the system will alert the driver and even take over the control of the car when needed. Imaging is the core of DMS and iCatch's Intelligent Imaging SoC can support multiple imaging sensors simultaneously to meet car makers' requirements on image resolution, dynamic range and privacy protection. Moreover, iCatch has also been cooperating with leading algorithm providers in the DMS industry to provide total solution to potential customers worldwide.iCatch's AI Intelligent Imaging SoC has been selected by a leading European car maker as the core processor of its DMS and has already entered mass production.The cause of car accidents can be classified into two categories, violation of traffic rules and human error. According to the statistics of Euro NCAP and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 94~96% of accidents are actually caused by human error. Therefore, Euro NCAP has been enforcing the adoption of ADAS of all types to compensate for human error. For example, DMS will become one of the mandatory system in a vehicle to qualify a 5-Star safety rating in 2023. As automotive Tier-1s continue to enhance DMS solutions, iCatch has readied several DMS solutions which have already been deployed on multiple passenger and commercial vehicles.iCatch's Intelligent Imaging SoC has been selected by a leading European car maker as the core processor of its DMS and has already entered mass production. On the other hand, iCatch's SoC has also been powering the fleet management dash cam which combines DMS functions for driver coaching. This dash cam product has been adopted by a leading transportation and e-commerce company in the US. Ability Enterprise, a leading imaging ODM in Taiwan, is partnering with iCatch to provide ADAS and in-cabin monitoring camera modules to Japanese autonomous driving developers and to supply multi-camera AI dash cam with built-in ADAS and DMS features to US and Japan fleet management customers. Appro Photoelectron is an Elite Partner of Nvidia in Taiwan and has been providing automotive camera modules based on iCatch's solution to pair with Nvidia AI computing platforms for ADAS and DMS applications.iCatch's EVS-based intelligent vision sensing solution not only can it protects driver's privacy but also can track driver's gaze and alertness with the embedded deep learning accelerator.iCatch's Intelligent Imaging SoC includes industry-leading image signal processor and AI deep learning accelerator to support multiple sensor technologies, including Global Shutter, RGBIR color filter, and Event-based sensing in order to fulfill various smart cabin applications, such as DMS, Occupant Monitoring System (OMS) and Face Recognition. With RGBIR sensor, a single camera can produce color and monochrome IR images for driver and occupant monitoring as well as in-cabin video conferencing. Event-based Vision Sensor (EVS) is a new type of sensor technology that only captures the outline of moving objects and significantly reduce the amount of output data with extremely high response rate for AI processing. iCatch has co-developed EVS-based intelligent vision processing system with Sony Semiconductor Solutions (SSS) and Prophesee. When this solution is applied to DMS application, not only can it track driver's gaze and alertness with high accuracy and fast response rate using the embedded deep learning accelerator but also can protect driver's privacy.A DMS device must adapt to the continuously changing lighting conditions in the cabin and provide reliable alert even if the driver might be wearing glasses or sunglasses to improve driving safety. iCatch's latest Intelligent Imaging SoC is able to process sensor fusion and provide a complete and robust solution to customers. With drivers' and road users' safety as the 1st priority, iCatch Technology will continue to invest in resource to improve image signal processing and AI deep learning technologies using advanced process nodes.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of industrial-grade DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, is pleased to announce that it will be at Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the largest gathering of global, commercial and tribal gaming professionals in North America. The show will be held in Las Vegas from October 11-13, 2022. At the show, ADATA will be showcasing its latest industrial-grade solutions for gaming applications, including 112-layer (BiCS5) 3D TLC flash storage products and high-performance DDR5 DRAM modules. Visit ADATA at Venetian Expo, Las Vegas, booth 2826 in Taiwan Pavilions. At G2E 2022, visitors will be able to see ADATA's latest 112-layer (BiCS5) 3D TLC NAND flash storage devices equipped with KIOXIA and WDC ICs and featuring various form factors, including 2.5-inch, M.2 2280/2242 solid state drives, as well as CFast and microSD memory cards. In addition to SATA III SSDs, ADATA will showcase two PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 2280 SSDs that deliver read/write performance up to 7000/6500 MB/s, high capacities up to 4TB, and 3K P/E cycle ratings for greater product longevity. As for data security and integrity, the BiCS5 SSDs support LDPC ECC (error correcting) technology, End-to-End (E2E) data path protection, as well as A+ Security data security technologies, such as AES 256-bit encryption and TCG OPAL 2.0. What's more, with ADATA's proprietary A+ OPAL software, customers can easily activate TCG OPAL function for all their ADATA industrial-grade NVMe and SATA III SSDs that support TCG OPAL to protect data.For enhanced reliability and extending product life of gaming applications, ADATA provides customized services, including its exclusive A+ SLC technology, which can simulate SLC performance on MLC and 3D TLC NAND Flash by customized NAND Flash firmware. And Power Loss Protection (PLP) technology is able to significantly minimize the risk of data loss by sensitive voltage monitors with banks of power-retaining Tantalum polymer capacitors. In case of power failure, ADATA's PLP technology supplies SSDs with enough power to continue buffered read-write operations until completion.To better understand ADATA's new products and proprietary technologies, welcome to visit G2E 2022 at the Venetian Expo, Las Vegas from October 11-13, booth 2826. Please contact ADATA representatives to schedule a guided tour of the ADATA booth.For more details, please visit ADATA's website: https://industrial.adata.com/en/edm/G2E_2022 or ADATA's Profile Page at G2E: https://www.globalgamingexpo.com/en-us/show-info/exhibitor-list/exhibitor-details.org-a8191759-87b0-4165-9e11-17ef6f1cd60c.html#/ADATA will showcase PCIe Gen4 and DDR5 solutions at G2E 2022

"Taiwan's ICT companies have a longtime focus on hardware advancement, capable of agile and flexible development to adapt to unprecedented circumstances. For example, the services and system integration providers can team up with Taiwan ICT suppliers to develop 5G services targeting different industries vertically such as smart cities, transportation, banking, and smart manufacturing, then sky will be the limit for the global 5G application growth," said Roger Huang, director of DIGITIMES Research.According to GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association), only 218 telecom operators from 87 countries have successfully launched 5G services to their customers, in comparison with 4G LTE, which has a drastic difference of 760 operators. "There are still 2/3 worldwide operators looking to invest in the 5G market," said Huang.Statistics from Ericsson, one of the world's leading ICT companies, indicated that 4G services have accumulated 4.91 billion subscribers at the end of 2021 and will reach their all-time peak of five billion users at the end of 2022. For now, there are only 555 million 5G users with a 6.85% penetration rate. It is still at the starting point for the 5G service life cycle."5G users are growing rapidly worldwide, reaching 690 million users as of June and could possibly exceed one billion by the end of 2022," said Huang. It is expected by 2027, 5G users will hit a penetration rate of 48.3% accumulating over 4.37 billion users while overtaking LTE users. Telecom operators, services providers, and system integrators are optimistic about the current inclination; however, the one that can provide the well-suited product for the constantly growing market wins the 5G battle in the long run.Huang pointed out that companies including Aewin, Askey, Alpha Network, Arcadyan, Foxconn, Pegatron and Tmytek are the major suppliers for 5G customer premise equipment (CPE), small-cell all-in-ones, as well as Open-RAN radio units (RU), distributed units (DU), central units (CU) and transport networks.These companies mainly devote themselves to the development of small cells which is especially relevant for 5G private networks, one of the most crucial 5G use cases with the potential to reach US$4,719 million over the next five years, growing at a CAGR of 39.2%, according to sources from ResearchAndMarkets. "The demand for digital transformation for enterprises has rapidly increased every year, driving the growth for small cells," said Huang.Huang will join telecom industry experts on October 12 to discuss how top network equipment vendors and telecom operators can fully utilize Taiwan's flexibility and agility solutions. Join Key Solutions to Advancing Global Telecommunication webinar now to secure your spot!Webinar AgendaGMT+8TOPICSPEAKER10:30~11:00Log on 11:00~11:05OpeningRoger HuangDirector of DIGITIMES Research11:05~11:25The Vibrant Taiwan 5G IndustryRoger HuangDirector of DIGITIMES Research11:25~11:455G Open RAN and MEC Enable Intelligent ApplicationsTiana ShaoProduct Marketer of AEWIN Tech11:45~12:055G FWA Opportunity and SolutionLance LiuSenior Director of Askey12:05~12:25The Challenges to Designing mmWave Systems for 5G/B5GSu-Wei ChangFounder & CEO of TMYTEK12:25~12:30End of Program

Smoltek Nanotech Holding AB (Smoltek) announces that the group company Smoltek Semi AB (Smoltek Semi) has entered into a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with a subsidiary of YAGEO Group (YAGEO), a global electronic component company, to commercialize a silicon based Carbon Nanofiber (CNF) discrete capacitor. The capacitors are based on Smoltek's patented CNF-MIM technology and will be fabricated using a proprietary nano-fiber synthesis machine and industrial silicon foundry processes.The initial target application is a decoupling capacitor for microprocessor landside mounting. The target thickness for this discrete capacitor is 40 microns. Landside decoupling for microprocessors is an increasing area of interest for miniaturization within the semiconductor industry.The JDA constitutes the next step in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) previously signed by the parties. In conjunction with the signing of the JDA, Smoltek Semi will receive 1.5 MUSD to be used for development activities within the framework of the partnership with YAGEO.Dr. Philip Lessner, Senior Vice President of YAGEO Group states, "This partnership is an excellent opportunity to commercialize a new technology that will be used in capacitors for applications where space is at a premium and high capacitance density is required".Hakan Persson, CEO of Smoltek Nanotech Holding says, "We are excited to partner with a major passive component manufacturer to commercialize a product that is based on our core Carbon Nanofiber technology. We now have a perfect partner in place to complete a competitive product and industrial mass production process for our ultra-thin CNF-MIM capacitors".Portrait photo of Hakan Persson, CEO of Smoltek (Smoltek Nanotech Holding AB)Photo of two Smoltek R&D engineers at MC2-laboratory

Discover how the SG+ twinning model allows companies to combine the business and manufacturing advantages of Singapore and Southeast Asia (SEA) for long-term growth.Looking to diversify your company's supply chains and expand your manufacturing footprint amidst global disruptions? SEA is well-positioned to be the next global manufacturing powerhouse with world-class facilities in logistics management and research and development (R&D), access to extensive Free Trade Agreements, as well as a young and growing workforce that is set to increase by 40 million by 2030.Already, big names such as Dyson, Foxconn and Samsung, are expanding production in SEA to build resilient supply chains. Companies like Pegatron have also looked to SEA to cope with rising production costs, or tap the region's burgeoning digital economy, as seen in Wiwynn's move to house their first overseas server rack integration plant in SEA.As a global business hub, Singapore serves as an ideal control tower for regional expansion in neighbouring locations with cost-competitive manufacturing advantages. Discover how you can combine the synergistic advantages of dual locations in Singapore and SEA through the SG+ twinning model.Find out how Singapore can become your gateway to SEA!To help companies better harness SEA's manufacturing strength for supply chain resilience and growth, the Singapore Economic Development Board, along with Enterprise Singapore and other private sector partners, have launched the Southeast Asia Manufacturing Alliance (SMA). Under the SMA, eligible businesses are able to unlock differentiated benefits with participating industrial parks and receive support for R&D activities, supplier partnerships, streamlined setup processes among many other advantages.Interested to join the SMA as a manufacturer or Strategic Partner? Learn more about how you can leverage SEA's manufacturing potential through this programme.

In response to the outbreak of COVID-19, many businesses resorted to the work-from-home (WFH) model as a way to maintain both normal operation and employee health. McKinsey Global Institute's 2021 report "The future of work after COVID-19" suggests that the pandemic has accelerated three sets of trends—remote work, e-commerce and automation. In Singapore, one of Asia's vital economies, the vacancy rate of office space climbed 2.4pp fourth-quarter 2019 through third-quarter 2021 to 12.9%. Furthermore, according to Singapore's Ministry of Manpower, 49% of the country's employed residents worked remotely in 2020. This indicates that Singapore's shared space and space management markets are embracing rapidly growing demand.With the hybrid work model becoming the new normal and employees having the flexibility of choosing where they prefer to work, employers are now reexamining the arrangement and planning of their existing workspace. For example, they may re-do their office floor plan and offer online reservations for desks and meeting rooms. This not only allows more flexible use of office space but also makes it easier for employers to comply with COVID-related restrictions on occupancy capacity. They can even sublease unused office space and adopt the co-working model to save on rent. More than 80% of Singapore's citizens live in public housing. To the citizens that need to work or learn from home during the pandemic, environmental noise and cramped space make it difficult for them to stay focused. This gives rise to the demand for shared space in the neighborhood that allows them to balance work/school and life. In view of such needs, Great Connection System (GCS) joins forces with partners to co-create smart space management solutions.According to Jason Wang, VP, solution business group, GCS, in Singapore, employers pay high salaries so the Singapore government encourages the country's industries to leverage IoT solutions to raise operating efficiency and lower operating costs as part of its smart country planning. Driven by the government's smart city policies, shared space solutions are closely interconnected with IoT implementations in Singapore. GCS has abundant experiences and superior capabilities in IoT product development and heterogeneous system integration as well as data analytics. Its G-Pod, a smart shared space management solution working in connection with partners' IoT equipment, satisfies wide-ranging application scenarios and needs. Aside from shared space management, it can also be used in a diversity of applications including smart campus, smart sports as well as data acquisition and analysis.Collaborating with local firms in Singapore to capture smart space management opportunitiesIn the post pandemic era, people in Singapore and the rest of the world adopt a new way of working and learning, giving rise to tremendous demand for shared space management solutions. In view of this, GCS, with a proven track record in IoT system integration services, has formed a smart commerce alliance with partners including Xian Shun, Li Jie Technology Hardware, Jida Computer, GSPRO, Yu Sheng Technology, Prime Electronics and Holycow Design. Under the assistance of the 2022 project to drive international expansions of SME digital innovations headed by Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, the alliance exerts all-out efforts to promote smart commerce solutions to Singapore and further to the rest of the Southeast Asian markets.The smart commerce alliance aims to create a quiet and comfortable environment where local citizens can engage in everyday work or learning activities. Collaborating with a work pod provider in Singapore, the alliance recently built an unmanned workspace solution (smart pod) featuring friendly costs and simple reservations that allow easy and quick access by local residents. For mid-to-long term objectives, GCS will expand the success of the unmanned workspace solution in Singapore to additional business applications and create more diversified compound business environments. Joining forces with Taiwan's leading IoT solution providers, GCS will foray into Southeast Asian markets."Space management has traditionally been achieved by controlling the lock using a light current system. Traditional space management solutions lack reservation systems, user interactions as well as sensors and data systems that collect various space information so they are unable to stay on top of space usage, user habits, environmental parameters, etc.…" said Wang. He added "In contrast, not only can G-Pod gather environmental data on site, but it also performs cross analysis of user data, thereby properly managing and monitoring the unmanned space and its surroundings. On top of ensuring user safety and upholding user interests, G-Pod also reduces energy waste and achieves environmentally friendly objectives."Taiwan can learn from Singapore and expand IoT application scopeThe smart unmanned space management solution jointly presented by GCS and its fellow smart commerce alliance members can effectively lower staffing costs. Most important of all, it gathers user characteristics, environmental parameters and site information. Then, it performs big data analytics at the backend for feature extraction to allow the space manager to gain insight into potential needs of specific user groups and thereby strategize marketing plans targeting different user groups. With the solution, the space manager will be able to minimize the idle time and design a suitable and precise marketing plan based on when specific user groups use the space. Moreover, the solution can take into consideration various site requirements and arrange the needed frontend features as well as the backend management systems. While satisfying user needs, the solution also maximizes the management efficacy of the unmanned space for the space manager, achieving a win-win situation.Unlike Singapore, Taiwan's shared space market is only at the budding stage. Unmanned space management in particular is still in early development. As such, the solutions currently on the market are primarily standalone light current electronics systems. In light of this, GCS led the industry in launching the smart unmanned space management solution G-Pod. By interconnecting and integrating heterogenous systems comprising various hardware and software into an all-in-one management solution, GCS enables significant cost reduction when different types of devices and systems have to work together. A great number of interested parties have approached GCS to inquire on G-Pod.Wang pointed out that although Taiwan boasts of a well developed ICT industry, when most businesses evaluate the adoption of IoT solutions, they often take a wait-and-see and conservative attitude because they will have to replace existing hardware systems or lack in-house capability to develop integrated systems. After GCS sales reached out to businesses, took an in-depth look into their needs and introduced G-Pod features in detail, many businesses expressed interest in G-Pod's high level of hardware software integration capability and began talks with GCS about further development. For example, a slew of colleges in Taiwan are actively advancing toward smart campus. Many colleges have approached GCS for smart campus solutions. They look to introduce G-Pod to help create a variety of smart spaces to meet students' diverse learning needs.As part of its current-stage planning, GCS joins forces with its smart commerce alliance partners and together make all-out efforts to expand into Singapore. Furthermore, it will strive to replicate the success with Singapore to Southeast Asia and Taiwan, aiming to create whole-new digital economy opportunities for the industries with G-Pod.An end-to-end application for a smart (unmanned) space management system