The PV industry has been in a continuing pursuit of higher and higher solar cell conversion efficiencies. Providers of metallization pastes play an instrumental role helping drive the advances. The efficiency of solar cells improves at the rate of 0.3% to 0.4% a year, of which 0.2% is enabled by metallization pastes.As a global leading provider of metallization pastes, Heraeus Photovoltaics continues to devote tremendous resources to delivering the latest R&D achievements helping boost solar cell conversion efficiencies. The company has recently announced its new product Hecaro - a revolutionary electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) that contains <50% silver. Offering products with the lowest silver content and the most compelling cost structure on the market, Hecaro provides a promising alternative technology for the interconnection of solar cells.New ECA with lower silver contentUsing a smaller amount of the precious metal silver helps reduce the costs of producing solar energy. Dr. Weiming Zhang, executive vice president and chief technology officer, Heraeus Photovoltaics, emphasizes, "Hecaro with a less than 50% silver content delivers performance on par with high silver content ECA while enabling higher stability. Customer responses have been very positive. Solar shingle suppliers will enjoy cost savings and enhanced reliability." Dr. Zhang led the research and development of Heraeus Photovoltaics' metallization paste projects in 2006, which later went into commercial production. Dr. Zhang also headed the research and development of Heraeus Photovoltaics' first-generation silver paste for c-Si solar cells, which became available in 2007.In addition to fast coating, Hecaro is designed with optimizations for screen-printing to offer fast curing and long-term reliability. Screen printing for c-Si solar cells presses metallization paste onto a silicon plate through a mesh screen to form circuits or electrodes.Higher-performance silver paste for advancing screen-printing technologiesEndeavoring to become a supplier of "Beyond Paste" solutions, Heraeus Photovoltaics makes all efforts to deliver more advanced and cost-effective technologies so as to join forces with customers in promoting widespread use of solar energy. Aside from silicon, silver accounts for the largest portion of solar cell material costs. As such, the global PV industry is working toward the goal of reducing silver use. According to ITRPV roadmap, silver paste remains the main metallization material used in c-Si solar cells. Average silver consumption on a 156X156 mm cell is 100mg, representing about 20% of the total costs. With the whole industry looking to reduce the use of silver, silver consumption is estimated to go down to 40mg per cell by 2026.Solar cell producers, print screen providers and equipment suppliers are all working toward reducing the use of silver in the screen printing process. For example, mesh pore sizes have gone from 45μm down to 30μm and even 25μm. This introduces challenges for silver paste suppliers to come up with silver pastes for ultra-fine line printing, superior ohmic contact, optimal gridline resistance and better printability. Heraeus Photovoltaics is able to stay ahead of the competition in the R&D of silver pastes so it can quickly cater to customers' needs in advanced solar energy developments.Celebrating a decade of developments in Taiwan, Heraeus Photovoltaics marks a milestone of 800 tons in silver paste shipmentHeraeus Photovoltaics, headquartered in Hanau, Germany, operates business in the environmental, energy, electronics, health, mobility and industrial application sectors. Attaching great importance to the Greater China markets, the company currently has 20 subsidiaries and more than 2,600 employees throughout the Greater China regions.In particular, Heraeus Photovoltaics began its solar energy operation in Taiwan 10 years ago, setting up a branch office and technical service labs, followed by a rear-side silver paste production line in 2012 and a front-side silver paste production line in 2015. With a decade of accomplishments, Heraeus Photovoltaics has shipped an accumulated total of 800 tons of silver paste to the local Taiwan market, securing its market leadership in the Greater China regions and even in Asia Pacific.Heraeus Photovoltaics will continue to strengthen its operation in Taiwan and devote more resources to helping customers push forward their solar cell developments. Dr. Zhang points out, "Taiwan-based vendors have maintained leading positions in solar energy technologies. For them to cope with price cutting competitions from vendors in other parts of the world, Taiwan-based vendors have to set themselves further apart from their rivals by developing even more advanced technologies. Heraeus Photovoltaics will continue to collaborate with customers in Taiwan to jointly push the PV industry to new frontiers." With the Taiwan government setting a target of 20GW PV installations by 2025, Heraeus Photovoltaics is optimistic about the steady growth of Taiwan's solar energy sector."For more than a decade of developments, solar power has gone from an unpopular energy source to a mainstream energy form today. This is not easy. We sincerely hope the PV industry can focus attention on raising efficiency and communicating with governments around the world, rather than only on cutting costs. This way, the industry will be able to sustain long-term growth," indicates Dr. Zhang. Heraeus Photovoltaics is prepared to form strategic alliances with customers for long-term collaborations to lower cost per watt, thereby promoting widespread use of solar energy.Dr. Weiming Zhang, executive vice president and chief technology officer, Heraeus Photovoltaics

Taiwan has established leadership in the global bicycle industry. Cycling is also gaining popularity in Taiwan in recent years with more than 270 cycling events held by non-government organizations in 2017. Going forward, how will cycling continue to flourish in Taiwan?Cycling is the greenest mode of transport to get around a city and experience its charmsAs cycling gains popularity worldwide, people in Taiwan are joining those around the globe in taking up bike riding as a result of promotional efforts from public and private sectors. According to Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, cycling has many benefits. It is an aerobic exercise that is easy on muscles and joints, burns calories, slows aging, improves cardio fitness and prevents bone loss. Unlike some other sports, cycling can be enjoyed by people of all ages.Furthermore, exercising releases endorphins, which put you in a good mood, make you feel happy, help you stay focused, alleviate stress from work and life, and contribute to a more positive outlook on life. Aside from these health benefits, cycling also plays a growingly important role as a transport mode and leisure activity. Particularly with increasing environmental awareness, people are making efforts to control air pollution, reduce carbon emission and cut energy consumption, so bicycles have become the best mode of transport with minimum carbon footprint for people to freely get around a city and experience its charms.Building up hard and soft infrastructure, Taiwan is creating endless possibilities for cyclingBicycles have a long history in Taiwan. The number of people taking up cycling has been on a continuous rise in recent years. What advantages and appeals does Taiwan have in terms of the hard and soft infrastructure for cycling? According to Sports Administration, a host of major cycling and marathon events have taken place over recent years but many of them have been held in cities where the air quality may be poor, and despite traffic control, participants often ride or run with cars still driving on the route. As a matter of fact, about 70% of Taiwan is covered with forested mountains. It is more suitable to hold these events in more natural environments, which can also promote local industry development.There are also many cycling routes with unique features to be discovered. People bike touring in Taiwan have a myriad of choices - whether it is a relaxing ride on paths throughout riverside parks, a challenging race in the mountains or a circumnavigation around the island on Cycle Route No. 1. With these different cycling routes in place, local governments are making abundant tourism resources available including mapping out their own unique routes featuring special sceneries, cultural characteristics, eco-environment, local delicacy and other attractions. They even host their own bike tour sites for people to search for information on local B&B, restaurants, hotels and attractions. Bike tours can expand to become a sports tourism business, which holds tremendous potential. Moreover, bike rental stations throughout Taiwan offer free drinking water, tire pumping and rest areas for cyclists. Almost all riverside parks in Taiwan have bike rental stations. Bike-sharing services are also quite popular in Taiwan. All these have made cycling in Taiwan an enjoyment.High-tech advances and social media also help with rising popularity of cycling. Widespread availability of exercise apps and mobile communication services makes it easy for bikers to keep track of heart rates, cycling speed, route and time, much like having a personal trainer at your side. Moreover, the rapid rise of social media like Facebook and Instagram allow people to share their fitness progress with family and friends, motivating one another to keep exercising. With today's hectic lifestyle, people are often isolated and disconnected. However, humans are by nature social creatures and need to engage in face-to-face activities to stay emotionally connected. Cycling can be such an activity that brings people together.Taiwan has a complete cluster of bicycle industry. The popularity of cycling in Taiwan will continue to escalate with increasing public awareness on health and environmental protection. Sports Administration has been actively instituting programs to promote cycling as a sport for all and calls on private organizations to work together toward the goal. It will also endeavor to find additional stunning cycling routes for everyone to enjoy Taiwan's cycling culture and create a lifestyle combining sports and leisure.Come enjoy Taiwan's cycling culture and create a lifestyle combining sports and leisure

Upholding its commitment to enable customers' 2020 requirements and beyond, Henkel has developed a new, thicker version of its Bergquist Bond-Ply LMS-HD thermally conductive laminate material. The latest Bergquist Bond-Ply LMS-HD is a 0.018-inch thick thermal adhesive that complies with the Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) standard for reinforced insulation as well as IEC Class II insulation standards.This allows designers and manufacturers of power applications with stringent insulation requirements to take advantage of the benefits of Bergquist Bond-Ply LMS-HD, or to future-proof products that may not currently fall under this UL regulation but could be subjected to its implementation in the near future.As compared to other materials in the portfolio, the new Bergquist Bond-Ply LMS-HD provides a higher standoff between the device and heat sink for reinforced insulation and maintains all of the high-performance properties of the standard thickness version. The material is a heat-curable formulation that delivers excellent thermal performance of 1.4 W/m-K and strong adhesion, eliminating the need for mechanical fasteners such as screws or clips. With a low modulus, silicone-based Bergquist Bond-Ply LMS-HD effectively absorbs mechanical stresses common with assembly-level coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatches, and also provides robust protection against shock and vibration."Any power application with critical insulation requirements, or that may need to comply with anticipated UL safety standards will benefit from the new Bergquist Bond-Ply LMS-HD material," says Justin Kolbe, Global Market Segment Manager, Power and Industrial Automation, Henkel Corporation. "By incorporating thermally-conductive laminate material that meets reinforced insulation standards into current product designs, manufacturers can expand target markets and help customers save valuable time and resource; electronic devices produced today will adhere to future standards should they be implemented in emerging sectors where safety agency requirements have not yet been clearly defined."Henkel's 0.018-inch thick Bergquist Bond-Ply LMS-HD is ideal for a variety of power component to heat sink applications where excellent dielectric performance, adhesive strength over a wide continuous use temperature range and thicker reinforcement are required. For more information, visit www.henkel-adhesives.com/electronics

Fresh from SEMICON Taiwan 2018, SESTO Robotics, a leading Singapore company in the field of autonomous technology aims to make waves in the Taiwan manufacturing and semiconductor industry by bringing SESTO Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Intelligent Mobile Robots (IMRs) to the playing field.SESTO Robotics CEO Michael Leong said, "With the main intention to branch into the Taiwanese market as a key robotics implementer, not only will SESTO Robotics' solutions excel at being a flexible, safe and intelligent option to work alongside end users and organizations, integrating current software and providing various IoT solutions for our products to interact with existing automation equipment is another short-term goal we hope to achieve."By providing intelligent IoT solutions, SESTO Robotics can address system usability and introduce more flexibility. For example, if there are changes in the manufacturing line, SESTO Robotics' AGVs allow for simple rerouting, remapping and redeploying for production to continue. Currently, SESTO Robotics' IMRs are capable of supporting both 4-axis and 7-axis arms from major suppliers.But when posed with the question, "What if my organization's needs do not require a robot arm," Leong replied, "SESTO Robotics' answer to this is the S200.V2. With numerous compatible top modules suitable for installation, this opens more doors for us to work with other niche industries such as healthcare, pharmaceutical and the Electrical and Electronics (E&E) sector." Presently, conveyors, shelves and jacking decks are some of the different top modules compatible with the S200.V2.Another competitive advantage of SESTO Robotics' AGVs and IMRs is productivity. From a broad economic standpoint, there is the need for organizations to demonstrate how in the midst of intense competition between manufacturers to increase output, quality in production lines must still be of high standards. AGVs and IMRs can work continuously around the clock for routine operations while maintaining speed and accuracy, thus achieving lights-out manufacturing with industrial robots.This results in a win-win solution for any companies as AGVs and IMRs are deployed to complete mundane, repetitive tasks - at the same time solving the issue of having shortage of skilled labor. In addition, with SESTO Robotics' in-house SWARM Enterprise software, it ensures optimal performance of the AGV and IMR fleet, thereby providing intelligent traffic management with process optimization. AGVs and IMRs can also operate in environments hazardous for humans to work in, for instance, extreme temperatures and toxic chemicals. Thus, employees can monitor, task and control the work of the AGVs and IMRs while concentrating on more important and strategic business matters.When it comes to automation systems and inventory, SESTO Robotics' ecosystem can be coordinated with existing warehouse management systems, allowing for companies to be able to track every detail of material and item handling, increasing accuracy. Programmed to do what it needs to each and every time, SESTO Robotics' AGVs and IMRs help reduce process errors, thus achieving production consistency and efficiency.SESTO Robotics' S200 with 7-axis Robot Arm is an example of an IMR that provides high freedom of movement even in tight spaces, is suitable for use in applications such as machine tending and can transport FOUPs and semiconductor cassettes easily. Using a high-precision laser-based navigation system for movement, the IMR's laser is able to detect the surrounding environment and use the gathered data to plan an optimal route to get to its destination.As the demand for robotics is steadily increasing because of heightened demand from consumers worldwide for electrical products e.g. smartphones and other fast moving products, upgrading factories and manufacturing abilities to use robotics solutions for output production is slowly becoming the norm to sustain a smart factory in today's outlook.With a team composed of engineers and technicians based in Singapore responsible for creating and updating software and hardware systems, SESTO Robotics has already established some partnerships with several Taiwan-based companies and is looking to further grow its market share in the region.SESTO Robotics is a leading robotics company in the field of autonomous technology. Headquartered in Singapore, the company engineers and delivers robotics solutions to global clients seeking to empower their businesses with greater efficiency. SESTO Robotics' line of Automated Guided Vehicles and Intelligent Mobile Robots are sustainable solutions that have been employed by industry leaders in the field of semiconductor manufacturing and warehousing. Visit www.sestorobotics.com.SESTO Robotics S200 with 7-axis Robot ArmPhoto: Company

Getac, an innovator of rugged mobile computing solutions for a range of industries, today announces updates to its leading Getac F110-Ex fully rugged tablet, designed to deliver exceptional productivity and drive the speed of digital transformation in hazardous environments.Energy sectors such as the oil and gas industry have to cope with harsh work conditions, fluctuating prices and unpredictable environmental changes, so risks constantly run high. The operators have to maintain round-the-clock monitoring of large-scale equipment such as dangerous offshore rigs. They face some of the roughest work conditions and risks - extreme temperatures, loud noises and hazardous chemicals. Any downtime due to accidents or human errors could translate to 1%-3% of lost revenue. Other hazardous sectors such as the chemical industry and the pharmaceutical industry face similar situations and are in urgent need for advanced technologies.Hazardous industries are beginning to use new applications from advances in AI and IoT technologies. For example, they are used to digitalize archive paper documents into a corporate knowledge cloud database, to raise efficiency and minimize risks and machine downtime. Firms can provide a digital platform to train engineers and resolve knowledge gaps between experienced and inexperienced workers. These are all part of the digital transformation that is making ground-breaking changes to the industries.Digital transformation is occurring in every area of hazardous manufacturing including production equipment management, factory automation, automated repair, maintenance scheduling and innovative services enabled by big data analytics and forecast. Each of these user scenarios requires fully rugged tablets with not only robust computing power but also protection against explosion at the operating sites. Regarding digital transformation of hazardous industries, Rick Hwang, President of Rugged Business Unit at Getac Technology Corporation, comments, "Based on their intrinsic safety designs, Getac fully rugged tablets help users safely collect and send digital data, capture images and even engage in video communication in high-risk environments helping enterprises complete the last mile of digital transformation."Intrinsic safety is a protection technique for safe operation of electrical equipment in high-risk environments with combustible gases by not igniting potential sources of ignition. Built on top of Getac's safety expertise, Getac's line of fully rugged tablets is designed with explosion protection certified with ATEX, UL913 and IECEx standards in addition to multiple US military standards. Getac's rugged computers engineered with exceptional strength and safety for professionals in oil, gas, petrochemical, manufacturing increase efficiency by allowing cross-zone operations from the office to the work site.The new F110-Ex Fully Rugged Tablet combines mobility, performance and safety to meet the needs by high-end industrial applications. Featuring an 11.6-inch display guaranteeing clarity under direct sunlight, 1.49kg lightweight, 2.5cm slimness, MIL-STD810G and IP65 water and dust resistance certifications, a wide operating temperature range between -21 degree C and 60 degree C. F110-Ex is built to withstand harsh environments.Equipped with the 7th generation Intel Kaby Lake Core processors and multi-factor security mechanisms, F110-Ex provides exceptional computing power and secure authentication. The intrinsically safe F110-Ex is certified to ATEX & IECEx Zone 2/22 standards. For full data protection, F110-Ex runs the latest Windows 10 while offering optional face recognition camera compatible with Windows Hello as well as bar code scanner and (LF/HF)RFID reader.As one of the top rugged solution providers, Getac markets a comprehensive portfolio of vertically integrated solutions to work in all types of extreme operating conditions, we stay committed to the development of cutting-edge explosion-proof products.Aside from the new launched F110-Ex, Getac's fully rugged tablet portfolio further includes EX80, ZX70, T800 and other ATEX-certified models, all delivering exceptional ruggedness and performance for hazardous industries.Availability The new F110 will be available to buy from 27 September 2018. For more information, please visit: www.getac.com

Designers seeking to enable continuous monitoring of various health parameters can now quickly create unique, highly accurate wearable solutions using Health Sensor Platform 2.0 (HSP 2.0) from Maxim Integrated Products. This next-generation rapid prototyping, evaluation and development platform, also known as MAXREFDES101#, brings the ability to monitor electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate and body temperature to a wrist-worn wearable, saving up to six months in development time.When it comes to wearables, a wrist-based device is convenient for users to wear daily. However, it has been challenging to derive precise ECG monitoring from the wrist (most alternatives require a wearable chest strap). In addition, getting accurate body temperature typically requires using a thermometer at another location. Through its proprietary sensor and health monitoring technology, Maxim has overcome these challenges in the HSP 2.0.Enclosed in a watch casing, the wrist-based form factor enables HSP 2.0 to provide basic functionality out of the box, with body-monitoring measurements starting immediately. Data can be stored on the platform for patient evaluation or streamed to a PC for analysis later. Unlike other wearables, the data measurements collected by the HSP 2.0 can be owned by the wearer, alleviating data privacy concerns and allowing users to conduct their own data analysis. Also, because HSP 2.0 is an open platform, designers can evaluate their own algorithms on the board. In addition, the modular format is future proof to quickly accommodate new sensors over time.Health Sensor Platform 2.0

AMobile Intelligent, a joint venture by MediaTek, Arbor, and Konka Group, has achieved its design pinnacle by receiving the International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) 2018 organized by The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). The awarded product, Mobile Inspection Assistant G60, has won Red Dot, Good Design, Computex d&i, Taiwan Excellence, China Industrial IoT, and IDEA Award, which proves AMobile's capabilities of R&D and innovations, as well as leading the industry to fulfill market applications and demands.The 38th International Design Excellence Award for 2018 is the world's most prestigious and rigorous design competition, and only 145 winners were selected among 1870 submissions from around the world. Winning IDEA represents the ultimate achievement in product design. "Since 2017, AMobile has won 6 international awards including IDEA, Red Dot, Good Design and more. In addition to the team's efforts, we would like to share the honors with our global partners," says Eric Lee, president of AMobile. G60 will be conducted a roadshow at Medica in Germany, Power Expo in Myanmar, and TaiwanExpo in Malaysia.The Mobile Inspection Assistant G60 is the world's first 3-in-1 handheld device, combining a thermal imager, a push-to-talk radio, and a smartphone. It's designed for industrial inspections, including electric power, petrochemical plant, building quality, firefighting, and rescue personnel, to increase work efficiency and accuracy. It is a powerful handheld device with rich wireless communications and multi-data collectivity. Ideal for working in harsh environments, the G60 is waterproof and dustproof, as well as protected by a rubber coating for shock and drop resistance up to 1.5 meters.For more details about AMobile, please visit our website at http://www.amobile-solutions.comAMobile earns IDEA 2018 from IDSA

Getac has today announced the launch of the new K120 fully rugged tablet, designed to meet the challenges faced by public safety personnel around the world. The K120 builds on Getac's legacy of creating powerful, rugged devices that have helped paramedics, police officers and firefighters successfully carry out their public safety duties for many years.As public safety becomes increasingly data driven, the need for fast, effective communication and information transfer between the field and the command center has never been more important. First responders rely heavily on their Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) for vital on-scene intelligence to enhance situational awareness, inform decision making and above all, keep them safe. The new K120 fully rugged tablet has been designed with this in mind. Equipped with an 8th generation Intel Core i7/i5 processor and a wide range of connectivity options including GPS, 4G LTE, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, it offers exceptional processing power and communication capabilities from anywhere in the field. A large 12.5-inch multi-touch display and robust security options including multi-layer authentication, fingerprint/smartcard readers and RFID authentications also ensure optimal functionality and security in the most demanding work environments."Getac's K120 fully rugged tablet is designed to provide public safety personnel with a powerful, compact MDT that seamlessly combines video, voice and electronic data communication, for fast access to critical intelligence in the field," comments Rick Hwang, president of Rugged Business Unit at Getac Technology Corporation. "Through products like the K120, Getac is constantly aiming to deliver new value to public safety customers, using our core technologies and innovative product design to help frontline teams overcome the challenges they face every day."Police officers, paramedics and fire crews need an MDT they can rely on in all situations and weather conditions. The K120 meets MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461G military durability standards in addition to IP65 water and dust resistance, meaning it can go anywhere personnel go without fear of damage. It has also passed durability tests when dropped from 1.8m in power-on mode, an industry-leading benchmark, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -29 degrees C to 63 degrees C, offering exceptional versatility.For extended field operations, the K120 comes with optional dual hot-swappable high-capacity batteries, eliminating concerns about running out of power at critical moments. Public safety isn't just about first response though, which is why the K120 is fully compatible with a variety of Getac accessories and secure docking solutions, allowing it to be securely mounted in a vehicle as a mobile office, or used as a conventional office computer as well.Getac is a strategic Microsoft partner and the K120 features a Windows 10 OS and utilizes Microsoft cloud technology, including Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things, to address modern public safety challenges."Getac's rugged computers are ideal edge devices for the public safety cloud, providing fast intelligence and actionable insights to officers when needed most," said Kirk Arthur, director in WW Industry Solutions / Public Safety & Justice team. "The new K120 is a perfect example of this, complementing Getac's public safety product roadmap and helping public safety personnel conduct their duties as safely and efficiently as possible."The K120 comes with a three-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, covering accidental damage as standard, for complete peace of mind.In addition to the K120, Getac's suite of rugged computers for public safety also includes the F110 and A140 Fully Rugged Tablets, V110 Fully Rugged Convertible Notebook and S410 Semi-rugged Notebook. Moreover, Getac Video Solutions offers a variety of specialized products for recording, managing and securely storing vital video evidence.Availability The new K120 will be available to buy from 19 September 2018. For more information, please visit: www.getac.comA new class of tablet engineered with versatility in mind, the K120 can adapt to all your needs indoors and in the field through a variety of usage modes and an extensive selection of accessories.

United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE:UMC; TWSE: 2303) ("UMC"), a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced that Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) has selected UMC as a global component for the 11th consecutive year.DJSI awarded UMC with the industry's highest scores in "Policy Influence," "Product Quality and Recall Management," "Tax Strategy" and "Climate Strategy" categories. Several of those items received full marks. UMC's overall scores have continued to increase in recent years, illustrating the company's continued excellence in sustainable operations. DJSI-World 2018 evaluated approximately 2,500 global enterprises, with only six semiconductor companies selected worldwide.SC Chien, co-president at UMC, said, "We are pleased to be selected as a DJSI Global Component for the 11th consecutive year. UMC is committed to the Environment, Society, and Governance (ESG), using this three-pronged sustainability approach to promote the implementation of the 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. In 2018, UMC continued to improve its performance in the implementation of sustainable management strategies. With the help of all UMC employees, we successfully reached the second-year goal of our "Green 2020" plan for saving electricity and water as well as reducing waste. We have also invited our supply chain partners to practice Reuse, Recycle and Reduce concepts through the environmental 3R League initiative and have fully embraced the spirit of global partnership promoted through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Going forward, we will continue enhance our efforts toward sustainability in order to benefit our stakeholders and society."Dow Jones Sustainability Indices was launched jointly by Dow Jones Index, STOXX and Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) in 1999. DJSI is the first index that traces social responsibility performance of leading-edge enterprises, and is also one of the most creditable evaluation tools for reviewing sustainability worldwide. The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and respective subsets track the performance of the top 10% of the 2500 largest companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index that lead the field in terms of sustainability.

Global smartphone AP shipments may show a 0.8% on-year decline to reach 1.59 billion units in 2018, according to Digitimes Research.Apple may see impressive demand for its three newly released iPhones, shipments for which are expected to surpass 85 million units in the second half of 2018, Digitimes Research estimates. Other smartphone vendors, however, are generally conservative about their shipment results for the entire 2018, despite the upgrades, including all-screen features, to their new devices, according to Digitimes Reseach's newly published Special Report about smartphone AP shipments.But the smartphone market has entered the third-quarter high season with healthy inventory levels, Digitimes Research believes. Smartphone AP shipments worldwide are estimated to reach 450 million units in third-quarter 2018, down 0.45 on year but up 18.7% sequentiallyThe Digitimes Research Special Report shows that Qualcomm will remain the top smartphone AP vendor in third-quarter 2018, with total shipments nearing 200 million units. Enjoying a high penetration among leading smartphone AP vendors, Qualcomm will outperform its rivals in terms of third-quarter 2018 shipment growth, as downstream vendors prepare inventory for the high season.The top-three smartphone AP vendors - namely Qualcomm, MediaTek and Apple - will together command a market share of over 80% in third-quarter 2018, and their combined share will drop to 76.6% in first-quarter 2019, as Qualcomm is expected to feel a major impact from competition from Huawei's and Samsung's in-house-developed smartphone APs, according to the report.