Apple has signed an agreement with Indonesia to invest in the country, paving the way for sales of the iPhone 16 to resume in Southeast Asia's largest nation

Oppo has expanded its footprint in Southeast Asia and Latin America, successfully leveraging local conditions to secure a significant market share

Despite facing headwinds in the overall automotive market, Panjit continues to report impressive growth. Chief Operating Officer Edgar Chen stated that the company aims for an annual growth rate of 35% in the automotive field in 2025 and plans to establish a factory in Vietnam to meet overseas client demands

Chin Tong Liew, Malaysia's Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), has acknowledged that the US restrictions on artificial intelligence (AI) chip exports, set to take effect in January 2025, will pose challenges for the country's AI data center development. However, he emphasized that the overall data center ecosystem in Malaysia will remain largely unaffected

Foxconn, through its subsidiary New Wing Interconnect Technology (Bac Giang), has acquired a 25% stake in Goertek Electronics Vietnam for US$50 million, announcing the deal on the evening of February 21. Foxconn stated that the investment is primarily strategic

Singapore will invest an additional SGD3 billion (US$2.23 billion) into its National Productivity Fund (NPF) and allocate SGD1 billion to upgrade biomedical research centers and build semiconductor research infrastructure, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced in the 2025 fiscal budget

Singapore-based electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider Venture Corporation posted sales of SGD2.7 billion (approx. US$2.05 billion) for fiscal 2024, marking a 9.6% decline from the previous year. Net profit fell 9.3% year-over-year to SGD245 million, though the profit margin grew to 9% from 8.9% in 2023

Nissan has dismissed speculation that it plans to shut down its factory in Thailand, reaffirming the country's role as a key manufacturing hub in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The company also expressed its commitment to supporting the Thailand government's transitioning projects to electric vehicles (EVs)

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, has inaugurated its second data center in Thailand, expanding its infrastructure to meet the rising demand for cloud services and generative artificial intelligence (AI). The expansion aligns with Thailand's digital innovation and sustainability goals. According to The Nation, this development represents a significant expansion of Alibaba Cloud's footprint in Southeast Asia

Major Taiwanese printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers are actively investing in setting up facilities in Southeast Asia due to the region's geopolitical considerations, rising demand for servers, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as investment incentives. Topoint Technology and Aurona, two providers of related consumables and equipment, are following suit, looking for fresh contracts as additional plants are anticipated to start production in 2025

With the global semiconductor market projected to exceed US$1 trillion within the next decade, IC packaging and testing leader ASE is accelerating its overseas expansion. The company's fifth factory in Penang, Malaysia, officially opened on February 18, 2025

Global packaging and testing leader ASE Technology Holdings (ASE) expects total capital expenditure (capex) for the year to grow significantly by over 60%, primarily allocated for expanding advanced packaging and testing capacities. Notably, ASE's new plant in Malaysia is set to officially commence operations soon, which is expected to further contribute to revenue growth in its packaging and testing business

According to Nikkei Asia, Apple is currently in discussions with its suppliers to potentially assemble iPhones in Indonesia. This move would be significant for the Indonesian government, which has been keen on securing larger investments from the tech company in exchange for access to its market

These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of February 10 – February 14

Vietnam's government has met with senior executives from Samsung Electronics to discuss the company's expansion plans in the country, including strengthening its supply chain and accelerating efforts in artificial intelligence (AI)