Taiwan-based MOSFET makers including Advanced Power Electronics, Excelliance MOS, Niko Semiconductor and Sinopower Semiconductor are all expected to enjoy sequential revenue increases of 10% or more in the third quarter of 2021, driven by more foundry support, according to industry sources.

Taiwan's PCB maker Zhen Ding Technology has disclosed plans to set up four new plants in Taiwan and China in 2021, mostly dedicated to production of high-end IC substrates and rigid PCBs in line with its efforts to provide one-stop shopping services for clients in the long term.

Micron Technology has disclosed plans to start implementing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology in the manufacture of DRAM chips by 2024.

LED and Si-based sensor chip maker Opto Tech will issue 60 million new shares at a subscription price of NT$22.93 (US$0.82) per share for private placement, and Japan-based Nichia - a major shareholder - is the only target for the time being, according to Opto Tech.

Apple reportedly will be making a rare investment to expand surface mounting technology (SMT) assembly capacity at its partners to satisfy demand for its miniLED-backlit devices including the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and upcoming MacBook series, according to supply chain sources.

Application of UV-C LED for disinfection to home electric appliances has seen fast growth in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to industry sources.

China's National Energy Administration has announced regulations to prevent using retired EV battery packs in newly established energy storage systems until there are technological breakthroughs in managing consistency of battery cells and systems in place to monitor the operation of retired battery packs and evaluate their performance.

Globally prevailing shortage ICs and increases in cost of components and materials are expected to negatively affect the automobile manufacturing industry in Malaysia, a local media report has cited Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president Datuk Aishan Ahmad as indicating.

Electric vehicles (EV) have been regarded as the mainstream of next-gen automobiles. According to the statistics by DIGITIMES Research, with a global annual growth rate of 19% in 2020, electric vehicles will hit the tens-of-millions scale by 2025. Global environmental awareness and new emerging technologies are the two driving forces behind this rapid growth. When it comes to technology, electric vehicles' power management has been a major industry focus in recent years. Therefore, FTEX's GaNFET powertrain solution, which extends driving range by 30%, has become the center of attention.

Vietnam recorded foreign direct investment (FDI) of US$10.12 billion for the first quarter of 2021, growing 18.5% on year, according to Le Quang Tuan, investment officer for Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei.

Taiwan-based medical technology startup iXensor has launched a smart antigen testing solution that is able to detect COVID-19 infections and can show the rest results via its smartphone app.

Following the birth of Thailand's first unicorn Flash Group, Ruangroj Poonpol, founder of Thailand-based 500 TukTuks venture capital and chairman of Kasikorn Business-Technology Group, believes more unicorns will appear in the country in the next 2-3 years, according to a report by Bangkok Post.

Broadband communication/networking device maker SerComm will raise funds through issuing up to 50 million new shares or domestic convertible bonds worth up to NT$3.0 billion (US$107 million) or overseas convertible bonds worth up to US$100 million for private placement, according to the company.

Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) has decided to start phasing out 2G and 3G technologies within the country in 2022 in a bid to encourage people to use smartphones and promote digital society.

The India government has canceled exemption of tariffs on imported PCBs, base station controllers, modules and cable harness used in production of telecom and communication/networking equipment in its fiscal 2022 (April 2021-March 2022) budget plan, raising concerns it could increase production cost.