In June 2024, Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) and NXP unveiled plans to collaborate on establishing VSMC in Singapore, where they will build a 12-inch wafer fabrication plant. On August 4, 2024, they officially confirmed that they have secured the required approvals and will move forward with the investment, which amounts to approximately US$7.8 billion
The electronics industry of the world and in Taiwan is at a crossroads, driven by geopolitical shifts and the ever-present need to diversify supply chains. Firms that once thrived in China are now scouting new homes in ASEAN and Vietnam, places where the cost of production and the availability of skilled labor offer both challenges and opportunities
Following a semiconductor collaboration with Malaysia, India further expanded its partnership with Singapore to include advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, aviation, and other sectors in their latest ministerial roundtable
Amazon's subsidiary, AWS, announced that its Region in Malaysia is now open, and it will be investing over US$6.2 billion in the country through 2038. Recently, Microsoft has also announced investment plans for cloud servers and AI infrastructure in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, indicating that the cloud service market in Southeast Asian countries will experience accelerated growth
In cooperation with the Vietnamese government's active promotion, Samsung Electronics is reportedly considering establishing a semiconductor assembly line in Vietnam. With Samsung currently operating large factories for products such as mobile devices and display modules in Vietnam, there are hopes of synergistic benefits
Tongtai Machine & Tool is actively expanding its semiconductor equipment business to meet the increasing demand for AI device applications and anticipates revenue from this segment to grow as a proportion of company revenue
Apaq Technology, a specialist in solid electrolytic capacitors, has acquired land adjacent to its existing plant in Malaysia for a second phase expansion, with construction expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025
Fifteen Japanese companies plan to invest approximately JPY100 billion (US$680 million) in research, development, and equipment across Southeast Asia, focusing on the electric vehicle, semiconductor, and energy sectors. The Japanese government is reportedly set to subsidize around one-third of this investment
Indonesia is seeking to blend more palm oil with diesel to cut its use of fossil fuels, with the ambitious target raising the risk of tightening supply of the tropical oil
The US-China trade war, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global supply chain relocations, has benefited Foxconn due to its diversified global footprint
Taiwan-based Topoint Technology, which manufactures drill bits for producing IC substrates and PCBs and also accepts OEM drilling orders from clients, expects to begin pilot runs at its new Thai plant in the fourth quarter of 2024
