Machvision's board has approved a NT$274 million (US$8.6 million) strategic investment to acquire 13% of Hye Technology's common shares. The investment will represent 11.5% of Hye's outstanding shares post-placement and secure Machvision two board seats, strengthening the collaboration between both companies in operational strategies and product development.

Audix Group chairman and president Yuan-kai Chung anticipates significant tariff changes in the US-China trade war once US President-Elect Trump assumes office. Additionally, overcapacity in China is expected to drive more aggressive price competition.

Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT), a supplier of power management IC (PMIC), has expanded into non-consumer electronics to avoid competition in mass-market applications.

Touch panel manufacturer GIS has faced significant operational challenges in 2024. Despite a rebound in consolidated revenue during the third quarter, the company's product mix resulted in a reduced gross profit margin. As GIS's market share in fingerprint recognition continues to expand, the company expects overall performance in 2025 to surpass that of 2024, with fingerprint recognition revenue projected to exceed 10% for the first time.

As artificial intelligence (AI) demand grows and recent financial issues at Supermicro trigger order redistribution, passive component manufacturer Podak sees new opportunities. Chairperson Chia-Yu Chen reports that clients are experiencing increased orders from AI-related applications, helping to offset declining PC market demand. For 2025, Podak expects AI-related revenue to grow by up to 15%, though the company maintains a cautious outlook and anticipates stable operations throughout the year.

Gudeng Precision, a key player in the semiconductor foundry supply chain, reported an October 2024 consolidated revenue of NT$389 million (approx. US$12.16 million). Cumulative revenue for the first ten months reached NT$5.458 billion, marking a 28% year-over-year growth and exceeding 2023's full-year total.

Wah Lee Industrial Corporation has successfully integrated its CoWoS packaging materials into the supply chain of leading semiconductor manufacturers. Shipments are expected to increase in 2025. Additionally, samples of Fan-Out Panel Level Packaging (FOPLP) key materials have been delivered to semiconductor, display panel, and testing companies.

Zeiss president Andreas Pecher asked me how DIGITIMES observes Zeiss. I replied that it could gradually transition from an R&D focus to application markets, striking an appropriate balance between measurement and inspection technologies.

Wafer Works is building a 12-inch wafer fab in Erlin, Changhua County, with a monthly capacity of 200,000 units to meet global demand. The topping-out ceremony is scheduled for December 5, 2024, according to president H.Y. Chang.

Taiwan-based Eikei, a specialist in non-OEM PCBs, is poised for substantial growth in both revenue and profit in 2025, driven by increasing demand for PCBs in automotive, AI, and power supply applications, according to Chairman Corey Liu.

Flexible printed circuit board (PCB) specialist Flexium Interconnect has seen revenue, gross margin, and profit plummet in the third quarter of 2024, as the company undergoes a distressing transition period. Prospects continue to look dim through the fourth quarter, with any glimmer of hope likely delayed until the second half of 2025.

Taiwan-based CWTC's board has approved several key resolutions, including the third-quarter 2024 profit distribution plan and a US$20 million cash capital increase for its Malaysian subsidiary, aimed at supporting production capacity expansion.

Memory intellectual property (IP) firm AP Memory Technology has seen AI drive an uptick in sales, even as its IoT business has yet to rebound. With quarterly gross margin back on the rise, the company anticipates steady performance going forward, as 2025 will see mass production of its new IoT solutions and stack silicon capacitors (S-SiCap) for use in high performance computing (HPC) applications, while high-power silicon capacitor and customizable, very high bandwidth memory stack (VHMStack) products will begin contributing to revenue in 2026–2027.

Japanese IC substrate manufacturer Ibiden has lowered its overall performance forecast for the fiscal year 2024 (April 2024 to March 2025). Similarly, another IC substrate company, Shinko Electric Industries, also announced a downward revision of its 2024 financial outlook before releasing its earnings report. Both companies noted that despite the surge in generative AI, the demand for standard servers in non-AI data centers continues to be sluggish, which is the primary reason for their disappointing performance.

The two major South Korean component suppliers, Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) and LG Innotek, have released their financial reports for the third quarter of 2024, with performance falling short of expectations. Industry analysts attribute this underperformance to poor sales of Apple's iPhone 16 and delays in the demand recovery of industries such as PCs and smartphones.

Microcontroller unit (MCU) manufacturer Holtek has observed increasing demand for small household appliances during China's Singles' Day and Double 12 shopping festivals. The company also notes positive effects of the Chinese government's subsidy policies, which have stimulated market activity.

Liteon Technology will continue to focus on AI servers, green energy, and high-performance infrastructure, with the company planning shipments of 33kW power shelves for next-generation AI servers in the fourth quarter of 2024. Furthermore, the company has completed testing of its liquid-to-liquid cooling system, with initial shipments slated to begin in 2025, and is formally entering the home energy storage market. Despite the traditionally off-peak season, the company expects both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year growth as revenue from AI-related products continues to rise.

DuPont and Zhen Ding Technology have announced the establishment of a strategic cooperation agreement in the field of advanced PCB technology. Charles Shen, chairman of Zhen Ding, Yi Zhang, president of DuPont Asia Pacific, and Thean Ming Tan, global business director for laminates at DuPont, were present at the signing ceremony that took place at the Shenzhen Avary Time Center on October 28.

The semiconductor packaging specialist and Yaego Group affiliate Tong Hsing Electronics reported that seasonal patterns in 2024 have differed from previous years, with revenue remaining nearly consistent across the first three quarters while showing positive growth compared to 2023. However, the company expects slight declines at varying rates across all product lines in the fourth quarter of 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, the company forecasts single-digit revenue growth, as clients maintain a cautious outlook.

Due to inventory adjustments, ongoing wars, and the macroeconomic situation, uncertainties in the global automotive and industrial control markets may persist until the second quarter of 2025, according to Jonathan Chang, chairman of power semiconductor integrated device manufacturer (IDM) Eris Technology.

Yageo, a maker of passive components, remains optimistic about AI demand but expresses caution regarding the demand for industrial control applications. The company anticipates a single-digit sequential revenue decrease during the traditional fourth-quarter off-season.

As product specifications advance, copper-clad laminate (CCL) manufacturers are optimistic about growth in AI data centers and automotive electronics. Taiwan-based firms such as Elite Material, ITEQ, Taiwan Union Technology, and Ventec are poised to benefit from this trend.

The semiconductor industry is currently grappling with insufficient capacity due to a recent surge in global demand. This has prompted major players to explore alternatives, consequently drawing related industries towards the high-margin semiconductor sector.

Tongtai Machine & Tool is intensifying its expansion into the semiconductor sector, targeting automotive, aerospace, medical, and electronic semiconductors. The company forecasts a significant rise in semiconductor revenue. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2024, it expects Thai customers to ramp up orders for PCB drilling machines, fueling short-term growth. In line with the China+1 strategy, Tongtai is strengthening its presence across Thailand and Southeast Asia to diversify operations and seize new market opportunities.

TPCA Show 2024, Taiwan's premier PCB manufacturing event, spotlights the theme "Innovative AI in PCB," reflecting the transformative impact of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT. The rise of AI is pushing PCB makers to leverage these advancements for new growth opportunities and improved production efficiency, underscoring the industry's pivot toward AI integration.