Industrial News

TOKYO -- Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Friday unveiled the first group of Japanese companies to subsidize for shifting manufacturing out of China to Southeast Asia or Japan. Eighty-seven companies or groups will receive a total of 70 billion yen ($653 million) to move production lines, in a bid to reduce Japan's reliance on its large neighbor and build resilient supply chains. Thirty of these will shift production to Southeast Asia, including Hoya, which produces hard-drive parts and will move to Vietnam and Laos. Sumitomo Rubber Industries will make nitrile rubber gloves in Malaysia, while Shin-Etsu Chemical will shift production of rare-earth [...]

Analog Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADI) and Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: MXIM) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which ADI will acquire Maxim in an all stock transaction that values the combined enterprise at over $68 billion2. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, will strengthen ADI as an analog semiconductor leader with increased breadth and scale across multiple attractive end markets. Under the terms of the agreement, Maxim stockholders will receive 0.630 of a share of ADI common stock for each share of Maxim common stock they [...]

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) fears the global recession might prompt companies to cut down on costs, forcing them to pull out of the Philippines and focus operations on more investor-friendly countries instead. PEZA Director General Charito Plaza said in a press briefing on Tuesday that it is doing what it could to keep its current locators, but she could not shake off the fear that they might leave at some point. For now, no locator has left yet. However, she said the agency, which provides tax breaks to exporters such as income tax holidays, cannot stop [...]

TOKYO/KYOTO — Japanese components makers are deliberation bringing some-more of a prolongation routine behind home as bureau automation reduces costs and pandemic-induced plant shutdowns abroad prompt them to rethink supply chains. Chipmaker Rohm has grown a prolongation line that automates a labor-intensive back-end of semiconductor fabrication. The association will try out a line during a Fukuoka Prefecture bureau starting this summer, with skeleton to ramp adult to mass prolongation in a second half of 2021. “With entirely or partially programmed lines, operations can be essential in Japan,” President Isao Matsumoto told Nikkei, phenomenon skeleton to pierce partial of a behind finish of prolongation [...]

THE continued suspension of flights from China and Hong Kong is making semiconductor and electronics companies jittery and forcing some to consider shutting down operations for lack of raw materials. There are 14 semiconductor and electronics locators in Central Visayas accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. They manufacture chargers, optical disc drives, electronic connectors, aluminum bonding wires, electrical switches and others. The industry in the Philippines employs 3.2 million direct and indirect workers. In Central Visayas, there are about 50,000 direct jobs. Dan Lachica, Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (Seipi) president, said Monday, Feb. 18, [...]

Broadcom Inc. appears to have quietly acquired Bay Dynamics Inc., a cyber risk analytics software company, according to regulatory documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Neither company could be reached for comment, but an equity incentive plan filed with the SEC indicates that the San Jose chipmaker entered a merger agreement to acquire Bay Dynamics as a subsidiary on Dec. 19. New York-based Bay Dynamics was founded in 2001 and was valued at $92 million as of July 2016, after raising a total of $31 million in funding, according to Pitchbook. The acquisition comes as the latest step in Broadcom’s buildout of [...]

It’s official: Husqvarna Motorcycles will be manufactured and sold in the Philippine market in 2020. The brand will be handled by the Ayala Corporation, with Husqvarna units initially to be sold at several KTM dealerships across the country. The brand’s first local offerings will be the Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401, but there are plans to produce bigger-displacement bikes, too. These models will be sold at six of the 40 KTM dealerships in the country, though the company has yet to specify exactly which ones. The Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 is a sub-500cc middleweight motorcycle featuring an attractive retro design. It peaks at 44hp and 37Nm of torque, and is being marketed [...]

SOUTHFIELD, Mich.--Power management company Eaton today announced its eMobility business has chosen Jabil, a U.S.-based global manufacturing services company, as its partner to produce electromechanical and printed circuit board assemblies. “Jabil is a leading manufacturing solutions provider with a global footprint similar to Eaton’s,” said Jeff Lowinger, president, eMobility, Eaton. “Its international presence offers flexibility to scale production around the world, when and where we need it. This partnership will benefit our customers through world-class quality and improved speed of production.” Jabil is a manufacturing solutions provider that delivers comprehensive design, manufacturing, supply chain and product management services for a [...]

Part 2 of a report looking at the Philippine electronics manufacturing landscape and the need for the Philippines to find its niche technologies to improve its position in the global supply chain. Part 1 of this report looked at the challenges facing the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industry in the Philippines due to a dependance on imported electronic parts, such as ICs and wafers. It also looked at the potential impact of a proposed regulatory change which could affect the competitiveness of locators in the Philippines. Below is part 2 of this report. **Finding Niche Technologies** From an education perspective, [...]

The semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industry is the biggest economic growth driver in the Philippines. Mainly composed of semiconductor manufacturing services (73%) and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) firms (27%), the industry employs around 3.2 million direct and indirect workers. In 2018, the segment accounted for about $37.57 billion of commodity exports—representing more than half or about 55.67% of the country’s total exports—up by 2.83% from 2017 figures, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). From January to September 2019, total electronics exports grew to $32.22 billion, up by 2.25% from the same period last year, and accounting for 61.3% of [...]