Allowing Chinese investment in the sector could give Beijing immoderate influence over Taiwan’s most prized industry, yet shunning it could undermine competitiveness. The semiconductor sector is one of the last areas of the global consumer electronics supply chain where Taiwanese firms retain an edge over their Chinese competitors. Taiwanese integrated circuit (IC) makers have…
Hsinchu-based fabless semiconductor firm Mediatek Inc. announced that it will acquire power management chipmaker Richtek Technology Corp. for some NT$28 billion (US$857 million) in cash. According to a statement issued by company chairman Tsai Ming-kai, the move is in response to a spate of mergers and acquisitions that signals “the semiconductor industry is consolidating in…
The key question is how long can Taiwan’s IC industry hold off its Chinese competitors? Taiwan’s semiconductor sector faces a formidable challenge from China as Beijing moves aggressively to build homegrown chip-making giants. The Chinese government announced a US$20 billion fund last year for that task, and says it will invest a total of US$161…
The world’s largest chemical company by sales, Germany’s BASF, expanded its investment in Taiwan with the opening of its new facilities in the Kuanyin Industrial Park in Taoyuan on February 5. The new facilities will provide advanced processing chemicals and materials such as ultra-pure electronic grade sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and ammonia water (NH4OH), as well…
