Acer Inc. of Taiwan, a major global personal computer (PC) vendor, recently announced registered consolidated revenue of NT$29.85 billion (US$995.1 million) in Augusts, up 18.9% from the previous month, or month-on-month (MoM). Some institutional investors forecast Acer's monthly revenues for the remainder of 2014 could still challenge new highs, driven by stronger demand due to back-to-school...

AU Optronics Corp. (AUO), a major maker of thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels in Taiwan, plans to set up a low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) TFT factory in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province of China in 2016 to further build capacity for high-resolution and -end smartphone panels. Innolux Display Corp., another major TFT-LCD maker on the island, however, believes the existin...

By QUINCY LIANG Taiwan's flat panel display (FPD) industry has a long history and enjoyed close attention and investment from both the government and private sectors. But in recent years, local FPD makers have been facing increasingly high pressure from South Korean and Chinese counterparts in both production capacity and product prices. The most effective way to break such pressure, which is ...

Thanks to recovering demand from major markets the U.S. and Europe, Taiwan's top-two bicycle manufacturers Giant Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and Merida Industry Co., Ltd. reported increased export volume, revenue and earnings in the first half (H1) of the year. Merida recently reported H1 operational results, including consolidated revenue of NT$12.43 billion (US$414.3 million, up 7.9% year-on-yea...

Both the top-two thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel makers in Taiwan are optimistic about favorable business climate in the second half (H2) of the year. Paul Peng, president of AU Optronics Corp. (AUO), says that his company's Q3 operational results are expected to peak, with LCD TV panel orders to last to December to keep Q4 operations busy. Wang Jyh-chau, president...

Global shipments of large-sized (larger than 10-inch) thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels in July dropped 5% month-on-month (MoM) to 68.21 million units, according to WitsView Technology Corp., an LCD market research firm. Innolux Display Corp., the largest TFT-LCD maker in Taiwan, captured a 27% global share of the segment in July, replacing Korean rival LGD to be...

After enjoying high growth rates in the past five years in a row, worldwide shipments of tablet PCs are expected to fall annually the first time in 2014, while those of notebook PCs are forecast to rebound from the bottom, according to WitsView Technology Corp., a LCD market research firm. Some institutional investors deem that tablet PCs have been encroaching on market share of notebook PCs o...

Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), a major aerospace company in Taiwan, recently became a tier-one supplier to Airbus of Europe, one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers. AIDC used to be a major state-run enterprise engaged in military-aircraft development and production, and will go public in late August in Taiwan. The signing ceremony was held in France and attende...

John Hsuan, chairman of a new local biotech company Hukui Biotechnology Corp. and honorary chairman of semiconductor company United Microelectronics Corp (UMC), recently pointed out that the biotechnology + information and communication technology (ICT) is expected to become Taiwan's next "diamond" industry. He said that many talented biotech professionals have been returning to Taiwan in ...

Nineteen outstanding young designers from Taiwan were among the 91 recipients of the 2014 iF concept design award, presented in Hamburg, Germany in mid-June. Two of the Taiwanese designers, along with nine other peers, also shared a 30,000 euro prize awarded by the judges for design excellence. The iF concept design award is the world’s largest international competition honoring the work of pa...