Pegatron Corp (和碩) yesterday launched a laboratory in Taipei in partnership with NXP Semiconductor NV for the verification of electric vehicle (EV) applications such as smart cockpits.
New products designed for customers are already undergoing the verification process at the laboratory, which is equipped with machines worth more than NT$10 million (US$308,499), the company said, adding that its new smart cockpit solutions utilize NXP’s electrification portfolio and cross-vehicle system solutions.
The new lab is the third joint collaboration between NXP and its partners in Taiwan, which include Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) and Delta Electronics Co (台達電).
Photo: CNA
“We are bullish about the automotive market,” Gary Cheng (鄭志光), President & CEO at Pegatron, said on the sidelines of the launch ceremony in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投).
“The global auto industry is expected to increase to US$4 trillion to US$6 trillion in 2033, which presents good business opportunities for Taiwan’s electronics industry, and Pegatron as well,” Cheng said.
Pegatron is keen to supply auto applications to automakers in the US, Europe and Japan and to emerging start-ups, he added.
Meanwhile, Pegatron said it is prepared to set up a new European manufacturing base in the Czech Republic, if it secures new orders.
The firm already operates large-scale manufacturing sites in Taoyuan, Mexico and Suzhou, China, to produce verified auto products.
Pegatron said its strength lies in computing-related applications such as gateway, telematics and advanced driver-assistance systems, coupled with its experience in making consumer electronics and communications devices.
The US and EU are poised to levy heavy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports to protect their auto industries, which might provide good business opportunities for local companies given Taiwan’s strategic position, Cheng said.
Pegatron said it aims to boost revenue from auto products to 10 percent of its total revenue next year.
UNCERTAINTY: Innolux activated a stringent supply chain management mechanism, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure optimal inventory levels for customers Flat-panel display makers AUO Corp (友達) and Innolux Corp (群創) yesterday said that about 12 to 20 percent of their display business is at risk of potential US tariffs and that they would relocate production or shipment destinations to mitigate the levies’ effects. US tariffs would have a direct impact of US$200 million on AUO’s revenue, company chairman Paul Peng (彭雙浪) told reporters on the sidelines of the Touch Taiwan trade show in Taipei yesterday. That would make up about 12 percent of the company’s overall revenue. To cope with the tariff uncertainty, AUO plans to allocate its production to manufacturing facilities in
TAKING STOCK: A Taiwanese cookware firm in Vietnam urged customers to assess inventory or place orders early so shipments can reach the US while tariffs are paused Taiwanese businesses in Vietnam are exploring alternatives after the White House imposed a 46 percent import duty on Vietnamese goods, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on the US’ trading partners. Lo Shih-liang (羅世良), chairman of Brico Industry Co (裕茂工業), a Taiwanese company that manufactures cast iron cookware and stove components in Vietnam, said that more than 40 percent of his business was tied to the US market, describing the constant US policy shifts as an emotional roller coaster. “I work during the day and stay up all night watching the news. I’ve been following US news until 3am
Taiwan will prioritize the development of silicon photonics by taking advantage of its strength in the semiconductor industry to build another shield to protect the local economy, National Development Council (NDC) Minister Paul Liu (劉鏡清) said yesterday. Speaking at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee, Liu said Taiwan already has the artificial intelligence (AI) industry as a shield, after the semiconductor industry, to safeguard the country, and is looking at new unique fields to build more economic shields. While Taiwan will further strengthen its existing shields, over the longer term, the country is determined to focus on such potential segments as
COLLABORATION: Given Taiwan’s key position in global supply chains, the US firm is discussing strategies with local partners and clients to deal with global uncertainties Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) yesterday said it is meeting with local ecosystem partners, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), to discuss strategies, including long-term manufacturing, to navigate uncertainties such as US tariffs, as Taiwan occupies an important position in global supply chains. AMD chief executive officer Lisa Su (蘇姿丰) told reporters that Taiwan is an important part of the chip designer’s ecosystem and she is discussing with partners and customers in Taiwan to forge strong collaborations on different areas during this critical period. AMD has just become the first artificial-intelligence (AI) server chip customer of TSMC to utilize its advanced