Electronics

Panasonic's announcement that it would shed 700 workers in Singapore was followed the next day by the news that more than 1,000 workers had applied for its early retirement program in Japan.
Electronics

Panasonic to cut 1,700-plus jobs in Japan and Singapore

Ax comes down as technology group logs operating margin below 4%

28 September 2021
Fujifilm Business Innovation, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Fujifilm Holdings, will introduce commercial printers during October in Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Companies

Fujifilm cuts into ex-partner Xerox's European turf

Japanese group also will sell office equipment in South America but avoid U.S.

28 September 2021
Sumitomo Metal Mining will begin making silicon carbide wafers by March of next year. (Photo courtesy of Sumitomo Metal Mining)
Materials

Japan fights for lead in advanced chip and EV materials

Sumitomo Metal moves to supply power semiconductor wafers for electric cars

21 September 2021
Honda will share its platform for midsize electric cars in exchange for information from GM on the development of larger EVs. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Automobiles

Honda and GM to share EV platform for lower-cost North American models

Pricing and engineering pressures push rivals to seek scale together

6 September 2021
Smaller inverters, a key EV component, helped give Tesla's Model 3 its sleek design. Silicon carbide contributes to making smaller power components.
Semiconductors

Led by Tesla, EVs drive chip industry's shift beyond silicon

Model 3's use of new material spurs competition for energy-efficient alternative

6 September 2021
South Korean manufacturers including Samsung have overtaken Japanese peers as leaders in memory chips and LCD screens. (Photo courtesy of Samsung)
Electronics

Samsung builds chip supply chain on home turf to cut overseas risk

Company seeks buffer from Japan-South Korea row and US-China tensions

4 September 2021
Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun heads the Chinese company's new electric-vehicle unit.
Electric cars in China

Xiaomi CEO takes charge of new EV unit, leading team of 300

Chinese smartphone maker assembles workforce out of 20,000 applicants

2 September 2021
The repeated scandals at Mitsubishi Electric, whose portfolio ranges from air-conditioning systems to industrial robots and semiconductors, have been blamed on an insular corporate culture.
Interview

Scandal-hit Mitsubishi Electric gives outside directors a majority

New president aims to change insular culture where others failed

31 August 2021
Envision Group's Mochi robot charges electric vehicles while drivers are away.  (Photo courtesy of Envision Group)
Climate Change

China wind turbine maker to launch EV-charging robots

Envision Group eyes potential in mobility, hydrogen and weather forecasting

30 August 2021
Fuji Electric looks to ramp up production of power chips partly in response to strong demand for electric vehicles.
Electronics

Japan's Fuji Electric gives $360m boost to power chip business

Electronics maker expands capacity in Malaysia to meet electric-car demand

26 August 2021
The Zuvi Halo hair dryer features energy-saving technology cribbed from drones. (Photo courtesy of Fresh & Clean Technology)
Electronics

Drone tech to blast hair: Ex-DJI engineer debuts $500 dryer

Hong Kong startup Fresh & Clean locks on to Dyson's luxe market segment

24 August 2021
The investment will be in South Korea for sixth-generation OLED panels, and the facility is expected to begin operations in 2024. 
Electronics

LG Display to invest $2.8bn in light-emitting diode facilities

Investment will take place starting this month until March 2024

17 August 2021
Hitachi has estimated that it would spend 60 billion yen ($543 million) on reducing energy consumption and 24 billion yen on renewable energy for its own facilities in the next 10 years. (File photos by Manami Yamada and Takaki Kashiwabara)
Climate Change

Hitachi targets market for verifying carbon neutral factories

Conglomerate's environment chief says IT investments will generate green benefits

16 August 2021
Toshiba's management has been in turmoil over the past few months, following years of discontent among activist investors.
Companies

Toshiba turns to first Q1 profit in 2 years under interim leader

CEO hopes to appoint new board chair this year as it focuses on governance

12 August 2021
New rice cookers from Panasonic let users swap functions with their smartphones. (Photo courtesy of Panasonic)
Electronics

No bells and whistles: Panasonic cuts down on appliance functions

Japanese electronics giant finds consumers don't want complex features

12 August 2021
South Korea gaining self-sufficiency in high-tech materials would be to the detriment of Japanese companies, but Tokyo has little sense of crisis.
Comment

Despite Moon's claims, South Korea still relies on Japanese chip materials

Seoul touts success in made-in-Korea drive but trade numbers tell another story

8 August 2021
Demand for high-end digital cameras recovers from the coronavirus downturn. (Photo by Wataru Ito)
Media & Entertainment

Sony upgrades full-year forecast as electronics sales surge

Operating profit expected to rise 3% despite slowdown in gaming business

4 August 2021
The sixth-largest EV battery maker held a 5.2% share of the global market in the first half of this year. (Photo courtesy of SK Innovation)
Automobiles

South Korea's SK Innovation to spin off battery business

Investors push shares down nearly 8% after announcement

4 August 2021
A electric vehicle from China's GAC Group takes the stage at the Auto Shanghai show in April. China is both a production base and a market for core EV components.
Automobiles

EV powertrains set to disrupt auto industry's pecking order

New supply chain battlefield emerges as automakers' grip on development weakens

3 August 2021
Huawei unveils its P50 and P50 Pro smartphones at a launch event on July 29. (Image courtesy of Huawei Technologies)
Huawei crackdown

Huawei drops 5G for new P50 phones as US sanctions grip

Embattled Chinese giant able to secure Qualcomm 4G chips for low-key launch

29 July 2021
A worker assembles an air conditioning unit at a Daikin plant in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Electronics

India builds global AC hub with subsidies luring Daikin and others

Expanding local production base, New Delhi sets sights on exports

29 July 2021
Apple now has more suppliers from China and Hong Kong than from Taiwan.
Semiconductors

Apple's iPhone warning underscores risk of chip shortage into 2022

Overlapping orders make actual demand for semiconductors hard to read

29 July 2021
The South Korean display maker that supplies Apple reported an operating profit of 701 billion won ($607 million) in the April-June quarter, compared with a loss in the same period last year.
Electronics

LG Display swings to profit in Q2 as panel prices rise

COVID-led demand for TVs and laptops pushes revenue up 31% on year

28 July 2021
Nidec announced on Wednesday that it will form a joint venture with Taiwan's Hon Hai technology group, known as Foxconn. (Source photos by Atsushi Ooka and Reuters) 
Automobiles

Nidec eyes 150% sales growth in China EV push

World's largest motor maker forms EV motor venture with Foxconn

21 July 2021
Suzuki and Daihatsu will invest in a joint venture led by Toyota that will develop advanced automotive technologies, including electrification and autonomous vehicles. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Automobiles

Suzuki and Daihatsu to invest in Toyota EV alliance

Five major Japanese carmakers to partner on R&D and self-driving vehicles

21 July 2021