Electronics

Toyota's sales have been boosted by economic rebounds, particularly in China and the U.S. (Source photos by Akira Kodaka and Koji Uema)
Automobiles

Toyota boosts profit forecast 34% after sales recovery in China, US

Japan car giant's chip crunch remains light thanks to communication with suppliers

10 February 2021
Casio's Dermocamera takes polarized shots of lesions to help diagnose skin cancer. (Photo courtesy of Casio)
Health Care

Casio brings skin cancer detectors overseas, including to US

Japanese company aims to boost medical device revenue past $9m

10 February 2021
Renesas Electronics announced Monday that it will buy Dialog Semiconductor for 617.9 billion yen.
Semiconductors

Renesas to buy UK chip designer Dialog for $5.8bn

Japanese maker targets peer's 5G mobile communications technology

8 February 2021
Nintendo Switch sales have soared amid the pandemic while Sony faces PS5 supply constraints. (Source photos by Kei Higuchi and Wataru Ito)
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo Switch outsells PS5 over COVID holiday season

Sony misses chance as global chip crunch squeezes production

8 February 2021
CATL is the world's top maker of batteries for electric vehicles.
Automobiles

EV-battery giant CATL to boost capacity with $4.5bn investment

China's global champion in the field doubles down on growth

4 February 2021
The system-on-a-chip design, which Tesla aims to develop in-house, is necessary for electric vehicles and autonomous driving. (Photo courtesy of Tesla)
Semiconductors

Team Japan's first 5 nm chip geared for autos in bid to catch rivals

Fabless developer Socionext seen tapping TSMC to produce next-gen semiconductor

4 February 2021
Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yang Yuanqing, seen here in 2019, proved skeptics wrong with his forecast that industry PC shipments would reach 300 million. 
Electronics

Lenovo brushes off chip shortage worries amid surge in PC demand

CEO Yang forecasts further growth from accelerated replacement purchases

3 February 2021
The blockbuster anime "Demon Slayer," co-distributed by Sony's music unit, helped boost sales. (Source photos by AP and Kyodo)
Media & Entertainment

Sony sees record $10bn profit as COVID ups home entertainment demand

Gaming subscription services and hit film 'Demon Slayer' drive second upward revision

3 February 2021
Panasonic believes wit will see its business with Tesla will be profitable on an annual basis for the first time this fiscal year.
Companies

Panasonic enjoys lift from Tesla but perils lurk ahead

Japanese technology group still faces threat from rival Asian suppliers

3 February 2021
SK Hynix's new fabrication site for DRAM is capable of mass producing cutting-edge chips comparable to those of industry leader Samsung. (Photo courtesy of SK Hynix)
Technology

SK Hynix opens cutting-edge DRAM plant, looking to match Samsung

Chipmaker invests $14bn in South Korean site in mass-production push

2 February 2021
A solar farm Panasonic delivered in Hokkaido, Japan. 
Electronics

Eclipsed by Chinese rivals, Panasonic quits solar cells and panels

Crowded field and less domestic demand cause market share to plummet

31 January 2021
SK may soon unseat Hyundai as South Korea’s second-largest chaebol, or family-owned conglomerate, as it continues to boost its scale through its group IPO strategy.
IPO

South Korea's SK Group embraces IPOs to drive growth

Country's third-biggest conglomerate seeks expansion via listings of group units

30 January 2021
An SK Hynix employee leaves its offices in Seongnam, South Korea. The company forecasts better performance this year because demand for memory chips for 5G smartphones is expected to double.
Technology

SK Hynix to move chip facilities to China to meet rising demand

South Korean company's profit soars 84% last year on memory chip boom

29 January 2021
Renesas will produce more automotive semiconductors in-house, hoping to avoid delivery delays to customers.
Electronics

Japan's Renesas moves more automotive chip production in-house

TSMC and other contract manufacturers overwhelmed with semiconductor orders

29 January 2021
TSMC, the world's biggest contract chipmaker, will prioritize automotive-related chips to alleviate a severe global shortage. (Photo by Akira Kodaka) 
Semiconductors

TSMC puts auto chip output in fast lane to ease global crunch

Rare use of 'super hot' production runs could affect manufacture of other chips

28 January 2021
Samsung has enjoyed strong demand for memory chips and displays amid an economic rebound since the middle of 2020.
Electronics

Samsung eyes 'meaningful' M&A deals over next three years

South Korean tech giant's profit jumps 26% in Q4 as leader starts jail term

28 January 2021
Taiwan has mobilized its top chipmakers to tackle a chip shortage that is affecting global automakers like Volkswagen, Ford and Honda. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images) 
Semiconductors

Taiwan chipmakers vow to tackle global auto component shortage

Economic minister says automakers were warned against cutting orders last year

27 January 2021
Japanese companies like Yaskawa Electric and Daifuku see big automation opportunities coming in China. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Masayuki Kozono)
Electronics

Japan Inc prepares for automation bonanza in China

Factory robot makers Yaskawa Electric and Daifuku plan new factories as demand soars

27 January 2021
Lexus cars roll along a line at a Toyota factory in southwestern Japan. The automaker's group counts Asahi Kasei as a chip supplier. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Semiconductors

Japan's Renesas steps in to ease automotive chip shortage

Supplier to produce key component for fire-damaged Asahi Kasei

27 January 2021
The engine of Volkswagen e-Golf electric car: Government officials in Germany, the U.S. and Japan have asked Taiwanese authorities to help deal with the auto chip shortage.
Semiconductors

TSMC and Taiwan chip peers weigh new price hikes for autos

Second increase in just a few months now on table amid shortage

26 January 2021
Apple's Independent Repair Provider Program enables Hiweixiu to handle iPhone repairs using Apple and third-party parts. (Photo courtesy of Hiweixiu)
36Kr/KrASIA

Apple authorizes China's first independent repair service

Smartphone fixer Hiweixiu given access to genuine parts and tools

26 January 2021
Iris Ohyama's Black Label line of appliances: White goods sold briskly in Japan last year. (Photo courtesy of Iris Ohyama)
Consumer

Humidifiers and hot plates lift Japan appliances sales to 24-year high

Cooped-up consumers also buy more high-priced toasters and big TVs

26 January 2021
Ａ recovery in auto output and surging demand for notebook computers and appliances have boosted sales of Nidec's small motors. (Photo by Hirofumi Yamamoto)
Electronics

Nidec chief predicts a $3,000-car era with spread of EVs

Japan motor maker boosts full-year profit estimate as auto demand surges

25 January 2021
SoftBank Group, whose CEO is Masayoshi Son, is seeking to sell British chip design company Arm. (Photo by Kei Higuchi)
Technology

SoftBank's plan to sell Arm to NVIDIA is hitting antitrust wall around the world

Experts also point to national security hurdles for the $40bn deal

23 January 2021
Automakers, already cutting back on production due to a lack of chips, will have to pay more for the semiconductors that control voltage and the microcomputers that control the driving of cars. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Semiconductors

Renesas, NXP and other chipmakers raise prices on surging auto demand

Rare move comes with industry squeezed by rising costs and limited capacity

22 January 2021