Electronics

Lee Kun-hee, the deceased former chairman of Samsung Electronics, center, walks with his family members.
Electronics

Samsung Lee's death marks the end of an era in South Korea

Warm ties between government and business fueled growth, but no more

31 October 2020
Samsung expects mobile chip demand to rise in the fourth quarter but server chip demand to remain sluggish.
Companies

Samsung logs strong Q3 but warns of profit dip ahead

Smartphone competition and server chip correction likely to weigh on final quarter

29 October 2020
Former Toshiba memory unit Kioxia will build a $9.5 billion NAND flash memory plant at its Yokkaichi complex in central Japan, aiming to stay competitive with chipmakers in South Korea and China.
Electronics

Japan's Kioxia to build $9.5bn NAND plant to meet 5G demand

After delayed IPO, former Toshiba unit to build its biggest memory factory

29 October 2020
SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son, left, compares Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to late Apple founder Steve Jobs at the SoftBank World 2020 conference in Tokyo on Oct. 29.
SoftBank

SoftBank CEO hails Nvidia boss as next Steve Jobs

Masayoshi Son says Arm sale to the US chipmaker will create 'amazing combination'

29 October 2020
Lee Jae-yong, Samsung's vice chairman and anointed successor to his father, Lee Kun-hee, faces a challenge as he seeks to decentralize management at the sprawling conglomerate.
Electronics

Samsung's third generation seeks less top-down approach

Lee Jae-yong's decentralization drive could slow group down

28 October 2020
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee at the groundbreaking ceremony of a new semiconductor plant in Hwaseong, South Korea, in 2010. Lee said, "Existing businesses will disappear within 10 years" as he warned against in-house conceit.
Electronics

Samsung's Lee Kun-hee: 'One genius can feed 100,000 people'

Late chairman warned of lax quality and in-house conceit in creating global giant

27 October 2020
Automakers have started looking to suppliers like Nidec for components so they can focus on their core competence, Nidec CEO Shigenobu Nagamori says. (Nikkei montage/source photos by Hirofumi Yamamoto and Toshiki Sasazu)
Electronics

Nidec eyes $10bn investment for EV motor dominance, CEO says

Kyoto-based company raises profit target amid strong computer-related demand

26 October 2020
Samsung chief Lee Kun-hee, seen here in 2010, has died at the age of 78.
Obituaries

Samsung group Chairman Lee Kun-hee dies at 78

Second-generation leader transformed South Korean company into tech titan

25 October 2020
An electric vehicle developed by Sony will have 33 sensors installed in it.
Business trends

Sony and others race for control of self-drive sensor tech

Three types of autonomous vehicle 'eyes' fight for dominance

24 October 2020
Pilots are contributing to the increasing use of agricultural drones in China. One such operator stands next to his drone beside a field in the city of Kaiping in Guangdong Province in August. (Photo by Yusuke Hinata)
China tech

'Ace pilots' in China lead expansion of agricultural drones

Capable operators fill gaps between functions and needs as industry flies high

24 October 2020
An avatar robot developed by Telexistence sorts and displays beverages at a FamilyMart store in Tokyo under the guidance of its human controller.
Technology

Army of avatar robots readies to invade Japanese job market

Remote-controlled humanoids can stock shelves, guard offices and aid astronauts

24 October 2020
SK Hynix's purchase of Intel’s NAND flash memory business may be the first step in a further consolidation of the industry.
Business deals

SK-Intel NAND deal points to wider shake-up of chip sector

Korean to pursue further acquisitions; US players outsource manufacturing

23 October 2020
Samsung stepped up outsourcing development of its smartphones in the second half of 2019. (Photo by Yusuke Hinata)
Technology

Outsourced smartphone development soars with Samsung's shift

Externally designed devices occupy one-third of market in boon for China contractors

23 October 2020
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is the de facto head of South Korea's largest conglomerate.
Companies

Samsung heir Lee's trial on fraud charges begins in Seoul

Vice chairman is charged with market manipulation and accounting fraud

22 October 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a groundbreaking ceremony with then-Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou, right, and then-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, at a factory site in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, in June 2018.
Electronics

Ahead of US election, Foxconn's Gou says Wisconsin investment is on

Factory in battleground state remains largely unbuilt

21 October 2020
Light-sensitive photoresist is used to form circuit patterns on silicon wafers. (Photo courtesy of Shin-Etsu Chemical)
Electronics

Shin-Etsu taps Taiwan in 20% boost to chipmaking material capacity

Chemicals group to start output of cutting-edge EUV resist outside Japan

15 October 2020
Sony faced an employee strike in 2016 when it announced it was pulling out of its Guangzhou plant. (Photo by Yu Nakamura)
Companies

Japanese companies face roadblocks when exiting China

Labor issues and social media require a soft touch when closing shop

12 October 2020
A woman checks her phone outside the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Next-generation chips will lead to more energy-efficient devices. 
Materials

Fujifilm and Sumitomo Chemical to make resists for next-gen chips

Picked by Apple, extreme-ultraviolet tech paves way for energy-efficient devices

10 October 2020
Royole has collaborated with French luxury group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton on wearable flexible displays. (Photo by Takashi Kawakami)
China tech

Chinese unicorn shapes OLED future with flexible displays

Royole, maker of world's first foldable smartphone, ventures into fashion and aircraft

9 October 2020
Samsung launches new smartphones in the U.S. at a California event in 2020. The company has greatly expanded its online sales in the country during the pandemic. 
Electronics

Samsung strikes back powered by online smartphone sales

Stumbles by Huawei and Apple also help Samsung post strong Q3

9 October 2020
Among the companies enticed to boost output in India, some such as Foxconn assemble Apple's iPhone.
Electronics

India offers Foxconn and Samsung perks to boost phone production

New Delhi eyes $143bn output increase from program including parts makers

8 October 2020
NEC plans to plug the Swiss fintech company into its own sales channels to continue expansion in the growing sector.
Electronics

NEC buys Swiss firm Avaloq for $2.2bn in global fintech push

Japanese electronics company makes biggest acquisition to date

6 October 2020
A surveillance camera is seen in front of a Huawei logo in Belgrade, Serbia.
Huawei crackdown

Sony and Kioxia seek US approval to bypass Huawei ban

Japanese suppliers face earnings risk from loss of key customer

4 October 2020
LG Electronics' rollable OLED TV likely will be limited to a niche market based on its high sticker price. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Electronics

LG flexes its display tech with $100,000 rollable TV on sale this month

South Korean brand looks to set itself apart from low-cost LCD makers

1 October 2020
Formerly Toshiba Memory, Kioxia aims to be a more powerful industry No. 2 that can challenge front-runner Samsung.
Companies

Delayed IPO clouds Kioxia's vision as strong No. 2 in memory chips

Market unconvinced by ex-Toshiba unit's blueprint for growth

29 September 2020