Electronics

People look at Panasonic's Viera televisions: The Japanese electronics maker is working to achieve a makeover in its business model with the help of a U.S. software company. 
Companies

Panasonic's digital transformation begins on the factory floor

Tie-up with US software company holds key to pursuit of recurring revenue

18 July 2020
Missiles are driven during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of the country's founding father, Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang in April 2017. 
Comment

Japan's 'shield' against North Korean missiles would not have worked

Country lost three years preparing for unrealistic Aegis Ashore

18 July 2020
Russia and China are said to be stepping up cyberattacks to steal information and spread disinformation.
International relations

'Hacker armies' linked to China and Russia ramp up cyberattacks

US and Europe grapple with espionage, disinformation and election meddling

18 July 2020
Luxshare, a Chinese company with aggressive growth ambitions, is aiming to secure a place in the iPhone supply chain.
China tech

China's Luxshare buys iPhone plant to strengthen Apple ties

Key Foxconn rival to acquire facility from smaller assembler Wistron for $472m

17 July 2020
The UAE's Mars probe Hope is expected to blast off from Japan by Aug. 13 after weather conditions forced the scrub of the first launch date. (Photo courtesy of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

Japan launch of UAE Mars probe is rehearsal for own 2024 mission

Mitsubishi Heavy's rockets boast above-average success rate of 98%

17 July 2020
Sharp and other television brands are on display at the Bic Camera store in Tokyo's Yurakucho district. (Photo by Makoto Okada)
Electronics

TV sales roar back to life as stay-at-homers seek larger screens

Japanese shipments of 50-inch or bigger models soar 60% in May

17 July 2020
Companies that bid on federal contracts must certify that they do not use products from Huawei and four other Chinese tech companies.
International relations

Trump's looming Huawei ban puts 800 Japanese companies on the spot

NTT, SoftBank, Kajima rush to replace equipment from five Chinese suppliers

17 July 2020
TSMC has faced a number of challenges in recent months, including a crackdown on key customer Huawei.
Huawei crackdown

TSMC plans to halt chip supplies to Huawei in 2 months

Chip titan says 5G demand will fuel growth despite US export ban and pandemic

16 July 2020
Contract chipmaker SMIC's market capitalization topped 600 million yuan after its shares listed on the Shanghai STAR market. (Source photos by Reuters and AP)
China tech

SMIC makes biggest market debut in China in 10 years

Chipmaking rival to TSMC aims to beef up investment as trade tensions simmer

16 July 2020
Japanese suppliers have only a tiny presence in the global market for 5G network infrastructure. (Photo by Yoshiyuki Tamai)
5G networks

Huawei purge revives Japan's 5G hopes, once thought dead

New alliance of NTT and NEC recruited by Washington to join industry group

16 July 2020
Each generation gets its own distinct taste and color in a new lineup of beer from NEC. (Photo courtesy of NEC)
Food & Beverage

AI-brewed beer? NEC concocts a style for your generation

Millennial brew is sour and bitter while 50-somethings offered strong drink

16 July 2020
Banning Chinese apps has costs such as potential job losses and investment foregone.
Opinion

India's flawed attempt to decouple from China will only hurt consumers

Banning TikTok and keeping Beijing out of 5G network do not help Indians in long run

15 July 2020
Taiwan's Digital Minister Audrey Tang speaks to Nikkei Asian Review at her office in the Executive Yuan in Taipei. (Photo by Toshiyuki Kumagai)
Interview

Taiwan digital minister warns of China's 5G 'Trojan horse'

Audrey Tang says Taiwan acted in 2014 to keep Huawei out of systems

15 July 2020
A woman with an Oculus Quest VR headset at Facebook Developer Conference in 2019. The tech group is now eyeing big growth in production of the devices.
Technology

Facebook and Sony ramp up output of gaming devices

Oculus VR headsets and PlayStation 5 benefit as demand soars in pandemic

15 July 2020
Complete control of the financial firm will make it easier for Sony to make deals.
Business deals

Sony completes $3.7bn takeover of financial unit

Company's face-to-face insurance marketing efforts stymied by coronavirus

15 July 2020
The next iteration of the ThinkPad is expected to be the world's first foldable PC when it hits the market later this year. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Technology

Lenovo brings 'foldable' PC into post-pandemic working world

Japan R&D lab helped Chinese maker develop latest ThinkPad product

14 July 2020
Stream article image
Electronics

LG debuts fan-powered mask to ease breathing

Device designed for health workers and other front-line workers

13 July 2020
Toshiba has sold off a key memory unit as well as medical and PC businesses as it regroups into a cyber-physical systems tech company.
Interview

Toshiba '50%' on its way to recovering trust, chairman says

Japanese manufacturing icon must improve compliance and strive for innovation

13 July 2020
South Korean President Moon Jae-in is encouraging the country's pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of president's office) 
Pharmaceuticals

South Korea drugmakers seek to scale next coronavirus mountain

Samsung and SK units among pack of companies working on vaccines and treatments

13 July 2020
CATL began facing a real challenge after a government list of recommended battery suppliers was scrapped, paving the way for fierce competition.
Caixin

In Depth: CATL loses EV battery crown as foreign players muscle in

Chinese producer shocked by outside competition in vast home market

12 July 2020
A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER plane lands at Hong Kong airport.
Your Week in Asia

Cathay bailout vote, Nissan Ariya EV launch, TSMC results

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

12 July 2020
An alternative meat product sold by Japanese food company Marukome. Sales in May of its soybean-based meat substitutes rose 96% above the company's target. (Photo courtesy of Marukome)
Food & Beverage

Coronavirus accelerates demand in Asia for plant-based meat

Marukome and other companies seize opportunities on health and safety concerns

12 July 2020
Japanese chipmaking equipment manufacturers such as Tokyo Electron and Lasertec are competing for a bigger share of the market in EUV next-generation semiconductor technology. (Screenshots from the Tokyo Electron, NuFlare Technology and Lasertec websites) 
Electronics

Japanese companies fight for share of EUV chip technology sector

Tokyo Electron in the mix for peripheral devices for next-generation technology

12 July 2020
The Hyundai Kona electric vehicle is displayed at the New York Auto Show.
Automobiles

Late bloomer Hyundai speeds past BYD in electric vehicle sales

South Korean automaker accelerates into fourth place

11 July 2020
A virtual tour in Fortnite by American rapper Travis Scott drew nearly 28 million viewers over three days.
Media & Entertainment

With Fortnite investment, Sony takes step to build streaming empire

Netflix fears wildly popular US game as a greater threat than cable TV

11 July 2020