NOR flash memory sales surged 63% on year to US$2.9 billion in 2021, representing only 4% of the total flash memory market last year, according to IC Insights.

This Asia tech industry summary will mainly focus on Geely completing the acquisition of Meizu to bolster its deployments for electric vehicles (EVs), semiconductors, low-Earth orbit satellites, and flying cars; Samsung Electronics reportedly cutting production due to low demand; and EV Motors Japan planning to mass-produce electric buses in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Unlike ASE Technology and other first-tier OSATs who still see robust order momentum from their IDM customers, smaller-size players including Greatek Electronics, Lingsen Precision Industries, Orient Semiconductor Electronics (OSE) and Taiwan IC Packaging (TICP) are uncertain about order visibility for the second half of this year, according to industry sources.

With global digital transformation accelerating and breakthroughs in a wide range of tech developments – such as those for 5G, AI, cloud/edge computing, metaverse/virtual-physical integration, self-driving cars/electric vehicles (EV) – companies around the world are paying much closer attention to and investing more resources in collaborations with startups that promise creativity and innovative ideas. This is driving corporate startup engagement (CSE). Its aim is not only to introduce new momentum into established companies’ digital transformation, but also to jointly build a better world.