Dealing with expertise scarcity, Taiwanese chip take a look at agency ASE boosts automation By Reuters

By Sarah Wu

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s ASE Expertise Holding Co (NYSE:) Ltd, one of many world’s largest semiconductor testing and packaging companies, mentioned on Wednesday that it will construct a extra superior good manufacturing facility, because the trade continues to grapple with a labour scarcity.

The brand new manufacturing facility in Kaohsiung, powered by U.S. chip designer Qualcomm (NASDAQ:) Inc’s Snapdragon system, would be the first on the earth to deploy a “5G mmWave new radio-dual connectivity standalone” community to enhance velocity, stability and tools effectivity, the corporate mentioned, marking the most recent advance in ASE’s automation push.

Apple Inc (NASDAQ:) provider ASE, which started investing in automated factories in 2015, instructed Reuters it plans to construct 10 good factories this yr, reaching a complete of 37 good factories in Taiwan by the tip of the yr.

“To counter the expertise crunch and adapt to various buyer necessities, ASE is accelerating its adoption of good manufacturing applied sciences together with automation,” the corporate mentioned in a press release.

The expertise scarcity within the semiconductor trade stays a high concern, executives from firms all through the chip provide chain from design to manufacturing have instructed Reuters.

Chip firms in Taiwan have been quickly increasing in recent times, spurred partially by a pandemic-induced surge in demand for chips, and face fierce competitors from native and international firms recruiting from a shrinking pool of engineers.

Taiwan’s authorities final yr partnered with trade to ascertain specialised “chip faculties” to spice up engineering expertise for the prized sector on the island, residence to the world’s largest contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC).

“We hope to steer by instance and encourage extra trade gamers to contribute to constructing a resilient world good manufacturing and tools cluster,” ASE Chief Govt Tien Wu mentioned in a press release.