Taiwan's PCB and semiconductor equipment manufacturers are poised to enhance their footprint in Southeast Asia by establishing manufacturing operations or bolstering their customer base in the region.
This initiative aligns with the efforts of PCB and semiconductor makers to increase their presence in Southeast Asia, aiming to tap into the vast business potential driven by the rapid growth of AI, electric vehicles, and satellite communication applications.
Machvision president Chen Fu-sheng has said that over 30 PCB manufacturers intend to invest in establishing factories in Southeast Asia within the coming years, with 23 of them aiming to commercialize new production capacity in the region between 2024 and 2026. Machvision primarily provides machine-vision inspection and measurement systems tailored for PCB drilling and molding processes.
Symtek Automation Asia anticipates a surge in demand for PCB equipment starting in the second half of 2024. Consequently, it is establishing a factory in Thailand, with its subsidiary investing THB150 million to acquire new land and a factory building. The company plans to advance its development and manufacturing of high-end automated production equipment in Thailand to broaden its presence in the Thai market.
Symtek reported revenue of NT$474 million (US$14.53 million) in March 2024, representing a month-on-month increase of 27.62% but a year-on-year decline of 7.52%. Its first-quarter revenue totaled NT$1.273 billion, showing a sequential decrease of 7.92% and an annual decline of 18.82%.
Looking ahead to 2024, the company's primary growth drivers are anticipated to be warehouse and automation equipment for domestic semiconductor wafer manufacturing and packaging, alongside increased demand for equipment for overseas semiconductor factories.
Machvision recorded revenue of NT$93.41 million in March, rising 1.0% sequentially but falling 49.49% annually. The company remains committed to investing in the R&D of diverse testing equipment tailored for semiconductor manufacturing and packaging operations.
It is reported that Machvision has recently supplied 20 sets of equipment to Taiwan's leading backend player, ASE Technology. This shipment is expected to substantially boost the company's revenue momentum in the second half of 2024.
C Sun scored revenue of NT$1.08 billion in the first quarter of 2024, indicating a year-on-year increase of 11.7%. Net profit reached NT$172 million, surging 31.97% from a year earlier and setting a historic high for the same period.
With the arrival of the AI server deployment wave and the active expansion of advanced packaging processes by semiconductor giants, this segment is anticipated to significantly contribute to the company's revenue in 2024 and beyond.
Group Up Industrial saw its March 2024 revenue reach a 5-month high of NT$207 million, marking a sequential increase of 14% but a slight annual decline of 2.0%. The consolidated revenue for the first quarter reached NT$593 million, up 4.1% from a year earlier and a historical high for the same period. Moving forward, the company's strategic focus will be on seizing business opportunities in the interposer and ABF substrate equipment markets.
