Arm Holdings Plc has agreed to provide chip designs and technology to Malaysia over the next decade, to help catapult the Southeast Asian country beyond chip assembly and into more valuable semiconductor production

How big is Singapore? Around 700 square kilometers—roughly the size of Pudong north of Century Avenue in Shanghai. After dark, dinner was served on the first floor of the Capella Hotel, with six tables arranged for about 60 guests, including our hosts from Bank of America (BoA)

At the end of February, I attended an exclusive "Breakthrough Technology Dialogue" in Singapore—a gathering of global tech elites. My aim was to capture the essence of the insights shared while blending in my own observations, offering a glimpse into the collective mindset driving Asia's embrace of transformative technologies

Singapore is investigating whether Dell Technologies Inc. and Super Micro Computer Inc. servers shipped to Malaysia housed Nvidia Corp. chips barred from China, outlining a case that's highlighted the role of middlemen in funneling high-end semiconductors

Malaysia announced Arm Holdings Plc's imminent deal to establish a base in Malaysia, highlighting the importance of political stability and transparent policies. However, the country's talent outflow challenges the plan, despite efforts under the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) and a commitment of MYR25 billion (approx. US$5.6 billion) to bolster semiconductor industry training

According to James Wang, chairman and CEO of Sercomm, the company initially expected a replenishment of network equipment inventories in 2024, which has been delayed until the second quarter of 2025. Now, however, customer orders are clearly rebounding

According to Bloomberg, Philippines-based Ayala Corp. decided to retain Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI), its contract manufacturing subsidiary, after previously considering a sale, Chief Financial Officer Alberto de Larrazabal said. He noted that IMI is expected to operate profitably this year following a reorganization and a streamlined corporate structure aimed at improving efficiency

Apple has signed an agreement with Indonesia to invest in the country, paving the way for sales of the iPhone 16 to resume in Southeast Asia's largest nation

Oppo has expanded its footprint in Southeast Asia and Latin America, successfully leveraging local conditions to secure a significant market share

Despite facing headwinds in the overall automotive market, Panjit continues to report impressive growth. Chief Operating Officer Edgar Chen stated that the company aims for an annual growth rate of 35% in the automotive field in 2025 and plans to establish a factory in Vietnam to meet overseas client demands

Chin Tong Liew, Malaysia's Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), has acknowledged that the US restrictions on artificial intelligence (AI) chip exports, set to take effect in January 2025, will pose challenges for the country's AI data center development. However, he emphasized that the overall data center ecosystem in Malaysia will remain largely unaffected

Foxconn, through its subsidiary New Wing Interconnect Technology (Bac Giang), has acquired a 25% stake in Goertek Electronics Vietnam for US$50 million, announcing the deal on the evening of February 21. Foxconn stated that the investment is primarily strategic

Singapore will invest an additional SGD3 billion (US$2.23 billion) into its National Productivity Fund (NPF) and allocate SGD1 billion to upgrade biomedical research centers and build semiconductor research infrastructure, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced in the 2025 fiscal budget

Singapore-based electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider Venture Corporation posted sales of SGD2.7 billion (approx. US$2.05 billion) for fiscal 2024, marking a 9.6% decline from the previous year. Net profit fell 9.3% year-over-year to SGD245 million, though the profit margin grew to 9% from 8.9% in 2023

Nissan has dismissed speculation that it plans to shut down its factory in Thailand, reaffirming the country's role as a key manufacturing hub in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The company also expressed its commitment to supporting the Thailand government's transitioning projects to electric vehicles (EVs)