Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

CHENNAI, India -- Nokia inaugurated its manufacturing facility in Sriperumbudur, Chennai, part of a planned $150 million investment in India.

Nokia began commercial production of mobile handsets at the factory on Jan. 2, and has built more than one million handsets there to-date.

There's little to fear in the proposed U.S.-Malay free trade agreement, writes Mike Buetow.

http://circuitsassembly.com/blog/

Columbus, OH – Market research firm Bishop & Associates will offer its recent connector industry report through its Website (bishopinc.ecnext.com)

The report, “Connector Types and Technologies Poised for Growth”, addresses 20 specific connector types that are expected to experience greater than average growth from 2006 to 2010. It also reviews technologies currently driving the market, emerging technologies that are poised to influence connector design and market trends that are changing the way electronic connectors are used.

Readers can also purchase individual chapters of the report.

HELSINKI -- Elcoteq, Europe's largest EMS company, is in negotiations with workers from several of its Finland plants over possible layoffs.

Elcoteq met this week with personnel representatives of its Lohja manufacturing plant to discuss layoffs that would affect, per company estimates, at most 120 workers, or 13.7% of Elcoteq's Finnish workforce.

BANGALORE – India’s embryonic EMS sector is preparing for a breakout, based on recent forecasts from various market watchers.

The Indian EMS industry will be worth $4 billion by 2010, growing over 30% annually, says the Electronics Component Industries Association (Elcina), a group of some 280 domestic electronics manufacturers.

Research firm iSuppli pegs the market at somewhat smaller, estimating contract assembly in India will increase 21% each year to $2.03 billion in 2009, from $935 million last year.

Among the EMS firms that are growing in India are Jabil Circuit and Celestica, which are acquiring Indian companies, and Hon Hai, which recently committed $110 million in investments over the next five years.

Driving investment are the telecom and computing sectors.

The number of telephone users is forecast to rise to 22 per 1000 by end 2007, from the current level of nine per 1000.

Also, computer peripherals are forecast to grow 23% annually through 2009.

Consumer electronics are expected to rise 18% per year during that span.