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TAIWAN – Taiwan-based Foxconn has unveiled its first software base in mainland China, according to a report from ChinaTechNews.com. This comes after the company signed a letter of intent with the municipal government of Nanjing earlier this year.

According to the report, CEO Terry Guo said the company chose the Pukou district of Nanjing for its facility, which will design wireless communications networks, enterprise information security and medical software.

The company plans to recruit 30,000 software engineers in five years for the Nanjing site, according to media reports. The site is now operational with more than 200 software developers.

EL SEGUNDO, CA – Contract manufacturers are getting into the LCD-TV market in a big way, with global production of such sets expected to rise by more than a factor of five by 2011, iSuppli Corp. predicts.

ATHENS, OH – Innovation, the future and family took center stage when Dr. Jennie S. Hwang addressed Ohio University undergraduates as the schools’ commencement speaker in June.

In her talk, Dr. Hwang, president of H-Technologies Group, focused on the elements she deems crucial for workplace success. She advised the 4,500 graduates and about 25,000 others in attendance to “go for creativity and innovation, no matter what field you will be entering.

Dr. Hwang, who is the first woman to earn a doctorate in materials science and engineering from Case Western Reserve, offered specific words for female graduates. “To have both a career and a family and to do well in both is indeed a daunting task. It takes effort, discipline and planning. But it can be done [and] nothing can be more fulfilling.”

Dr. Hwang, who was previously a commencement speaker at her alma mater, Kent State University, spoke from experience. In addition to raising two children, she was director of technology at Lockheed Martin, and has held top positions at SCM Corp. and Sherwin Williams, and has been a successful entrepreneur, having launched several businesses.

VANCOUVER – Northstar Electronics announced second-quarter revenues were $472,828, up almost 27% year-over-year. The company incurred a loss of $201,043 for the quarter, down almost 6% from the same period last year.

First-half revenues were $660,360, down 33% year-over-year. The company incurred a net loss of $408,497, up 17%.

In the first half, Northstar won two contracts from Lockheed Martin: The first award, from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, is worth $6.3 million. Under it, Northstar is manufacturing parts for the refurbishment of P-3 Maritime Surveillance airplanes. Under the second contract, from Lockheed Martin Canada, Northstar is designing and building prototypes of a sonar system.

Northstar provides EMS services and develops various security and defense OEM products.

SAN JOSE – The EMS market will continue to grow briskly in the coming years as electronics manufacturing outsourcing continues its relentless march, reports Electronic Trend Publications. The research firm reports EMS industry revenue will nearly double in the next five years, reaching $442 billion in 2011.

SALT LAKE CITY – Electronics contract manufacturer CirTran Corp. reported net sales of $2.87 million for the second quarter, up 25.7% sequentially and 29.4% year-over-year.

For the first half, CirTran reported sales of $5.16 million, up 30.4% over the same period last year.

The company reported a net loss for the quarter of $2.57 million, which included interest and other expenses totaling $1.35 million.

In a statement, Iehab J. Hawatmeh, the company’s chairman and president, said expenses were higher in the second quarter because of additional marketing spending. He said the company is hopeful the increased costs will result in increased revenues in the third and fourth quarter.