TAIPEI – Coming off a record year, global notebook shipments will grow another 8.6% year-over-year to 217 million units in 2021, TrendForce predicts. The increasing popularity of distance education has galvanized demand for Chromebooks, which contributed substantially to the growth of the overall market. Chromebooks accounted for 14.8% of global notebook shipments in 2020, a rate expected to rise to 18.5% in 2021.

MUNICH – Electronics manufacturer Katek acquired fellow EMS Leesys Group for an undisclosed sum.

TAIPEI – Foxconn reported consolidated revenue of NT$713.78 billion (US$25.5 billion) for December, up 32.3% year-over-year and 4.8% sequentially.

HAIPHONG, VIETNAM – Pegatron has purchased land here for some VND528.9 billion (US$22.9 million) to construct a new plant, according to reports.

WASHINGTON — Worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $39.4 billion in November, an increase of 7% year-over-year and 1.1% sequentially, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.

TORONTO – SMTC Corp. has entered into a definitive agreement with an affiliate of H.I.G. Capital in which H.I.G. will acquire all outstanding shares of SMTC’s common stock for $6.044 per share in cash, representing a premium of approximately 22% over SMTC’s closing share price on Dec. 31 and 66% over the share price 60 days ago.

WASHINGTON – Chris Mitchell, vice president of global government relations at IPC, released a statement regarding votes this past week in the US House of Representatives and US Senate to override President Trump’s veto of the Fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

THOUSAND OAKS, CA – Teledyne Technologies and FLIR Systems have entered into a definitive agreement under which Teledyne will acquire FLIR in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $8 billion.

KUNSHAN -- Hundreds of temporary workers from Pegatron’s factory here gathered by the recruitment center of the factory protesting the loss of promised bonuses, a labor rights group said today.

CLEVELAND – Edgewater Capital Partners has completed an investment in Naprotek, a San Jose-based electronics manufacturing services company.

EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS -- VDL Groep has acquired privately held TBP Electronics for an undisclosed sum.

BANNOCKBURN, IL — The 90-day moving average bookings at North American printed circuit board fabricators in November rose 17.1% year-over-year, IPC announced today.