MINNEAPOLIS – The Best of Conference and winner of the 3D track for the International Wafer-Level Packing Conference was Jessica Fredlund, Silex Microsystems. Coauthors of her paper, “Recent Results Using Met-Via TSV Interposer Technology as TMV Element in Wafer Level Through Mold Via Packaging of CMOS Biosensors,” include Toby Ebefors, Silex Microsystems, and Erik Jung and Tanja Braun, Ph.D., Fraunhofer IZM.

TAIPEI -- An investigation into alleged bribe-taking at Foxconn is underway, and the EMS giant says it will cooperate in full. Authorities are looking into the dealings of at least 10 company executives following reports last year that workers in its SMT group had been taking bribes from suppliers.

DUBLIN -- A new study of PCB, material and interconnect trends and needs for electronics assemblies for high-speed applications explores the implications for next-generation architectures and the supply chain as data rates increase.

GARDEN GROVE, CA -- Metcal today announced the schedule for its Advanced Package Rework and Repair seminars during the first half of 2014. The seminars will address the latest techniques to rework and repair a variety of applications.

NEW TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN -- New Kinpo Group plans to invest some NT$3 billion (US$100 million) to expand production in Southeast Asia and Brazil. The investments will boost capacity for printers, hard disk drives and set-top boxes, company executives said.

JASPER, IN -- Kimball International plans to spin off its electronics manufacturing services business unit under a separate stock listing. The unit will be named Kimball Electronics, and will result in shareholders owning two standalone publicly traded companies.

CHENGDU, CHINA – Goepel Electronic has opened a subsidiary here to provide customer service and support for existing test systems and help in installing and running new equipment.

TOKYO -- Panasonic's cost-cutting will next hit its chip assembly unit as the company has a deal in place to sell three plants to United Test and Assembly Center, Reuters reported today. Panasonic is declining comment on the report, which claims a deal will be completed by early February.

MILPITAS, CA -- Silicon Turnkey Solutions today announced the asset acquisition of Bay Area EMS, a Milpitas-based electronics manufacturing services company. Terms were not disclosed.

AUSTIN, TX — VirTex Enterprises has acquired fellow EMS MTI Electronics for an undisclosed sum. Menomonee Falls, WI-based MTI will become a wholly owned subsidiary and is expected to maintain its current operations and personnel.

NEENAH, WI – Plexus tonight reported fiscal first-quarter sales of $534 million, up 0.66% year-over-year. Net income was $17.7 million, up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

IRVINE, CA -- MFlex today said preliminary fiscal first quarter revenue will be within previous company guidance albeit sharply lower than a year ago. Continued softness in the current quarter will spur restructuring and losses, the company said.