OULU, FINLAND – PKC Group reported fourth-quarter net sales of EUR 242 million, up 163.2% year-over-year.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – Foxconn said it plans to build a touch-sensitive screen factory in Brazil, according to published reports.

Reports say the EMS firm plans to invest $2.5 billion in the project. The company did not disclose which city would host the plant, but says it will be in the Minas Gerais region.

A Brazilian consortium will reportedly hold a 60% stake, investing an undisclosed amount of money in the factory.

It is predicted Foxconn will invest a total of $12.5 billion in Brazil. The company currently has four factories there.

Foxconn will make products for Apple and other companies at the new factory, according to reports.

MILWAUKEE, WI – More than half of the engineers polled in a recent ASQ survey said the amount of studying needed to succeed and maintaining high grades in science and math were the primary challenges faced while pursuing an engineering degree.

Forty-three percent said the amount of time spent studying played the biggest role in their success as an engineer, a career with which they’re satisfied, according to the survey.

Twenty-seven percent said instruction from high school teachers and college professors played the biggest role in their success.

Forty-four percent of engineers said the amount of work and study needed to succeed was the primary challenge faced while pursuing an engineering degree, while 14% said maintaining high grades in related subjects, like math and science, was their main challenge. Other challenges provided by engineers include lack of mentorship; poor quality of teachers; selection of available engineering degrees at nearby university, and lack of prep courses in high school.

Despite the challenges faced by engineers in college, most engineers polled are satisfied with their career; only 3% said they are dissatisfied with their career choice.

Forty-nine percent are most satisfied with the challenging and interesting nature of the career, while 35% are most satisfied with their contributions to projects and products.

According to the survey results, 33% of the respondents chose to study engineering because they had a natural ability. Other reasons include the desire for a challenging career; the availability of jobs after graduation, and a lifelong interest.

The survey polled 509 ASQ member engineers.

In a different Harris Interactive survey conducted on behalf of ASQ recently, 67% of youth said they are concerned about the obstacles they would face while pursuing a science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, career. Twenty-five percent of those youth felt pursuing a STEM career involves too much work and studying compared to other career paths, and 25% are concerned their grades in math and science aren’t good enough.

Parents polled by Harris also are concerned their children’s grades aren’t adequate for a STEM career path and are concerned it takes too much time to earn a STEM-related degree.

AUSTIN, TX -- Embedded components—actives and passives—embedded in IC package substrates are generating renewed interest, a new report asserts.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Reports of counterfeit parts have soared dramatically in the last two years, presenting huge challenges for electronics manufacturing and especially the military and aerospace industry at a time when the US government is tightening regulations covering fake components, according to information and analysis provider IHS.

HONG KONG -- SMT Holdings has received a measure of relief as the beleaguered EMS company entered a "standstill" agreement with a majority of its lenders.

DALLAS -- Texas Instruments' chief executive says semiconductor manufacturers are poised to see a spike in demand once inventories have been drawn down.

SEOUL -- Automated optical inspection OEM Mirtec's North American revenue grew over 21% year-over-year in 2011, the company said today.

SHENZHEN -- SinoHub and Ciao Telecom will invest $15 million in a new joint venture to manufacture and market mobile communications devices in Brazil.

TAIPEI -- Foxconn (Hon Hai) reported January revenue rose 47.5% year -over-year to NT$274.6 billion ($9.1 billion), on stronger PCB and telecom demand.

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Most metrics used to measure the health of the flat-panel display industry reflect current severe challenges; however, long-term supply/demand modeling now suggests that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

WASHINGTON – Apple today said it would ask a non-profit labor rights organization, to investigate its supplier’s factories, including Foxconn, and would publish which factories were investigated in subsequent reports.

The decision follows a global petition that garnered more than 250,000 signatures around the world late last week. The petition calls on Apple to investigate its supply factories and commit to a comprehensive worker protection plan. In response, Apple has asked the Fair Labor Association to look into the factories.

Apple has not yet responded to the second request in the campaign, that the company create a worker protection strategy for new product releases.

Consumer advocates are planning additional activities in the coming weeks to push Apple to commit to a worker protection plan.