TAIPEI – Taiwan is investigating suspected bribes connected to Foxconn founder Terry Gou’s presidential campaign after the billionaire submitted signatures to run in next year’s election.

MILPITAS, CA – Worldwide silicon wafer shipments decreased 9.6% quarter-over-quarter to 3.01 billion sq. in. in the third quarter, a 19.5% drop from the 3.74 billion sq. in. recorded during the same quarter last year, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – The exhibition floor for PCB West 2024 is now open to any interested company, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) announced today.

As anyone who has visited Acapulco knows, it is picturesque, with the serene mountain scape overlooking the half-moon bay.

Pictures, as we also know, can be deceiving.

For the better part of the decade, the once-classic vacation spot has been overrun with drug gangs, and the former wave of tourists has diminished to a trickle. And that was before Hurricane Otis hit last month.

As 2023 draws near its end, we are reminded of how much uncertainty lies ahead. Whether man-made, like the regional conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific Rim; or natural disasters, such as those experienced in Mexico, Turkey and the US, we seem awash in challenges and obstacles.

And then there are the completely self-inflicted wounds.

SPOKANE VALLEY, WA – Keytronic reported revenue of $147.8 million in the first quarter of its fiscal year, up 8% from the $137.3 million in revenue for the same quarter last year.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Jabil will take over the manufacture and sale of Intel’s current Silicon Photonics-based pluggable optical transceiver product lines and the development of future generations of such modules.

TUMKUR, INDIA – Incap India has started full-fledged production at its newest plant here, marking the company's third factory in the country.

CHICAGO – Six EMS transactions were recorded in the third quarter, representing a decrease from the nine transactions recorded in the third quarter of 2022 and the eight recorded in 2021's third quarter, according to the latest EMS Quarterly Review by Lincoln International.

NEEDHAM, MA – Worldwide smartphone shipments declined 0.1% year over year to 302.8 million units in the third quarter, according to preliminary data from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. Although macroeconomic uncertainties linger as markets struggle with soft demand, inflation, and geopolitical tensions, healthy inventory and the slower pace of decline are encouraging some vendors to increase shipments.

CHERNIHIV, UKRAINE – IKT Group has opened a contract electronics assembly factory in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The new plant is the EMS company’s third in Europe.

HONG KONG – Luxshare Precision's revenue for the first three quarters of the year amounted to RMB155.8 billion ($21.3 billion), reflecting a year-on-year growth of 7.31%.

REDMOND, WA – Data I/O's sales in the third quarter were $6.6 million, down 8.3% compared with $7.2 million in the third quarter of 2022.