PENANG, MALAYSIA – Escatec has opened a new production facility in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to meet an increasing demand for nearshoring production in Europe.

KULIM, MALAYSIA – Rapid Manufacturing has announced a new facility here to serve in the aerospace, telecommunication, medical, semiconductor, automotive, and industrial automation sectors, as well as house a regional center to set up a center of excellence.

TAIPEI – Foxconn's overall sales in May rose by 5% in from April's totals because of shipment growth in smart consumer electronics devices, but the NT$450.73 billion ($14.68 billion) earned for the month marked a 9.45% decrease from May 2022.

When it comes to the monthly editorial content in PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY, we typically don't do "themes."

So it's a matter of randomness and luck that we have not one, not two, but three pieces this month related to electronics thermal management and cooling. Fitting, too, being the month of June is, for the Western Hemisphere at least, on average the warmest of the year to date.

But June is also the month of the most significant trade show in the bare board fabrication industry: The JPCA Show in Tokyo. Regrettably, few Westerners will attend. It's too bad.

We are seeing significant interest at all levels – technical, management, and even political – at beefing up domestic printed circuit board capabilities. In particular, the West is attempting to make up for decades of failed progress with new investments in IC substrate production.

SAINT-HERBLAIN, FRANCE – Lacroix has partially restarted production at its plants in France, Germany and Tunisia after they were disrupted by a cyberattack in mid-May. The company expects production to return to normal after a gradual ramp-up.

NEEDHAM, MA – According to a new forecast from the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, global shipments of smartphones will decline 3.2% in 2023, totaling 1.17 billion units for the year.

NEEDHAM, MA – Worldwide shipments of hardcopy peripherals grew 2.2% year over year to 22.8 million units in the first quarter. Shipment value also expanded 14% year over year during the quarter to $11 billion, according to new data from the International Data Corporation Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker.

BEIJING – The worldwide EV market reached almost 11 million units, with a penetration rate of 14% in 2022, according to the latest report from IDC's Worldwide Semiconductor Automotive Ecosystem and Supply Chain. Driven by improved supply, high oil prices, government subsidies, and price-guaranteed promotions by car companies, China’s electronic vehicle market reached almost 7 million units with a penetration rate of 31.3% last year.

BANGKOK – Hana Microelectronics reported first-quarter revenue of THB6.47 billion ($186 million), a 6% increase from the first quarter of 2022.

TOKYO – UMC Electronics announced fiscal year sales of JPY161.7 billion ($1.15 billion), an increase of 20.2% from its previous fiscal year.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Total North American PCB shipments in April were up 12.1% compared to the same month last year, IPC’s North American Printed Circuit Board Statistical Program reported. Compared to the preceding month, April shipments were down 18.4%.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Total North American EMS shipments in April were up 14.3% compared to the same month last year, according to the findings from IPC's North American Electronics Manufacturing Services Statistical Program. Compared to the preceding month, April shipments increased 5.5%.