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NIKKO-SHI, JAPAN – EMS provider Di-Nikko Engineering plans to build a pair of assembly subsidiaries in Vietnam.

BLAUBEUREN-SEISSEN, GERMANY – Rehm Thermal Systems in April opened a subsidiary in Dongguan, China, to provide direct manufacturing, sales and support in China. The 3,000 sq. meter facility houses 100 employees, bringing the company's total to 450.

BURLINGTON, VT – The world's largest 50 EMS providers grew an average 16.7% in 2007, according to a new study. The top 50's sales totaled $141.3 billion, a new high, says John Tuck of Manufacturing Market Insider.

SHANGHAI – Nepcon China opened today with strong crowds and plenty of noise, as usual. The show, many watchers agree, needs a strong showing this year to fend off a challenge from the producers of Productronica, who are mounting a challenge to Nepcon’s longstanding supremacy in the Shanghai electronics market.

TAIPEI – Chairman of the Hon Hai Group, Terry Gou, said his group will invest in a planned software industrial park in Kaohsung, Taiwan at the urging of president-elect Ma Ying-jeou.

Ying-jeou suggested Gou lead high-tech enterprises in northern Taiwan to invest in the planned industrial park in the south, and reportedly, Gou is willing to comply.

Gou also pledged to export products to Europe and the U.S. from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, instead of Vietnam, say published reports.

In addition, Ying-jeou asked Gou to expand investments in Taiwan and upgrade its Taiwanese headquarters for global operation, while leading public welfare service.

Gou said his firm has long revolved around northern Taiwan, with the south being uncharted territory. Recently, Hon Hai has opened plants in India and Nanjing, China.

The group has begun to evaluate investments to devise projects before May 20, when Ying-jeou will become president of the Republic of China.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate is expected to debate the patent reform bill as early as this week. This comes on the heels of a court decision to block new rules the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office proposed to deal with the surge of applications.

Majority leader Sen. Harry Reid is expected to bring the Patent Reform Act to the Senate between now and the end of May.

The Senate bill is in line with the House of Representatives bill that passed in the fall. Both bills aim to limit damages and excessive litigation, namely courts that are quick to set trial dates for patent suits. The legislation also requests the U.S. to move to a first-to-file policy.

Many large electronics firms are on board, claiming to be barraged with patent infringement litigation. Individual inventors and pharmaceutical companies have rallied against the measure, saying it would weaken the system that protects their innovations.

In its fiscal year 2007, the USPTO received more than 467,000 patent applications and ended the year with a backlog of 760,000 applications. In an effort to catch up, the office hired more than 2,400 new patent examiners in the past two years, say published reports.