TW Biz News｜WK 12/01 - 12/07

Every week, we'll select Taiwan's five business news from the previous week for your review.

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• 〔Taiwan News〕Merck opens flagship chip site in Kaohsiung

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — German science firm Merck opened a major tech campus in Kaohsiung, marking the group’s largest single global investment in its electronics technology unit. The new Kaohsiung campus spans 150,000 square meters and will focus on key materials for next-generation logic, memory and AI chips, per CNA. It will operate alongside Merck’s Kaohsiung Plant 1 to strengthen local manufacturing, per TVBS.

• 〔Taiwan News〕Taiwan's Delta Electronics eyes tighter smart-building integration with full Vivotek acquisition

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Delta Electronics Inc. announced on Monday that it will acquire the remaining shares of its subsidiary Vivotek Inc. for NT$3.7 billion (US$119 million) to streamline operations and strengthen its smart building integration. The board approved a share swap, offering NT$100 per Vivotek share, a premium of about 16.8% over Monday’s closing price. Once finalized, Vivotek will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta and be delisted from the Taiwan Stock Exchange, according to Ettoday.

• 〔Taiwan News〕Let’s gooooo! Taiwanese-style sports cheering

“Taiwan warriors, hoooo, hoooo! Hero! Hito!” “Tell the world, Team Taiwan! Whose house this is, Team Taiwan!” During the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 baseball tournament, the world was rocked by waves of cheering for the Taiwanese team. For many foreigners encountering Taiwan baseball for the first time, this was a real culture shock.

• 〔Focus Taiwan〕Taiwan, Japan sign two deals on customs cooperation, digital trade

Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) Taiwan and Japan on Thursday signed two deals designed to enhance cooperation in customs and digital trade during an annual bilateral conference held in Taipei. The two pacts -- one memorandum of understanding (MOU) on regional customs cooperation and a digital trade agreement -- were signed by Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), chairman of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (TJRA), and Shuzo Sumi, the chair of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA), during the 49th Taiwan-Japan Economic and Trade Conference. TJRA and JTEA represent Taipei and Tokyo's interests in each other's countries in the absence of official diplomatic ties.

• 〔Focus Taiwan〕Taipei 101 to kick off New Year countdown celebrations 5 days early: Chair

Taipei, Dec. 3 (CNA) Taipei 101 on Wednesday unveiled a preview of its New Year's Eve fireworks, announcing that celebrations will begin five days early with nightly Disney-themed projection shows. Chairperson Janet Chia (賈永婕) told reporters that the biggest change this year is an "extended countdown," with characters such as those from Toy Story projected onto the tower each night from Dec. 27 to 31.