If resources and supplies    are scarce these days, and resource supply is causing problems due to the Pendemic and the Russian Ukraine war, electric energy has a profound impact on our homes and industries. High-tech industries such as high industrial growth and telecommunications have developed day by day, and electric energy exists in our daily lives too close to us. Water, air, sun, etc. can be easily thought of to us. However, electrical energy has become inseparable to lead our convenient lives. Nevertheless, I think we need to find efforts and ways to save safe use, short circuits, and electricity.MJENC (CEO: Min-Ju Kim) developed a safe and stable electric outlet by preventing and capturing electric leakage. Electrical leakage breakers are already deployed in many households and industrial groups, but it seems to be the first product that will complete electrical efficiency and safety electric shock accidents with safety and stable electricity supply. In addition, the product is also composed of anti-corrosion components for long use. Electricity also requires a lot of investment and resources to be made into energy.Since the 19th century, when electric energy became practical, mankind has expanded its scope of use indefinitely due to the convenience of operation, ease of conversion to other energy, environmental conservation, and relative safety.

First, electricity eliminated the distinction between night and day to enable 24-hour culture formation, and second, by eliminating the distinction between indoor and outdoor, ground and underground, the efficient use of space and resources, and third, by maximizing machine civilization, it created a change in conceptual culture.The expansion of human time, space, and capacity by electricity has a ripple effect on all sectors of society, and electricity is becoming more important as a driving force for economic development. As information society and advanced industrial society such as computer and semiconductor technology progress, electricity will be the main force to create human culture.

While the need for high-quality electricity will increase due to the advancement of high-tech industries and information societies, the external environment surrounding electricity projects will become increasingly difficult due to changing values, increasing interest in the environment and safety, diversification of service needs, democratization, and localization.

Therefore, the power development plan will be carried out comprehensively from the previous supply and demand to system and stability, facility and reliability, and energy self-reliance, and the establishment of an active service system, such as management computerization and customer convenience-oriented rate system, should be made more effort.

▲MYUNGJANGESD CO.,LTD.

▲ CEO : Min-Ju Kim

▲www.myungjangesd.co.kr

▲ mjesd0603@naver.com

▲ +82-32-575-1601

KS CHOI

ASIA JOURNAL

Sales of Japanese semiconductor manufacturing devices are expected to exceed 4 trillion yen for the first time this year.
According to foreign media such as Nikkei, the Japan Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Association (SEFA) announced on the 7th (local time) that sales of semiconductor manufacturing devices in Japan will reach 4.283 trillion yen this year, up 17% from last year. This is the third consecutive year of increase, and the figure has been revised upward from the forecast of 3.55 trillion yen as of January this year.
SEFA predicted that active investment in logic and foundation, which has continued since 2019, will expand further after 22 years. He pointed out that investment is expected to increase not only in terms of increasing quantitative demand, but also in terms of evolution of performance and increasing the proportion of data centers and servers. “Semiconductors are becoming a major issue at the national level,” said Ushita Kazuo, chairman of SEFA. “It is clear that semiconductors will gradually become important and both quality and quantity will increase.” Regarding the shortage of semiconductors, Chairman Ushida expressed his perception that although the timing of resolution was not clear, it will continue for the time being.He also forecast a combined sales forecast for next year of 4.2297 trillion yen, up 5 percent from last January’s estimate. It is predicted that the forecast will increase by 5% to 4.4412 trillion yen in 2024, when the first forecast is presentedOn the 11th, the National Assembly passed the Economic Security Act, which aims to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain and develop and protect high-tech technologies. It will be implemented in phases starting next spring.According to Kyodo News, Japan’s economic security law focuses on strengthening the supply chain of important goods such as △ semiconductors △ preliminary screening of infrastructure industries in preparation for cyber attacks △ public-private cooperation for advanced technology R&D △ patent disclosure.While digitalization has been accelerated due to the lockdown measures that emerged as COVID-19 spread around the world, semiconductor supply shortages continue due to supply chain disruptions caused by the invasion of Ukraine. The growing awareness of the need to respond to the climate crisis and the active transition to electric vehicles and eco-friendly energy also suggests that demand for semiconductors will continue to increase in the future. In particular, Japan is making every effort to secure semiconductors. Until the late 1980s, Japan had invested generously in semiconductor production, overtaking the United States for more than half of its global market share. However, as the trade conflict with the U.S. intensified, Japan eventually handed over its share of the semiconductor market to South Korea, Taiwan, and China. As of 2019, Japan’s share of semiconductors fell to around 10%.
In a release on the semiconductor strategy released by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in June last year, the Japanese government issued a stern warning, saying, “Japan’s share could fall to almost 0% in the next 2030.” The remarks suggest that a sense of crisis is also rising within the government.”The semiconductor strategy is completely different from the general industrial policy of enhancing the competitiveness of domestic companies to earn foreign currency,” Kazumi Nishikawa, an official at the IT industry division, told the Financial Times. He added, “The biggest challenge is to form a consensus among people (on the importance of securing semiconductors) and to let people know that this is not entirely up to the private sector.”As a result, the Japanese government is trying to secure semiconductors through subsidies and external cooperation. In November last year, Japan succeeded in attracting TSMC, Taiwan’s No. 1 foundry company, to secure semiconductor production capacity. Instead of building a semiconductor production plant in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, it will provide about half of the total investment of 800 billion yen (about 7.96 trillion won).Taiwan’s TSMC announced that it will jointly build a semiconductor plant with Sony in Japan and start production in December 2024. However, there are criticisms in Japan that TSMC plants, which were attracted by giving large subsidies, have not applied the latest semiconductor technology. Semiconductors are advantageous in increasing performance because the thinner the line width of the circuit, the more devices can be integrated.Nikkei Asia noted that the circuit width of the semiconductor that the TSMC Kumamoto plant will focus on is 22 nanometers (nm, 1 billionth of a meter) or 28nm, far behind the latest 5nm process. However, 22nm and 28nm semiconductors are in high demand because they are used in various devices, including automobiles, and explained that they are a cost-effective option. After securing production facilities, Japan joined hands with the U.S. to develop advanced semiconductors. Through cooperation with the U.S., the company aims to take the lead again in developing and mass-producing advanced semiconductors that lag behind Korea and Taiwan.Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagida agreed to cooperate in semiconductor research and development and strengthening supply chains in a meeting with U.S. Commerce Minister Lumondo on the 4th, Nihon Keizai (Nikkei) reported. It has decided to cooperate with the U.S. in developing high-tech semiconductors and mass-producing areas that lag behind Korea and Taiwan.Nikkei explained that the U.S. and Japan’s cooperation in the semiconductor field aims to catch up with South Korea and Taiwan in 2nm products and develop cutting-edge products that exceed 2nm first. In addition to the U.S. and Japan, the two ministers also mentioned that they share the purpose of strengthening supply chains in countries and regions that share the same intention.South Korea and Taiwan, which are already ranked first and second in the semiconductor industry, are in the process of mass production of 2nm products. Taiwan’s TSMC is preparing to mass-produce 2 products for smartphones and supercomputers, while South Korea’s Samsung Electronics is also planning to mass-produce 2nm products from 2025.In the meantime, the goal is to quickly catch up with South Korea and Taiwan by strengthening cooperation between the U.S. and Japan. IBM in the U.S. also succeeded in producing 2nm prototypes last year, and it seems that it can record high efficiency at a time when equipment companies such as Tokyo Electron and Canon in Japan are already participating in IBM’s production plan. In addition to 2nm products, Nikkei noted that Intel’s chiplet technology in the U.S., which combines multiple semiconductors to increase semiconductor performance, could be the subject of development.Still, Japanese experts remain concerned that the bureaucratic Japanese government may have entered

Sales of Japanese semiconductor manufacturing devices are expected to exceed 4 trillion yen for the first time this year.

According to foreign media such as Nikkei, the Japan Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Association (SEFA) announced on the 7th (local time) that sales of semiconductor manufacturing devices in Japan will reach 4.283 trillion yen this year, up 17% from last year. This is the third consecutive year of increase, and the figure has been revised upward from the forecast of 3.55 trillion yen as of January this year.

SEFA predicted that active investment in logic and foundation, which has continued since 2019, will expand further after 22 years. He pointed out that investment is expected to increase not only in terms of increasing quantitative demand, but also in terms of evolution of performance and increasing the proportion of data centers and servers. “Semiconductors are becoming a major issue at the national level,” said Ushita Kazuo, chairman of SEFA. “It is clear that semiconductors will gradually become important and both quality and quantity will increase.” Regarding the shortage of semiconductors, Chairman Ushida expressed his perception that although the timing of resolution was not clear, it will continue for the time being.

He also forecast a combined sales forecast for next year of 4.2297 trillion yen, up 5 percent from last January’s estimate.

It is predicted that the forecast will increase by 5% to 4.4412 trillion yen in 2024, when the first forecast is presentedOn the 11th, the National Assembly passed the Economic Security Act, which aims to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain and develop and protect high-tech technologies.

It will be implemented in phases starting next spring.

According to Kyodo News, Japan’s economic security law focuses on strengthening the supply chain of important goods such as *semiconductors * preliminary screening of infrastructure industries in preparation for cyber attacks * public-private cooperation for advanced technology R&D* patent disclosure.

While digitalization has been accelerated due to the lockdown measures that emerged as COVID-19 spread around the world, semiconductor supply shortages continue due to supply chain disruptions caused by the invasion of Ukraine.

The growing awareness of the need to respond to the climate crisis and the active transition to electric vehicles and eco-friendly energy also suggests that demand for semiconductors will continue to increase in the future.

In particular, Japan is making every effort to secure semiconductors.

Until the late 1980s, Japan had invested generously in semiconductor production, overtaking the United States for more than half of its global market share.

However, as the trade conflict with the U.S. intensified, Japan eventually handed over its share of the semiconductor market to South Korea, Taiwan, and China. As of 2019, Japan’s share of semiconductors fell to around 10%.

In a release on the semiconductor strategy released by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in June last year, the Japanese government issued a stern warning, saying, “Japan’s share could fall to almost 0% in the next 2030.

” The remarks suggest that a sense of crisis is also rising within the government.”The semiconductor strategy is completely different from the general industrial policy of enhancing the competitiveness of domestic companies to earn foreign currency,” Kazumi Nishikawa, an official at the IT industry division, told the Financial Times. He added, “The biggest challenge is to form a consensus among people (on the importance of securing semiconductors) and to let people know that this is not entirely up to the private sector.

“As a result, the Japanese government is trying to secure semiconductors through subsidies and external cooperation. In November last year, Japan succeeded in attracting TSMC, Taiwan’s No. 1 foundry company, to secure semiconductor production capacity.

Instead of building a semiconductor production plant in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, it will provide about half of the total investment of 800 billion yen (about 7.96 trillion won).Taiwan’s TSMC announced that it will jointly build a semiconductor plant with Sony in Japan and start production in December 2024. However, there are criticisms in Japan that TSMC plants, which were attracted by giving large subsidies, have not applied the latest semiconductor technology.

Semiconductors are advantageous in increasing performance because the thinner the line width of the circuit, the more devices can be integrated.

Nikkei Asia noted that the circuit width of the semiconductor that the TSMC Kumamoto plant will focus on is 22 nanometers (nm, 1 billionth of a meter) or 28nm, far behind the latest 5nm process. However, 22nm and 28nm semiconductors are in high demand because they are used in various devices, including automobiles, and explained that they are a cost-effective option.

After securing production facilities, Japan joined hands with the U.S. to develop advanced semiconductors.

Through cooperation with the U.S. the company aims to take the lead again in developing and mass-producing advanced semiconductors that lag behind Korea and Taiwan.

Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagida agreed to cooperate in semiconductor research and development and strengthening supply chains in a meeting with U.S. Commerce.

KS Choi

ASIA JOURNAL

The development area between Jeonju and Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Korea, is 409 square kilometers. It covers two-thirds of the area of Seoul, the capital of Korea.
Since 2008, the Saemangeum Industrial Complex Project Group of the Korea Rural Community Corporation has been promoting the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex construction project at 1,850ha in the Saemangeum district, and the total project cost is about 2.6 trillion won.
It is being built as a low-carbon green growth eco-friendly complex. The attracting industries are parts manufacturing industry, high-tech convergence industry, and renewable energy industry.
Saemangeum National Industrial Complex has recently been called an advance base for electric vehicle production. Jeonbuk also aims to create 3,500 jobs and produce 300,000 electric vehicles a year by 2025, and 16 small and medium-sized electric vehicle-related companies, including Edison Motors and Daechang Motors, will invest KRW 19.3 billion and a total of KRW 453.4 billion with support from the Korea Development Bank and Small and Medium Business Corporation.
The Korea Rural Community Corporation plans to expand private investment by developing a green hydrogen ecosystem that can produce solar, wind, and green hydrogen, and officially plans to provide solar power generation rights to companies and cover the renewable energy produced in Saemangeum.
For such reasons, the government is currently in the spotlight as a center for the Green New Deal project and eco-friendly politics, which are key tasks of the government, and attracting investment companies is being activated.
Saemangeum National Industrial Complex Saemangeum Tri-Port
(New Port of Saemangeum, Highway, Saemangeum International Airport)
Currently, Saemangeum National Industrial Complex is preparing for Saemangeum Tri-port (Airport, Port, and Railway).

In 2024, a highway connecting Saemangeum and Jeonju will be opened, and the airport is establishing a basic plan with the aim of opening in 2028, and the incoming railroad to Saemangeum is currently conducting an investigation. Saemangeum New Port is planned to be completed by 2025. If the wide-area transportation network is established in this way, internal development will be activated and the amount of money can be reduced in production, storage, and transportation activities. It is expected that this will boost private investment
It also provides policies that will appeal to companies that move in.
Saemangeum Industrial Land can be rented for up to 100 years, corporate tax and income tax are reduced by 100% for up to 5 years and 50% for the next 2 years, supporting one-stop operation of various licensing teams, and supporting utilities such as electricity, communication, and gas.
Due to such policies and conditions, the number of companies investing in Saemangeum National Industrial Complex is increasing, and the attraction of investment is accelerating.
A total of 1,410ha of industrial complexes are planned to be supplied, and as investment conditions have improved due to the supply of long-term rental land, more than 32 companies have signed occupancy contracts and are preparing to move in over the past three years
Cho Hyun-chan, head of the Saemangeum Industrial Complex Project, is preparing to take a leap forward to become an economic hub in Northeast Asia by making it an industrial complex that companies want to invest in in line with the administrative cooperation of related ministries of the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex.

EJ SONG

Asia Journal 

China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China, froze interest rates on mid-term liquidity support windows (MLF) loans on the 15th.

The People’s Bank of China supplied 150 billion yuan worth of one-year medium-term liquidity support (MLF) funds to commercial banks on the 15th, maintaining the applied interest rate at 2.85 percent as before.The one-year MLF, which expired on the same day, amounted to 150 billion yuan, and there was no additional liquidity supply.MLF is a policy tool for the People’s Bank of China to control liquidity and interest rates through the supply of funds from commercial banks.

The People’s Bank of China can adjust the LPR, which is actually the characteristic of the benchmark interest rate, by adjusting the MLF interest rate that affects the “loan cost” of financial institutions.

Market watchers noted the possibility that the People’s Bank of China will lower MLF interest rates ahead of the announcement of the LPR in April on the 20th, giving a clear signal of a LPR cut.

However, despite the freezing of MLF interest rates that day, the possibility of a LPR cut on the 20th is still open.China’s State Council announced on the night of the 13th that it will operate monetary policy tools such as the reserve ratio in a timely manner, and it is highly likely that the People’s Bank of China will officially announce its plan to cut the reserve ratio after the market closes on Friday.

A reduction in the reserve requirement rate, which significantly expands the liquidity supply, increases banks’ lending capacity.

In fact, in December last year, the People’s Bank of China immediately lowered the LPR without lowering the MLF interest rate. At that time, the reserve ratio was cut a few days before the LPR cut.

The Chinese government is strongly expressing its willingness to boost the economy as it faces the impact of the spread of COVID-19, which is greater than the 2020 Wuhan crisis, as Shanghai and Shenzhen have been blocked from the city.Prime Minister Li Keqiang said at a major growth meeting held on the 11th, “There have been more than expected changes in the international and domestic environments, which has led to greater downward pressure on the economy,” stressing that the economy should be stabilized and guaranteed basic people’s livelihood.

The Chinese economy has been cooling rapidly in the aftermath of the contraction of the real estate market since the second half of last year, but this year, it has been exposed to greater downward pressure as factors such as the massive spread of COVID-19 in China and the war in Ukraine have been added.

Amid such worsening conditions, observations are rising that it has already become difficult for China to achieve this year’s target of 5.5 percent economic growth.

Yao Jingyuan, a senior economist at the National Bureau of Statistics, said, “At first, I thought there was no problem in achieving the 5.5% growth target this year, but we were certainly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in March.”

The Jung-gu Party and the government, which have to create an atmosphere of national election ahead of the 20th party congress in autumn, which will officially formalize President Xi Jinping’s long-term rule, have no choice but to make all-out efforts to stabilize the economy.

However, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) is rapidly raising its key interest rate on inflation, and central banks in other major countries have moved in the same direction, increasing China’s burden of “reverse driving.”

Some say that the Chinese authorities’ freezing of MLF interest rates this time, contrary to some expectations in the market, reflects the situation in which there is not much room for interest rate cuts.

The narrowing or reversal of the U.S.-China interest rate gap is likely to cause side effects such as the departure of foreign investment capital in China and the rapid devaluation of the yuan.

“The Fed can increase the intensity of monetary policy tightening in May,” said Kaoruidong, an economist at Kwangda Securities. “The internal and external balance pressure facing the People’s Bank of China will rise significantly.”

SAM KIM

US Asia Journal

Failures which Koreans went through could lead to further growth and constant challenges and innovation in Korea today. The past growth was driven by major conglomerates, but now is the time that small and medium-sized enterprises should actively grow and lead the national economy. To that end, Centers for Creative Economy & Innovation (CCEI) is established in 19 different provinces to foster these small enterprises and startups.

In Korea, North Jeolla province is an area where large companies account for a lower proportion compared to other regions. Therefore, the Jeonbuk CCEI in the province pour its efforts to create a start-up boom, to support companies to enter the market safely, and to help them continue to grow. The center is fostering startups – particularly local strategic industries such as carbon materials, food technology, IT and financial big data. Since its opening 7 years ago, the center has discovered and supported about 684 startups, thereby creating more than 1,600 jobs and achieving cumulative sales of supporting companies of about 630 billion won.

Since 2019, it has been playing a role as an accelerator to expand its competitiveness as a hub for start-up in the province. Currently, it is strengthening support for the growth stage to help nurturing companies continue to grow, and plans to create an additional 53 billion won for its own venture funds to secure additional investment resources.

Kwang-jin Park, the head director of the center, has been working for large companies for more than 10 years and since his early 40s has been supporting and growing companies in the public sector. Director Park knows well what a company needs for a company through his own experience. So, he feels rewarded with what he is doing now and accepts it as a calling and mission for his entire life.

Kwang-jin Park, head of the Jeonbuk CCEI, delivered his own management philosophy and message with a gentle smile: The three – People, resource, and exchange – bring together an amazing synergy. The most important thing Park emphasizes is “People”. “No matter how good the system and organization is, it is people who work and people who produce results in the end. In particular, people who work in the public should basically be polite and have a good attitude.”

 Leading Company of Telescopic seating and Stadium seating system: N-SEATING Co., Ltd

In the time of pandemic, group gatherings for sports events or concerts have been restricted. There is one company which ardently hopes that the public performance industry returns to prosperity. N-SEATING in South Korea has developed an innovative seating system for the stadium with the combination of manufacturing experience and edge-cutting IT  technology.

N-SEATING designs and manufactures the solution of seating systems for Telescopic seating, Demountable seating (Temporary or Permanent), and Stadium seating. Telescopic (Retractable) seating is a type of seating that can be folded away to the width of a single row when not in use. It is ideal for multi-purpose or small venues as it can be stored in a portion of the given space. Every venue requires different seating needs. Based on decades of experience with technical expertise. N-SEATING is capable of providing customized solutions to your places.

Demountable seatings are temporary or permanent steel structures for spectators at sports stadiums or other event areas. N-SEATING’s demountable solution is a versatile and cost effective structure which allows the audience the custom-built to meet the exact requirements. N-SEATING’s modular system ensures fast and safe installation, ease of use and safety, and durability of the structures.

The company has supplied seatings for the FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games, and Asian Games. Starting with the delivery of 500 million won worth of prefabricated seats to Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Stadium in December 2017, it has achieved sales of about 2.7 billion won over the past two years, including 230,000 dollars to Qatar and Taiwan. Last year, the company won a contract to supply seats of about 1 billion won at the 2019 Gwangju World Swimming Championships, solidifying its position as a global company. Based on such achievements, CEO Kim plans to expand its business coverage to Vietnam and Singapore.

In addition, technology development is still ongoing. The move is aimed at innovating the second industry, the Ferris wheel manufacturing industry, into the fourth industry, and the company aims to adjust and service seats at overseas stadiums in Korea beyond the automation system currently being promoted.

Golf Wear Made of Sustainable Fabrics: Cool Bears Co., Ltd

Cool Bears, a fashion tech company, has launched its own premium golf wear brand “Aven” of eco-friendly fabrics. Aven’s golf clothes were developed with high-quality and eco-friendly materials to increase the sustainability of resources and fulfill its responsibilities to nature and society. As the popularity from the MZ generation in the Korean golf market is increasing, which used to be centered on the existing middle-aged, Aven’s design is made with a simple and classic design to target the young generation. By compensating for the shortcomings of existing tight and colorful golf wear, it has differentiated itself into a lineup of products which can be worn in everyday life.

Compared to existing golf wear being made of chemical synthetic materials that cause environmental pollution, Aven is also pursuing to take the lead in environmental protection using eco-friendly regenerative fabrics: Polar Ice™, Recycled Polyester, Recycled Nylon, and Organic Cotton. “Polar Ice™” is an eco-friendly material developed through its own knitting technology and is gaining popularity as a representative product line because it has excellent hygroscopicity and air permeability to cool down even in hot summer.

In addition, “Recycled Polyester” is an eco-friendly fabric certified by GRS (Global Recycle Standard) by recycling plastic PET bottles. 21 plastic bottles are recycled when manufacturing a pair of tops and 6 plastic bottles are recycled when manufacturing a hat. Aven has joined the global environmental protection network “1% FOR THE PLANET” and is donating some of its sales to organizations to improve the global environment.

As the demand for environmental protection and climate change response increases after COVID-19, global fashion brands are also developing products using recycled materials, said Lee Min-jae, CEO of Aven. “As awareness of the pen environment grows around young people, we will grow into differentiated golf wear brands.”

Innovative Technology for Hydrogen Fuel Cell: TerraLIX Co., Ltd

World’s leading countries are pouring their efforts into building a net-zero ecosystem which means that any carbon emissions are balanced by absorbing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere. It is in response to climate policy showing that in order to mitigate climate change, carbon emissions have to stop – reducing them is not sufficient.

Hydrogen is now firmly at the heart of the global race to achieve carbon neutrality. Hydrogen can play a major role alongside electricity in the future low-carbon economy. Once produced, hydrogen generates electrical power in a fuel cell, emitting only water vapor and warm air. Instead, chemical energy is turned directly into electrical energy, much like a battery. It can also power fuel cells that convert hydrogen into clean electricity directly, with the versatility to provide heat, transport and power system services. These cells can be used in place of a combustion engine in vehicles – even ships, trains or airplanes – or instead of petrol or diesel generators without producing CO2 emissions. This feature will trigger a revolution in portable, urban and autonomous power over long distances.

Hydrogen fuel cells are suitable for air-cooled one which is suitable for a small capacity stack of less than 1.5kW and water-cooled one which is suitable for a bigger stack of more than 5kW. The air-cooled stack has a problem in that durability and performance are low due to the drying of the electrolyte membrane in the stack and the corrosion of passive carbon due to the open-cathode structure of the electrode to which air is supplied. To overcome the limitations of the existing air-cooled stack structure, TerraLIX Co., Ltd (CEO Tae-Young Kim) designed a stack with a closed-cathode structure that can operate at all times, by using a 0.05 T thick ultra-thin metal separator.

The company’s vision is to become an innovative leader in the fuel cell industry and provide the best performance, best durability, and maximum convenience needed for the industry.

Recently, it has developed a drone equipped with a fuel cell power pack that can fly for an hour. To realize this, Terrrix is taking the lead in developing air-cooled fuel cell modules and water-cooled fuel cell modules with top experts in the field of fuel cell stacks and systems.

Beyond guilt-free driving, the technology of TerraLIX may enable the low-carbon economy to respond to the global demand for solutions as the world embarks on a transformational energy transition.

Kayla Hong

Asia Journal

Katsunobu Kato, the Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan stated at a regular press conference on the 27th, “The number of new confirmed patients and the number of people needing treatment are decreasing, and the use of beds or severe beds in all regions is below 50%, the indicator of Stage 4.”

He added, “We are analyzing and grasping the vaccination situation, the number of people in critical condition, and the bed utilization rate by focusing on the medical situation.” The Japanese government plans to make a final decision on how to lift the declaration of emergency in Tokyo and other provinces by the 30th of October after a meeting of related ministers and experts on the 28th.

According to the Asahi Shimbun, eight regions where key measures such as prevention of prevalence, which is a quarantine measure that is a step below the  state of emergency, are also likely to be lifted altogether. It is also considering not taking effect on key measures in areas where the emergency is lifted.

The Japanese government has greatly eased quarantine measures because the number of daily COVID-19 confirmed cases has recently decreased and the vaccination rate has increased. According to the announcement of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office, 55.8% of the Japanese population had completed their second dosage of vaccinations for COVID-19 as of the 23rd, and 67.8% of those who had received their first dosage of the vaccination.

The Japanese tourism industry, which was directly affected by COVID-19 on news of the emergency lifting, is showing expectations of recovery in the industry. According to the Mainichi Shimbun, Hankyu Transportation, a travel conglomerate in Osaka City, opened a tour application page exclusively for vaccinated people which will be available on the 15th. Products that travel to Kyoto and Nara for the maple season from the end of next month are gaining popularity.

Analysts say the Japanese auto industry will lose up to 1.2 trillion yen (about 13 trillion won) in economic losses caused by a shortage of parts such as semiconductors. The Asahi Shimbun reported on the 24th that used car prices are even rising as the scale of production cuts in the automobile industry, which supports the Japanese economy.

According to Asahi’s tally, the total amount of production cuts by major Japanese auto giants surged from about 930,000 as of the end of last month to 1.7 million this month. This is equivalent to about 7% of last year’s production.

Toyota, Japan’s largest automobile maker, reduced its production plan by 760,000 units between September and October due to a shortage of semiconductor parts and the spread of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia, where parts factories are located.

Toyota, which has even temporarily suspended production of all factories in Japan, lowered its global production target this year from 9.3 million to 9 million units.

​​Honda also plans to reduce the production of its plant in Japan to 40% and 70% from early October this year due to a lack of parts. As a result, Honda’s global market sales are expected to fall 150,000 units to only 4.85 million units this year from its original plan.

Suzuki expects production to be reduced by 350,000 units to 2.88 million units this year, and Subaru expects production to be lowered by 40,000 units to 990,000 units. The Asahi Shimbun said the spread of COVID-19 infections in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, has disrupted the procurement of parts by carmakers, adding that confusion is expected to continue by the end of this year.

Citing an analysis by the think tank, Daiwa General Research Institute, the newspaper estimated that up to 1.2 trillion yen in economic losses would occur if the ripple effect was reflected based on the current production cut.

In a keynote lecture at Softbank World 2021, which opened online on the 15th, Softbank Chairman Sohn Jung-eui stressed that the key to the revival of the Japanese economy lies in “smart robots (abbreviated as smabo).” It was argued that the introduction of 100 million smart robots will increase the labor force by 1 billion people. According to the Japanese robot media “Robot Start,” Chairman Sohn first announced in a keynote speech that Tesla is pursuing the development of “Teslabot” on the 19th of last month, saying, “I finally feel that a full-fledged humanoid robot world is coming,” but Softbank also began to give a lecture that day.Chairman Sohn suggested a smart robot as an alternative to restoring competitiveness, saying that the Japanese economy once drove the global economy, but now it is losing its competitiveness due to sluggish labor and productivity.He stressed that just as smartphones have had a significant impact on industries and economies around the world, they will change from “Karabo” to “Smabo” society in the future. Garabo refers to a robot without intelligence, and Smabo refers to a robot that adapts to work while artificial intelligence learns without a programming process. He stressed that in the future, we should aim for a “human-like  smabo” rather than a “robot-like human.”Introducing examples of Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot “Atlas” and logistics warehouse robot “Stretch,” Chairman Sohn said, “It’s cool to respond in a timely manner while learning on your own,” showing the difference between Karabo and Smabo.He predicted the advent of the robot era in 2024. Now, when artificial intelligence introduces  smabo built into robots, it has the potential to improve 3 times (24 hours of work), 3.5 times productivity, and 10 times competitiveness. If Smabo is introduced in the 100 million range, it will have the effect of increasing the working population by 1 billion, he stressed.Softbank also introduced Germany-based Chinese company Agile Robot’s technology and Norway’s auto-warehouse picking system as another example, saying it is investing in 18 smabo-related companies through Vision Fund. He explained that customers who introduced Agile Robot’s technology and Auto Store’s automatic warehouse picking system technology are seeing effects such as increased productivity, reduced defect rates, and reduced labor costs.

The robot companies introduced by Chairman Sohn as a Smabo company are Agile Robot, Auto Store, Berkshire Gray, Neuro, Braincorp, Cruise, Aurora, Trax, OpenTrons, KINON, CMR, and XAG. He argued that while Karabo remains in limited areas such as production plants, Smabo will be applied not only to manufacturing but also to all industries such as medical and retail/service.

Sam Kim

Asia Journal

In a regulatory filing released Thursday, the carmaker posted 4.57 trillion won ($4.31 billion) for its 2017 operating profit, an 11.9 percent decrease from the previous year. It is the lowest figure since the company adopted International Financial Reporting Standards in 2010.

 (Yonhap)

Its revenue last year rose 2.9 percent to 96.3 trillion won year-on-year. However its operating profit to sales ratio fell 0.8 percentage point to 4.7 percent. This is the first time that the ratio has hit the 4 percent level.

Furthermore, its net profit plunged 21 percent to reach 4.54 trillion won from 5.71 trillion won in 2016, due to margins that declined over market competition and sluggish sales by its China operation.

“The strong won against the dollar, fierce competition in major markets, including China, and increased marketing costs brought the profitability down in 2017 on-year,” the company said in a statement.

“Despite the difficult environment last year, the company has successfully entered new segments through the launch of the Kona and G70, and became the No. 2 green carmaker in the world,” it added.

The carmaker suffered from a sharp decline in sales in China last year due to a diplomatic dispute over Seoul’s decision to deploy the US’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system here.

Beijing was against the deployment of the system, which it said could infringe on its defense system, while Seoul argued that the decision was made solely to intercept a possible missile launch by North Korea.

The confrontation brought a near-boycott in China against Korean products, causing Hyundai’s sales to plummet more than 50 percent.

To recover its sales this year, Hyundai plans to expand its SUV lineups and launch more green cars including fuel-cell electric vehicles. It also aims to improve shareholders’ rights and transparency in management, the company added.

By Cho Chung-un