On April 30th, VIS held a press conference, and its chairman, Fang Lue, stated that the adjustment of consumer electronics inventory in 2024 is gradually returning to normal levels, while the adjustment of industrial and automotive inventory is still ongoing. It is expected that the second or third quarter will return to normal levels, and the market should experience moderate growth in the second half of the year.
Fang Lue stated that the utilization rate of mature process wafer foundry capacity is low, and inventory adjustments are nearing completion. At the same time, he hopes that prices can gradually converge and stabilize, and carefully faces market changes with customers. However, he does not expect significant changes in the second half of the year.
Regarding the issue of price competition, Fang Lue stated that VIS does not participate in low price competition and has made good progress in providing value services from the perspective of power management chips.
Regarding the investment in the 12 inch factory, Fang Lue said that the 12 inch project is still being actively evaluated, and the site is still being carefully evaluated. Financial, technical, and customer acceptance evaluations need to be conducted, and so far, they are still being actively evaluated.
Recently, there have been rumors in the supply chain that the VIS 12 inch factory will be located in Singapore, next to the Singapore 8-inch factory that previously acquired Global Foundries. The Singapore government has offered better discounts than before. TSMC, the major shareholder of the parent company, has recently formed a Singapore factory construction team to assist the world's advanced technology, and has visited Singapore to inspect the site. The cleanroom project is currently under negotiation with contracting manufacturers, and construction is expected to begin in the second half of the year.
