Southeast Asia, Singapore in particular, is positioning itself for the next growth cycle.  Singapore has plans for manufacturing plants to serve both the semiconductor and the photovoltaic (PV) industries. This region is analyzing and making astute decisions during this challenging time by diversifying its investments.  By taking this approach, the region will be well-positioned for growth when the economy turns around.

Today's buyers may not be buying as much and manufacturers are not in full production mode, but there is a lot of activity still happening in microelectronics and solar. There are four companies in Southeast Asia that hold over 60% of all installed capacity: Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, ST Micro, Micron and Infineon.  Chartered is expected to have the most installed capacity with over 230K wafers/month followed by ST Micro, Micron and Infineon with a combined install capacity of about 334K wafers/month*.