<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Glowing outlook for electronics manufacturers
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Elizabeth Wilmot
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->ELECTRONICS manufacturers can make a difference if they offer solutions that meet a customer's changing needs, said Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony for Globaltronics 2008, an exhibition dedicated to the electronics manufacturing industry in Asia.
'The industry is driven by cost and there should be an emphasis on technology-based solutions,' he told reporters after the ceremony. 'Companies should come up with new devices and innovative products.'
In a speech at the event, Mr Iswaran said electronics forms the bedrock of the country's manufacturing sector.
He said Singapore was moving up the value chain by looking at more capital-intensive projects such as computer chip wafer fabs and breakthrough technologies such as solar cell production.
Last year, electronics products accounted for 45 per cent of Singapore's total exports, and according to the Economic Development Board, the sector contributed an output of $73 billion.
Vibrant as it is, the industry is not without its problems - including short product cycles, technology obsolescence and intense competition.
European Union regulations require firms to ensure that electrical equipment does not contain banned toxic substances. In response, the event which is introducing a new 'Go Green' product segment this year, will showcase waste management capabilities from participating companies, among other features.
Still, the overall industry outlook is positive. Due to steady growth in countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, demand for consumer electronics remains high.
East and South-east Asia are also top producers, accounting for more than 40 per cent of the world's combined exports of manufactured products, according to the World Bank's World Development Indicators online database of last year.
'There is a continuous appetite for new innovative products, including LCD TVs, DVDs, mobile phones, laptops, video games, camcorders and navigation products,' said Ms Michelle Lim, general manager of Reed Exhibitions Singapore-Malaysia, event organiser. <!-- end of for each --><!-- Current Ratings : start --><!-- Current Ratings : end --><!-- vbbintegration : start --><!-- vbbintegration : end --><!-- dennis change request 20070424 : start --><!---Google ad - Start : Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:37:45:500---><!-- AdSpace STI Google ad tag --><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://ads.asia1.com.sg/js.ng/site=tsti&pagepos=20&size=10X10"> </SCRIPT>
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Elizabeth Wilmot
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->ELECTRONICS manufacturers can make a difference if they offer solutions that meet a customer's changing needs, said Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony for Globaltronics 2008, an exhibition dedicated to the electronics manufacturing industry in Asia.
'The industry is driven by cost and there should be an emphasis on technology-based solutions,' he told reporters after the ceremony. 'Companies should come up with new devices and innovative products.'
In a speech at the event, Mr Iswaran said electronics forms the bedrock of the country's manufacturing sector.
He said Singapore was moving up the value chain by looking at more capital-intensive projects such as computer chip wafer fabs and breakthrough technologies such as solar cell production.
Last year, electronics products accounted for 45 per cent of Singapore's total exports, and according to the Economic Development Board, the sector contributed an output of $73 billion.
Vibrant as it is, the industry is not without its problems - including short product cycles, technology obsolescence and intense competition.
European Union regulations require firms to ensure that electrical equipment does not contain banned toxic substances. In response, the event which is introducing a new 'Go Green' product segment this year, will showcase waste management capabilities from participating companies, among other features.
Still, the overall industry outlook is positive. Due to steady growth in countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, demand for consumer electronics remains high.
East and South-east Asia are also top producers, accounting for more than 40 per cent of the world's combined exports of manufactured products, according to the World Bank's World Development Indicators online database of last year.
'There is a continuous appetite for new innovative products, including LCD TVs, DVDs, mobile phones, laptops, video games, camcorders and navigation products,' said Ms Michelle Lim, general manager of Reed Exhibitions Singapore-Malaysia, event organiser. <!-- end of for each --><!-- Current Ratings : start --><!-- Current Ratings : end --><!-- vbbintegration : start --><!-- vbbintegration : end --><!-- dennis change request 20070424 : start --><!---Google ad - Start : Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:37:45:500---><!-- AdSpace STI Google ad tag --><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://ads.asia1.com.sg/js.ng/site=tsti&pagepos=20&size=10X10"> </SCRIPT>