U.S. Asyst expects China business to double in '04
Friday March 19, 4:46 am ET
SHANGHAI, March 19 (Reuters) - U.S. semiconductor equipment vendor Asyst Technologies Inc (NasdaqNM:ASYT - News) said it expected revenues from China to double in 2004, as the expanding $30 billion mainland chip industry laps up machinery.
Kenneth Leung, Asyst's Asia-Pacific president, said an industry upturn had helped boost his forecasts for the mainland, which accounts for 20 to 30 percent of its global revenue.
"China is just seeing tremendous growth," he told Reuters on the sidelines of a chip forum in China's financial hub.
However, intellectual property rights could muddy prospects for the industry, which market research firm Gartner says could balloon to $40 billion this year.
"Some have tried to copy our technology, but none have yet been able to do it. Still, it doesn't mean someone won't eventually succeed, so this is something we're monitoring closely," said Kenneth Lo, Asyst's China general manager.
The company, which makes equipment to automate the manufacture of computer chips, claims to have close to 100 percent market share in China.
In fiscal 2003, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for about 56 percent of revenues totalling $259.50 million.
Leung said 75 to 80 percent of Asyst's products were sent to Asia. In the nine months to December 31, 2003, revenues from Asia totalled $118.1 million, he said. |
