With the global supply chain restructuring and the advancement of Apple’s global production strategy, fourteen core PCB (Printed Circuit Board) suppliers for Apple are accelerating their expansion in Southeast Asia, forming a capacity network centered around Thailand and Vietnam, covering regions such as Malaysia. These manufacturers encompass a full range of products including rigid boards (multilayer boards, HDI), flexible boards (FPC), and IC substrates, with production cycles concentrated between 2024 and 2026, fully supporting the demand for multiple product lines including Apple iPhone, Mac, wearable devices, AR/VR, and AI servers.
1
AKM Meadville, as a core supplier of Apple’s rigid boards (multilayer boards, HDI), has established its first overseas production base in Rojana Industrial Park, Ayutthaya, Thailand, which has commenced small-scale trial production in the third quarter of 2024. The base focuses on high-end HDI and flexible board products, primarily serving the automotive electronics and consumer electronics sectors, providing overseas capacity assurance for Apple and its global core customers.
2
AT&S, a major supplier of high-end rigid boards for Apple, has invested $200 million to build a production base in Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Malaysia, covering an area of 255,000 square meters, with mass production set to officially begin in 2024. This base focuses on the research and production of high-density packaging substrates and will become a key supply source for Apple’s high-end chip substrates, while also serving core customers like AMD.
3
Career, a core supplier of Apple’s flexible boards (FPC), currently has production capacity concentrated in Kunshan, China, and Taiwan. In response to Apple’s global layout needs, the company is actively evaluating factory establishment plans in Vietnam or India to further improve regional supply chain layout.
4
CCTC has partnered with Thailand’s SVI to establish Advanced Interconnect Technology, with a total investment of approximately 850 million RMB to lay out rigid board capacity in Thailand. The project plans an annual production capacity of 360,000 square meters, covering multilayer boards and HDI products, and is expected to commence production in the second half of 2025, simultaneously serving the needs of Apple and automotive electronic modules.
5
Compeq, which has the capability to supply both Apple’s flexible boards (FPC) and rigid boards (multilayer boards, HDI), will start trial production at its new factory in Thailand by the end of 2023, gradually releasing capacity in 2024. The core products of the base focus on high-layer HDI and motherboards, precisely matching the hardware needs of Apple’s end devices.
6
Flexium, an important supplier of Apple’s flexible boards (FPC), has not yet established production capacity in Southeast Asia, but is actively promoting investment evaluations in Southeast Asia and India based on Apple’s international strategy, and is expected to become a core supplementary force in Apple’s South Asia supply chain.
7
Fujikura, an early player in the flexible board (FPC) layout for Apple, established a factory in Dong Nai Province, Vietnam as early as 2011 and further expanded its production base in Kabinburi, Thailand in 2013. Its FPC products are widely used in devices such as iPhone and Mac, achieving a high degree of regional diversification in capacity due to its first-mover advantage.
8
Nan Ya, a supplier of Apple’s rigid boards (multilayer boards, HDI), has increased its investment in Thailand through its Singapore subsidiary, Nan Ya New Materials, and has officially started the construction of its production base in Thailand, with related layouts to be disclosed in March 2025, further improving Apple’s rigid board supply system in Southeast Asia.
9
NOK Corporation (Japan NOK), a core supplier of display and touch flexible boards for Apple’s iPhone, completed its Southeast Asia capacity layout in the 2000s, with production bases in Ayutthaya, Thailand, and Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. With mature international capacity configuration, it is less affected by the regional adjustments in Apple’s supply chain.
10
DSBJ, which entered the ranks of Apple’s FPC suppliers in 2016 through the acquisition of M-Flex, will start construction of its first overseas PCB base in Longyan Industrial Park, Thailand in 2024. The total investment for the project is approximately $50 million, covering an area of 320 acres, with a planned building area of 400,000 square meters, and is expected to begin trial production by the end of 2025, focusing on serving Apple’s wearable devices and new energy vehicle electronic modules.
11
Tripod, a core supplier of Apple’s rigid boards (multilayer boards, HDI), has increased its investment in Vietnam since 2023, planning a total investment of $250 million to build a new factory in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. The base plans an annual production capacity of 372,000 square meters, expected to commence production by the end of 2025, which will strengthen Apple’s high-end rigid board supply capacity in Southeast Asia.
12
Unimicron has started construction of a new factory in Thailand by the end of 2023, with mass production expected in the first half of 2025. The core products include high multilayer boards and IC substrates, which will become an important support for Apple’s high-end PCB supply chain.
13
Unitech plans to purchase 56 rai of land (approximately 89,600 square meters) in 2024 in Ratchaburi, Thailand, to build a high-density interconnect board (HDI) production base, expected to commence production between 2025 and 2026, targeting high-end demands from Apple and data center customers.
14
Zhen Ding Technology / Peng Ding Holdings, a core supplier of both flexible boards (FPC) and rigid boards (multilayer boards, HDI) for Apple, has officially commenced production at the first phase of its Thailand Peng Sheng Technology Park in 2024, with the third factory under construction and plans for the fourth and fifth factories to start construction in 2025. The base will introduce automated warehousing systems and AI server board production lines, fully covering Apple’s mobile devices, AR/VR, and AI server business areas.Overall, the Southeast Asia layout of Apple’s PCB supply chain presents three major characteristics: first, regional centralization, with Thailand and Vietnam becoming core investment locations, accounting for over 80%; second, product high-endization, focusing on high-end categories such as HDI, IC substrates, and high multilayer boards, aligning with Apple’s terminal technology upgrade needs; third, capacity scaling, with most projects planning annual production capacities exceeding 300,000 square meters, and generally incorporating automation and intelligent production technologies, highlighting the trend of improving quality and efficiency in the supply chain. This layout not only responds to Apple’s globalization production and supply chain decentralization strategy but also lays a foundation for PCB manufacturers to expand overseas markets and reduce regional risks.Note: The above content is compiled from the internet, and the copyright belongs to the original author. This account maintains neutrality regarding the article’s content. If there are any infringements or omissions, please contact us for correction or deletion.
