LS Cable & System, Completed Asia’s Largest Factory Exclusive for HVDC Submarine Cables

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LS Cable & System recently announced that it has completed construction of the only factory in Korea and the largest in Asia for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cables in Donghae-city, Gangwondo.
Construction began in July 2021, and about KRW 190 billion was invested. It has a total floor area of 34,816m2 (about 10,532 pyeong), including a high-rise production tower (VCV tower: vertical continuous extrusion system) with a height of 172m.
A spokesperson for the company said, “The HVDC projects worth KRW trillions are being promoted mainly in Europe, largely due to the carbon neutral policy. We have been preparing to expand our business through preemptive investments such as plant expansion and the acquisition of kt Submarine.”

LS Cable & System built Korea’s first submarine cable plant in Donghae in 2008 and has invested about KRW 700 billion to strengthen its submarine business capabilities. In addition, with its recent acquisition of shares in kt submarine, expectations are growing not only for cable supply but also for the expansion of construction projects.

The CEO of LS Cable & System said, “The completion of this HVDC factory will be an accelerator for growth in the era of energy transition and the rising trend of the electric power industry. We will contribute to the development of the power industry as well as strengthening national competitiveness through the establishment of an efficient energy network.”
LS Cable & System, established in 1962, has been contributing to building power grids and communication networks first in Korea and then in countries all over the world by developing, producing and providing cables and related solutions used in daily life and throughout many industries.
Furthermore, the company set the stage for industrial and economic development by capitalizing on its innovative technology to supply various special industrial cables and industrial materials.


 
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Samsung Electronics to Invest KRW 300 Trillion forSystem Semiconductors

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As Samsung Electronics secured production bases in Giheung, Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, as well as Yongin, it developed a ‘semiconductor triangular mega cluster.’
Samsung Electronics has recently decided to invest a total of KRW 300 trillion to build this ‘high-tech semiconductor cluster’ in the semiconductor national industrial complex created by the Korean government in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do.
The basic plan for the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster is to build five semiconductor manufacturing plants over the next 20 years and to attract 150 domestic and foreign excellent companies engaged in materials, parts, equipment, and semiconductor fabless.
Samsung Electronics’ KRW 300 trillion investment is estimated to have a direct and indirect production inducement effect of KRW 700 trillion, and an employment
inducement effect for up to 1.6 million people.

When the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster is created, the world’s largest semiconductor cluster will be completed by linking existing semiconductor production complexes such as Giheung, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, and Icheon with Pangyo, Seongnam, where nearby companies engaged in manufacturing of materials, parts, equipment and semiconductor fabless gather.

A spokesperson for the business community pointed out, “The super-gap in the memory semiconductor
sector led by Samsung Electronics is expected to widen and competitiveness in the foundry market will also
increase.”
The formation of the Yongin National Industrial Complex as a system semiconductor cluster is
interpreted as meaning that Samsung Electronics’ production strategy has reached an epoch-making
turning point.
Samsung Electronics is pushing ahead with the ‘shell first’ strategy despite the slowdown in the
semiconductor market. This is a method of constructing a ‘clean room,’ which is an essential clean space when building a semiconductor production base, first and then proceeding with facility investment. The advantage is that flexible resource allocation is possible because the use is determined by predicting the market conditions at the time of final completion, rather than building a factory by pre-determining memory or foundry.
According to Samsung C&T’s recent business report, the construction progress of Samsung Electronics’
Taylor 1 plant in Texas, USA was 43.8% as of the end of last year; and the clean room construction progress of Pyeongtaek 4 plant was 21.3%. The Pyeongtaek 4 plant is expected to be completed in October next year.
If the Yongin cluster, known as ‘the system semiconductor mecca,’ is constructed as planned, the
triangular mega cluster in southern Gyeonggi will be completed. In particular, the fact that Samsung
Electronics recently announced that it would build the Yongin cluster centered on system semiconductors is interpreted as meaning that it will enter the competition in the foundry market in earnest. Samsung Electronics

has thus widened the super-gap in the memory semiconductor field and prepared a foothold to
pursue the leading TSMC in the foundry field.

Currently, among global foundry companies, only Samsung Electronics and TSMC are capable
of mass- producing foundry processes below 5 nm. In June of
last year, Samsung Electronics began mass-production of the 3nm process that applied the
structure of GAA, a next-generation transistor, for the first time in the
world.
Unlike TSMC, which decided to apply GAA technology from the 2nm process, Samsung
Electronics is being recognized for closing the gap in the
technology race by starting mass-production from 3nm. However, it is unable to close the wide
market share gap with TSMC due to ‘physical limitations’ owing to
lack of production facilities. According to the Taiwanese market research firm Trend Force,
as of the fourth quarter of last year, TSMC had a market share of 58.5%,
ahead of Samsung Electronics (15.8%).
The Yongin cluster also means that the Korean government, which is trying to maintain its
position as the ‘strongest country in semiconductors’, and Samsung
Electronics, ‘the world’s No. 1 in memory

semiconductors’, initiated a joint private-public operation, targeting the global system
semiconductor market where TSMC has the greatest market share.
Just as TSMC has been growing rapidly based on the Taiwanese government’s full support,
it is interpreted that the Korean government started its full support for
the semiconductor industry.
The semiconductor industry is a pillar of the Korean economy and a key security asset,
accounting for 5.6% of gross domestic product (GDP), 24.2% of total facility
investment, and 19.4% of exports as of 2020. Major countries such as the United States,
China, Japan, and Taiwan are strengthening their semiconductor clusters
with full government support, while making all-out efforts to attract semiconductor
production facilities to their countries.

The Semiconductor Association’s spokesperson explained, “The customized support
strategy for system semiconductors, such as establishing a semiconductor
mega cluster, upgrading the value chain ecosystem, securing next-generation
semiconductor core technology and expanding manpower, will be of great
help in creating a strong ecosystem for the domestic semiconductor industry.”


 
 
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Taihan Wins Bid for a USA Power Project Worth US$42 Billion

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Taihan continues to receive orders from the USA. Taihan Cable & Solution Co., Ltd. has announced that it won an order for a power infrastructure project worth USD 42 billion from a power company in California, USA. It is a large-sized project to establish 275kV high voltage underground power grids in LA in order to respond to electricity demand, expected to sharply increase due to the LA Olympics in 2028.
Including this project, the cable manufacturer received orders worth KRW 190 billion from the USA this year. The cable company has won more than 10 new project orders from California, Florida, New York and other states since April, strengthening its position as a major supplier in the USA. The company is expanding product portfolios after winning orders for 69~275kV high voltage cables, low & medium voltage cables and aerial wires.
According to the cable provider, demand for electricity infrastructure in the USA continues to rise due to the replacement of old power grids and the expansion of new and renewable energy. As the power grid improvement plan worth USD 73 billion is included in the Biden Administration’s USD 1.2 trillion infrastructure investment budget plan, the relevant demand expansion is expected to accelerate.
Equipped with unrivaled competitiveness in the U.S. electricity market, the company is expected to solidly expand its businesses. It plans to continuously increase export products, ranging from the main item of high-voltage cable, to optical and submarine cables that are to be produced after next year.

Taihan Wins Bid for a USA Power Project Worth US$42 Billion

“Customized solutions through pre-marketing activities and technical support carried out by the U.S. HQs and branches in the eastern and western part of the nation were the key to the achievement.,” remarked a spokesperson for the cable company, adding, “We will continue to strengthen our position as a main supplier based on strong networks and business competence.”
The spokesperson also pointed out that the company would pursue opportunities for winning additional orders by actively responding to the needs of the market as the demand for power grids by the U.S. industrial sector is expected to grow due to the Biden Administration’s plan to enhance the power infrastructure.
Meanwhile, 85% of the total high-voltage cables exported to the USA last year was provided by the company according to the statistical data provided by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). The top-tier cable provider recorded a 98% market share in 2008, and a 79% market share 2019.
 
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LG Energy Solution’s Plan to Invest KRW 5 trillion Targeting the U.S. Market

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LG Energy Solution has a plan to inject KRW 5 trillion targeting the battery market of the United States after its decision to open two new factories in the first-half of this year – with an aim to attain additional battery production capability of more than 70GWh only in the USA.
LG Energy Solution recently released its investment plan for its aggressive investment in battery production in order that it can lead the eco-friendly industry in the U.S. market – in line with the acceleration of the transition in the vehicle market – from general vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). This is in accordance with the Green New Deal policy of the USA and the changing market environment.

Planning to inject KRW 5 trillion by 2025, along with the building plan of two additional factories

LG Energy Solution’s Plan to Invest KRW 5 trillion Targeting the U.S. Market


LG Energy Solution decided to invest more than KRW 5trillion in the U.S. market alone by 2025. Once the investment is made, its own battery production capacity – plus with its Michigan factory (5GWh) – will grow to a total of 75 GWh.
The new two factories are planned to be built as so-called ‘Green Factories’ to be operated with new renewable energy only. The Michigan factory is already being operated only with new renewable energy since the 2nd half of last year.

LG Energy Solution’s Plan to Invest KRW 5 trillion Targeting the U.S. Market


LG Energy Solution has also a plan to advance into the recent rapid growth area of cylindrical batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) – together with pouch batteries for energy saving systems for EVs. LG Energy Solution has been pursued under the ‘Green Field’ project by securing a site by itself and starting with building a factory from the 2nd half of last year. This will enable LG to contribute to the development of the ‘Green New Deal’ policy of the United States.
The President of LG Energy Solution recently explained “We expect that the USA’s Green New Deal policy will promote the rapid growth not only of electric vehicles (EVs), but also of the ESS market. So, we will secure battery-production capability in advance and build a localized stable supply chain system from R&D to production. We will thus contribute to the success of the nation’s Green New Deal policy as a best partner in the nation’s markets of EVs and ESS.”

LG Energy Solution’s Plan to Invest KRW 5 trillion Targeting the U.S. Market


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Samsung targeting No. 1 maker in global NAND market, following its prior position in D RAM market

https://korean-electronics.com//inquirySamsung Electronics, which recently released its plan to inject no less than KRW 8 trillion into its new NAND flash production line, turned out to have a plan to become a company that overcomes its global rivals in building more global NAND production facilities from this year to next year.
Taking advantage of the likelihood of global competitors’ falling behind in their investments due to the Corona virus, Samsung Electronics expects to become the global No. 1 maker in the NAND market through its large-scale investment and swift response to the potential increase of demand in the future – based upon the overwhelming competitiveness in NAND business.
Samsung Electronics plans to produce cutting-edge NAND products in the 2nd Pyungtaek production line, which is scheduled to operate in the second half of next year – in line with global growing demands.
Samsung Electronics, which first started its mass-production of the six-generation of V NAND products in the industry, is expected to manufacture the seven-generation of products through this new production line.

First-Quarter 2020 Global Semiconductor Equipment Billings Up 13 Percent Year-On-Year
Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings contracted 13 percent to US$15.57 billion quarter-over-quarter in Q1 2020 but increased 13 percent year-on-year, according to a recent announcement by the global industry association SEMI, representing the electronics design and manufacturing supply chain.
The data are gathered jointly with the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) from over 80 global equipment companies that provide data on a monthly basis. The quarterly billings data by region in billions of US dollars, quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year change by region are as follows. <Source:SEMI>

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2019 Global Semiconductor Equipment Sales Fall by 7 Percent to $59.8 Billion

https://korean-electronics.com//inquirySemiconductor equipment manufacturers worldwide logged sales of $59.8 billion in 2019, a 7-percent drop from the all-time high of $64.5 billion in 2018. This is according to a recent report by SEMI, the industry association representing the worldwide electronics product design and manufacturing supply chain.
Taiwan claimed the largest market share for new semiconductor equipment last year with sales of $17.12 billion after a 68 percent growth surge, dislodging Korea from the top spot. China maintained its position as the second largest equipment market with sales of $13.45 billion, followed by Korea, at $9.97 billion, after receipts fell by 44 percent. While the new equipment markets contracted in Japan, Europe, and Rest of the World, North America equipment sales jumped 40 percent to $8.15 billion in 2019, the region’s third consecutive annual increase.
Global sales of wafer-processing equipment declined by 6 percent in 2019, while other front-end segment sales grew 9 percent. Assembly and packaging, along with test equipment sales, also faltered, declining 27 percent and 11 percent, respectively, while sales to China rose across all major equipment segments, except for assembly and packaging.
Compiled from data submitted by members of SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ), the Worldwide SEMS Report is a summary of the monthly billings figures for the global semiconductor equipment industry. Categories cover wafer processing, assembly and packaging, testing, and other front-end equipment. Other front-end includes mask/reticle manufacturing, wafer manufacturing, and fab facilities equipment. <Source:SEMI>

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Global Fab Equipment Spending Poised for 2021 Record High

https://korean-electronics.com//inquiryGlobal fab equipment spending promises to rebound from its 2019 downturn and see a modest recovery this year before a sharp uptick drives record investments in 2021, SEMI reported recently in the latest update of its World Fab Forecast report.
The report shows a slow recovery in 2020 – 3% year-on-year (YoY) growth to US$57.8 billion – owing in large part to an 18% expected slump in the first half of 2020, compared with the second half of 2019.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has eroded fab equipment spending in China in 2020, prompting downward revisions to the World Fab Forecast report published in November 2019. Despite continuing headwinds from the virus, China equipment spending will grow about 5% YoY to over US$12 billion this year and surge 22% YoY, or to US$15 billion, in 2021. Investments by Samsung, SK Hynix, SMIC and YMTC will drive the growth.
Powered by TSMC and Micron investments, Taiwan will be the top region in spending in 2020 with nearly US$14 billion in equipment investments – but drop to third place in 2021, with over US$13 billion in spending, a 5% decline. In 2020, Korea will rank second in fab equipment spending based on the strength of investments by Samsung and SK Hynix, logging 31% growth, to US$13 billion, before jumping to the top with a 26% advance, to US$17 billion, in 2021. Southeast Asia (mainly Singapore) will also register robust growth (33% YoY, to US$2.2 billion) in 2020 and 26% in 2021.

Of all regions, Europe/Middle East will show the strongest equipment spending growth with a surge of more than 50%, to US$3.7 billion in 2020, and is expected to match that gain in 2021 on the back of investments by Intel, STMicroelectronics and Infineon.
In Japan, fab equipment spending growth will be negligible at almost 2 percent in 2020 and bump up to nearly 4% in 2021, with investments by Kioxia/Western Digital, Sony and Micron leading the way.
Lagging the pack, the Americas will spend less in 2020 than in 2019, with fab equipment investments plunging 24% to US$6.2 billion, and extend the downturn with a 4% decline in 2021.
The latest update of the World Fab Forecast report, published in late February 2020, covers quarterly spending for construction and equipment from 2019 to 2021. The report lists 1,339 fabs and lines and 111 facilities (including low probability) expected to start volume production in 2020 or later. The forecast also provides quarterly totals for capacities, technology nodes, 3D layers, product types and wafer sizes. <Source:SEMI>

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Hanwha’s Top-5 Video Surveillance Trends for 2020

https://korean-electronics.com//inquiryHanwha Techwin, a global supplier of network and analog video surveillance solutions, recently announced its top-five key trend predictions for the security industry in 2020. They include: AI End-to-End Security Solutions; Cybersecurity; Cloud-based Data Insights; Privacy Protection; and Vertical Specialized Solutions.

AI End-to-End Security Solutions
As AI becomes more broadly adopted across industries, it is likely to be more widely incorporated in video surveillance in this year. Edge-based AI (which filters and processes data locally on a camera) will be more ubiquitous, enabling end-to-end AI technology. Today, most security cameras send the data they collect to servers to be analyzed. However, with edge-based AI, the data is analyzed by the camera first, and subsequently sent to the server. This reduces the burden of transferring and storing large amounts of data to a server, thereby increasing efficiency, saving time, and reducing server costs typically required to analyze data. In 2020, Hanwha Techwin will introduce edge-based AI cameras, as well as AI-powered NVRs and VMSs to introduce end-to-end (camera to storage server and VMS) AI security solutions.

Cybersecurity
With IoT devices becoming ubiquitous, the importance of cybersecurity has never been more important. Today’s cyber-attacks are more intelligent and advanced than ever, so building cyber-resilient security systems is no longer an option, but imperative.
Smart cities, factories, financial institutions and retailers today require scalable video surveillance solutions that are closely interconnected with other devices and networks, making the importance of cybersecurity paramount.
Strong cybersecurity has always been Hanwha Techwin’s priority and the company has been refining its technology from the outset. The soon-to-be released Wisenet 7, the newest version of Hanwha Techwin’s own SoC (System on Chip), has been designed with the strongest cybersecurity features including a secure booting function and signed firmware for both software and hardware. Validated by the UL Cybersecurity Assurance Program (CAP) certification, Wisenet 7 ensures that users have access to the industry’s most advanced cybersecurity features.

Cloud–based Data Insight
According to IDC, a provider of information technology market intelligence, there will be about 175 zettabytes of data in the world by the year 2025 with much of it stored in the cloud and data centers around the world. At the same time, video surveillance solutions will go far beyond functioning as a simple monitoring tool to become an indispensable aid to organizations by providing useful insights that improve business operations. The importance of accessible cloud-based servers that can easily store and analyze the accumulated data will also increase. Going beyond being an efficient storage repository, sophisticated analytics will use cloud processing to analyze the stored data and provide useful insights.
In 2020, Hanwha Techwin will introduce cloud-based solutions beginning with the Device Health Monitoring Cloud which will monitor and manage video surveillance devices in real time. The company will also introduce Retail Insight Cloud designed to facilitate store management.

Privacy Protection
Together with cybersecurity, Hanwha Techwin believes that the protection of personal data should be integral to the business ethics of a video surveillance company. By its very nature, the video data that is collected for security purposes almost always contains private information. Therefore, protecting surveillance data is imperative. Around the world, privacy protection laws are being introduced such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, and the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) in the USA. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is also set to come into effect in January 2020. These laws will force the video surveillance industry to follow “privacy by design” best practices and renew their efforts to protect personal data from misuse and abuse. Organizations are increasingly aware of the dangers of private data breaches and they are becoming more discerning when choosing security products and solutions. Domestically, Hanwha Techwin provides a solution with VPM (Video Privacy Management) technology and has released its S-COP (Smart Cover of Privacy) lineup to comply with GDPR globally.

Vertical Specialized Solutions
Vertical markets in the security industry are increasingly requiring more specialized devices and solutions to meet their unique requirements. With the emergence of the 4th industrial revolution, the presence of smart verticals will be more prominent, and video surveillance companies must be ready to provide solutions for smart cities, factories, transportation and retail organizations. Hanwha Techwin already provides products for these verticals and plans to expand its lineup of specialized solutions in the near future to include asset management solutions with IoT technology.

Hanwha Techwin’s President & CEO Soonhong Ahn explained, “Advancement in technologies such as AI, IoT and cloud will support new use cases in conjunction with existing devices and solutions to meet customers’ needs in various verticals, expanding the horizons of our industry. However, we must also be mindful of the social and ethical responsibility related to areas such as cybersecurity and private data protection. Sustained interest and investment in these areas must be regarded as an obligation to make sure our industry continues to thrive in the midst of rapid technological advancements.”

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Development of High Quality Graphene Oxide Manufacturing Technology

https://korean-electronics.com//inquiryJMC, a subsidiary of Kyung-in Synthetic Corporation (KISCO), has developed a technology for manufacturing high-quality graphene oxide. It is expected to contribute to the commercialization of graphene because it can mass-produce various products specializing in various industries such as secondary batteries, automobiles, and packaging at reasonable prices.
JMC recently announced that it has developed highquality graphene oxide manufacturing technology with a research team led by Dr. Yang Woo-seok of the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI) and a research team from Cornell University in the US. JMC introduced the technology at ID TechEx, a special exhibition of graphene materials in Santa Clara, USA on November 14 to 15.
This technology can be used to adjust the lateral size to less than one micrometer (μm) or 20 to 30 micrometers (μm) or more to 40 micrometers or more via a chemical method using an acidic material. The lateral size is the size of one particle layer. Its size can change depending on its use such as rechargeable batteries and lightweight automobile materials. It is technically difficult to develop products with thick layers.
The proportion of graphene oxide monolayer was raised to more than 80%. When graphene oxide is exposed to high temperatures, it is resolved into graphene. Graphene is a nanomaterial that is one layer separated from graphite, a honeycomb-like threedimensional structure. This new material can dramatically increase the electrons’ speed, current speed, strength, and thermal conductivity. It is light, more than 100 times as strong as iron, transparent, and highly elastic. The higher the proportion of the graphene monolayer is than graphite, the better the performance is delivered.
Its metal content is also reduced to be used in electronic materials. A large amount of metal may cause an error when the material is used in a secondary battery or a capacitor.
JMC has been mainly producing BCMB, a major raw material for saccharin, potassium fertilizer, and semiconductor encapsulants. BCMB is a flameretardant, lightweight polymer material for electronic materials that is growing in the global market.
JMC plans to expand cooperation with various companies and institutions in order to commercialize graphene. The growth of the graphene market has been hindered by difficulties in technology development and applications and high unit prices among others. The company has its own technology through which the company can mass-produce and supply high quality graphene oxide at an economical price. To find applications with various organizations and companies, JMC continues research on applications such as the Si-GO anode materials which improve the efficiency of secondary batteries by using graphene, moisture barrier film, and graphene coating for the prevention of metal corrosion.

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Chinese makers also made a foray into the 8K TV market

https://korean-electronics.com//inquiryTCL, the world’s third-largest TV manufacturer, announced that it would launch an 8K TV next year. It is said that Haier, Changhong, and Hisense have already completed the development of 8K TVs and are pondering when to launch them. The TV industry expects that they will take the wraps off commercial products early next year and launch them within next year.
Sharp, which launched the world’s first 8K TV, plans to launch a second-generation 8K TV this month.
If 8K TV models increase beginning next year, they will compete in terms of various points such as image quality chips, display types, and sizes.
Samsung Electronics uses the Quantum Processor 8K, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based image quality upgrade chip, as its competitive edge. Because of a lack of 8K TV contents, the image quality upgrade function will be the factor that determines the quality of the contents.
“The Quantum Processor 8K is about one year ahead of its competitors’ chips,” a Samsung Electronics official said. “We will continue to take the lead with our competitiveness in QLED 8K core technology.”
LG Electronics is highlighting OLED displays as a strong point. OLED displays are currently receiving the highest evaluation in the premium TV market, so a change will occur in the competition if 8K OLED TVs come out.
The outlook on the 8K TV market is bright. Market researcher IHS Markit predicted that the 8K TV market would grow from less than 20,000 units in 2018 to 430,000 units in 2019 and two million units in 2020. It was forecasted that the TV market would change with a focus on 60-inch or larger TVs.
The TV makers’ shift of focus to 8K TVs may be good news for the display industry too. This is because the green light has been given to the expansion of 8K panels, which are somewhat expensive, and demand for large-sized panels is expected to grow.

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