TOKYO (WiMAX Day). Wheels are moving fast as technology vendors scramble for lead positions around the globe. Japan’s Fujitsu, a founding member of the WiMAX Forum, is to team with the Taiwan government in a deal for joint development of WiMAX broadband chips, capitalised at several billion yen. Sources say the chips likely will be built in one of Fujitsu’s plants in Japan.This is not the first time for Fujitsu to collaborate with Taiwan’s best and brightest on advancing WiMAX. In October, the Japanese conglomerate struck an alliance with Taiwan’s Delta Networks, a design manufacturer of network equipment. Products at Fujitsu include integrated circuits, microcontroller units, and system memory chips.Industry watchers peg the latest move as a significant Asian show of strength in end-to-end WiMAX prominence from infrastructure to hardware to network products and services. Taiwan has much to offer the future of a strong WiMAX Asian presence and its own economy with its WiMAX deals.Taiwan has been aggressive in coaxing lead global vendors to join them on home territory when building R&D centers and to call on Taiwan companies for parts and labor. Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, and Sprint Nextel, have each signed memorandums of understanding to this effect with the Taiwanese government. The companies intend to purchase WiMAX equipment and components from Taiwan, as well as engage in joint development of WiMAX products.For the Taiwanese government, making WiMAX progress means proving its country can deliver world-class manufacturing capabilities, not to mention showcasing Taiwan as an important application test-bed. The government expects WiMAX investments to reach US$3.9 billion by 2009.