Bede plc recently announced that it has won three orders for its advanced D1 X-ray tool. The companies, all based in Taiwan, are the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Arima Optoelectronics Co. (AOC) and the National Chiao Tung University (NCTU). "The choice of the Bede D1 system by three leading Taiwanese research laboratories for use in important cutting-edge materials analysis applications confirms the strong competitive lead enjoyed by Bede in its target markets," said Neil Loxley, chief executive of Bede. "These orders, with a combined value in excess of $750,000, are further confirmation of a recent improvement seen by Bede in the semiconductor trading environment."

For additional information, call (44) 0191-3324700, e-mail neil.loxley@bede.co.uk or visit http://www.bede.com .