Industry analysts agree the semiconductor industry achieved one of its best second quarters in revenue growth, driven by the booming memory device market. The DRAM market, in particular, is expected to reach record growth levels in 2017. The semiconductor industry posted 6.1 percent growth compared to the previous quarter, reaching near record growth in the…
New technologies like the internet of things (IoT), big data, and social learning platforms have the power to transform the supply chain to make them more efficient, leading to competitive advantages across industries. Market research firm Gartner Inc. is betting these technologies will help to further digitize the supply chain over the next five years. In…
Chinese enterprises, government and public investment firms need a different international M&A strategy because whatever they are doing now is clearly not working in the global semiconductor market. China has built a $150 billion-plus technology war chest to transform its economy into a high-end IT powerhouse but Western governments have repeatedly checkmated those moves in…
There are early signs that a price war is looming in the DRAM market, and it should be no surprise considering the cyclical nature of the memory device industry. DRAM prices have been steadily rising for about a year, but that upward trend may be coming to an end with planned capex and production capacity…
Toshiba Corp. will struggle to sell its flash memory business without the acquiescence of Western Digital Corp., a fact the Japanese company seemingly ignored today when it signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the conclusion of acquisition talks with a potential buyer by the end of September. Even if Toshiba and the Bain Capital…
Could merger mania be headed to the power electronics industry? The acquisition of IXYS by Littelfuse may mark the start of industry consolidation in the mature insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) market, according to Yole Développement. Yole analysts believe the leading position of Infineon is forcing IGBT suppliers to bolster their technical expertise and market position…
Artificial intelligence (AI) will impact the semiconductor industry in two key ways over the next several years, according to TrendForce. AI is expected to create demand for new technologies, opening up new market opportunities, and improve the semiconductor fabrication process. With new products and platforms related to AI rolled out over the past year in…
A public relations (PR) crisis can spread in a variety of ways today — especially on TV, online and through social media — that will impact your brand forever. How quickly you respond is critical. Without giving you a lecture: When things are calm I strongly hope you are establishing your brand mission, attributes, and creating goodwill in…
The impact of Hurricane Harvey on the global supply chain will be worse than expected due to the dependence on chemicals and intermediate products across a range of industries, according to supply chain experts at Resilinc, a provider of supply chain risk and resiliency solutions. Other contributing factors are an interconnected global supply chain and…
The U.S. manufacturing industry accelerated its growth rate in August as the nation’s leading indicator, the Institute for Supply Management’s PMI, increased by 2.5 percent from July’s level to reach 58.8 percent. New orders, production, employment, backlog and exports also increased in August, setting the stage for continued growth in September. “August is usually a…