Automotive OEMs Reset Relationship With Chipmakers
How will automotive OEMs will move from an arm’s length relationship to long-term agreements?
Automakers Shift to High-Tech Supply Chain Models
A year into the semiconductor shortage, automakers are adjusting their sourcing relationships
Counterfeit Risk Rises When Supplies Run Short
The risk of procuring counterfeit electronics rises considerably during periods of component shortages. With semiconductor supplies remaining tight through the end of 2022, the industry faces a prolonged interval of increased risk. Industry sources have used the word “desperate” to describe the current shortage situation. When a high-priced product such as an automobile can’t be…
Automotive MCU Sales to Rise 23% Despite Shortages
The huge market for automotive microcontrollers—which accounted for about 40 percent of total MCU sales over the last decade—has been on an uneven ride in the past several years, according to IC Insights. After climbing 12 percent in 2017, worldwide automotive MCU sales slowed to a crawl in 2018, rising just 1 percent. A borderline…
Executives Increase Supply Chain Risk Concerns
Executives remain optimistic about the global economy at the close of Q2, but not every region is benefiting equally from Covid-19 vaccination rates and re-opened businesses. IPC has raised its outlook for the United States, Europe, Mexico, Australia and Taiwan but notes Japan, India, Indonesia and Turkey continue to struggle. A recent McKinsey survey likewise…
Unfortunately, Fabs Won’t Fix Forecasting
With Intel Corp. predicting a scarcity of semiconductors that will last years, chip makers are set to build 29 new fabs by the end of 2022, according to industry group SEMI. These plans will have little impact on the current shortage, which has spread well beyond the automotive industry. Although fab plans represent a boon…
MEMS Sensor Recovery Gains Momentum
Sensors and actuators made with MEMS technology are forecast to grow by high double-digit percentages in the next several years after starting a recovery in 2H20, according to IC Insights. Sales of semiconductor sensors and actuators made with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology are expected to grow about 16 percent in 2021 to a record-high $15.9…
TrendForce: Top 10 Foundries’ Revenue Hits All-Time High
With Intel Corp. predicting that the chip shortage could last years, foundries — and chip makers — are in a position to increase prices. TrendForce reports various foundries are raising their wafer prices and adjusting their product mixes to ensure profitability. Back in March, Intel announced plans to invest $20 billion in U.S. chip facilities…
The Labor Shortage is the Next Major Issue Facing the Supply Chain
The labor shortage is fast becoming the next significant problem for the supply chain. Many frontline warehouse employees fall into the category of shift workers who have yet to return to the workforce, even as the economy bounces back, and the demand for workers still continues to climb. While these critical jobs remain difficult to fill, employers are focusing on optimizing…
Mouser Poised for Bounceback in EMEA Electronics Market
Even in the most challenging of economies, electronics companies design new products. Component makers and distributors that assist OEMs with their designs stand to benefit from high margins or volume orders once an item reaches mass production. Catalog distributors that specialize in low-volume, high-mix design and engineering orders, such as Mouser Electronics, weather market volatility…