The “Electronics World” event, organized by Arrow Electronics and held in Parma, Italy, on June 14, saw the participation of European and global electronics companies that presented their products and solutions at over 60 stands. After two editions held in virtual form as a measure to counter the spread of Covid-19, the event was once again held in person. During this period, Arrow Electronics said it continued to support its clientele through webinars, conferences, and panel discussions held online. In his opening address, Gabriele Braga, director of the engineering division at Arrow Electronics, indicated that over 15,000 participants attended these virtual sessions.
“Today, we are here to talk about our everyday life and how electronics will be a fundamental pillar in the coming years,” said Braga.
The roundtable event was attended by the main companies operating in the electronics sector, which together represent over 50% of the semiconductors sold in Italy. Mario Boni, South Europe distribution sales manager at STMicroelectronics; Gianfranco Cardamone, senior sales director South East – Italy country manager at NXP Semiconductor; Giuseppe Finazzi, senior director regional sales distribution EMEA South West at Infineon Technologies; Marco Montagliani, senior channel sales manager South -Central Europe at Microchip Technology; and Paolo Zanellato, regional sales manager South Europe at onsemi, discussed the current status and future prospects of the semiconductor market.
Semiconductors market
The panel discussion highlighted how well the semiconductor market is doing. Current estimates speak of more than 21% growth in global semiconductor sales. In his speech, Cardamone noted how the crisis is certainly affecting the market. However, industrial and automotive are sectors destined to drive the market in the coming years. Electrification is receiving a major boost thanks to high investments, resulting in a strong impact on the supply chain. As the automotive sector integrates an increasing amount of on-board electronics, it is very difficult to provide an accurate lead-time estimate, also considering the series of geopolitical and international events.
The most recent studies conducted by analysts estimate a level of growth for Europe comparable to that of the North American market. The European market is worth about 10% of the entire world semiconductor market, but growth is continuous, with rhythms in line with those of the countries that hold the largest market shares.
The industrial sector, together with those of energy conversion and energy use, are having a high impact on the demand for semiconductors in Europe.
Finazzi said automotive is currently the most important sector, with an exponential growth in demand for electronic solutions and components in all markets, especially in Europe. Wafer consumption is also experiencing exponential growth, with the automotive market alone accounting for 25% of world wafer production. The other markets are also contributing to the growth in demand, which is expected to remain at high levels in the near future. Finazzi said the market with the greatest demand for wafers in the world, after the automotive industry, is that of image sensors (CMOS), with multiple applications in various sectors such as industry, automotive, robotics, and machine vision.
Read More: https://www.eetimes.eu/a-look-at-the-european-semiconductor-industry/