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According to industry analysts, the active electronic components market was worth $182.9 billion in 2014 and is projected to reach $376.9 billion by 2023, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.4% during the forecast period of 2015-2023. Key drivers of growth in this area are micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and the wider adoption of renewable energy resources, as well as the increasing popularity of portable electronic devices. Typically North America has dominated the market, but during the forecast period it is expected to be superseded by Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific is projected to experience the fastest growth by 2023,...

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Taiwan’s exports of electronic components, its biggest category of exports, declined by 1% during the first three quarters of 2019, according to recent data from the island’s finance authority. The island’s electronic components exports amounted to 80.9 billion US dollars during the first nine months of 2019, accounting for one third of its total exports. The export of ICs saw a 2% rise during the period, totalling $71.8 billion. Other components, including printed circuit, LED, solar panels and capacitors and resistors, suffered a 20% decrease in total exports. Solar panels and capacitors and resistors suffered the steepest decline of 71%...

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Following several years of strong demand, 2019 will mark the global semiconductor market's biggest slump in 18 years. The largest decline was experienced in 2001, amid the burst of the internet bubble. The 2019 decline is pegged at 15%, the third largest annual drop since a 32% decline in 2001 and the 17% decline in 1985. An uncertain global economy and weakness in key demand are cited as the key contributors to the current downturn. Nevertheless, experts anticipate that 2020 will see the semiconductor market return to growth and continue to prosper. Memory chips are expected to hold the largest...

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For the past few years, many manufacturers have been constrained by the shortage of passive components, particularly multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). Over the past year the supply has eased while demand is slightly down, reducing the pressure on manufacturers. In 2018 GoPro expected to manufacture 5 million units of their flagship action camera. In fact they manufactured 4.2 million. Was there less demand than expected? No, they ran into a classic supply chain problem - the demand for a key component, a multi-layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) exceeded supply. Although an MLCC is a tiny component, it is a critical one...

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Global expenditure on new manufacturing sites and equipment for semiconductors is expected to attain $50 billion by 2020, with firms in China and Taiwan set to recover from a slump that started in late 2018. The projections, provided by US-based SEMI, an industry group representing the electronics manufacturing supply chain, show a 32% increase from the projected total for 2019. It sees 18 projects entering into construction in 2020, rising from 15 this year, although work may be delayed in the wake of a cooling economy and the ongoing US-China trade war. The forecast demonstrates how China is rapidly becoming...