It has become an irreversible trend to incorporate third-generation semiconductor materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) into power devices and modules for electric vehicles (EV). And Taiwan III-V semiconductor suppliers can leverage the manufacturing prowess of system device makers to deepen related applications, but will face three stages of challenges in this regard, according to an expert at Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories (EOSRL) under the government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

Fab equipment spending in 2023 is forecast by SEMI to remain at US$109 billion, staying flat from the predicted spending in 2022, symbolizing the plateauing of capacity investments in front-end facilities amid slowdown in aggregated demands, but demand from some sectors remain strong.

There is no doubt that semiconductors will be everywhere in the world in the future, and semiconductors are already a very important strategic industry for industrial countries. Taiwan, a top semiconductor-producing country in the world, has an unprecedented opportunity to upgrade its industry while facing strong competitive pressure. Other countries coveting Taiwan’s industrial resources will provide at least some incentives, but in the process of bringing Taiwan’s industrial strength to its fullest potential, we must also understand the various challenges we may face.

Mobile phone sales through e-commerce channels have become stagnant after rapidly rising to around 20% of total handset sales in Taiwan, sparking concerns over whether it is the ceiling ratio for online smartphone sales, according to industry sources.