European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC), a joint venture between TSMC, Robert Bosch, Infineon Technologies and NXP Semiconductors, has held a groundbreaking ceremony to officially mark the initial phase of land preparation for its first semiconductor fab in Dresden, Germany. The event brought together government officials, customers, suppliers, business partners and academia to celebrate a milestone in establishing what will be the EU’s first-ever FinFET-capable pure-play foundry.
Due to several factors such as inventory de-stocking and investment delays caused by weak economic environments, many industrial PC (IPC) companies faced declines in the first half of 2024 that resulted in a year-on-year decrease in performance. However, several companies have indicated their positive attitude for the second half of 2024 and even into 2025 as China’s market becomes stable while general economic situations see potential growth in the upcoming future.
The global semiconductor manufacturing industry in the second quarter of 2024 continued to show signs of improvement with significant growth of IC sales, stabilizing capital expenditure, and an increase in installed wafer fab capacity, according to a recent report published by SEMI in collaboration with TechInsights. While the slower recovery in some end markets impacted the pace of growth in the first half of this year, the surge in demand for AI chips and high bandwidth memory (HBM) created strong tailwinds driving industry expansion.
Taiwan’s Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corporation (SSFC) has made significant inroads into China’s electric vehicle market with materials such as elastomers and automotive films. Despite the severe involution in China’s EV sector, the company remains optimistic about its shipment prospects for the second half of 2024 and beyond.
To seize the European market, Samsung Display (SDC) established a production site in Slovakia. However, as its main client, Samsung Electronics, progresses towards internalized production and the increase of local personnel costs, SDC reportedly plans on clearing out its branch in Slovakia.