Cary and All,
Japanese Companies Weakening
(09/22/97; 10:30 a.m. EDT)
By Jack Robertson, Electronic Buyers' News
The chairman of SGS-Thomson Microelectronics said he predicted that
Japanese companies' share of the global chip market will drop to 22 percent in 2002.
Addressing the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International
annual dinner last week in Santa Clara, Calif., Laurent Bosson said Japan will continue to lose market share because of underinvestment and obsolete equipment.
He said in 2002, the North American chip industry will hold a 33 percent market share, the Far East (excluding Japan) will increase to 26 percent, and Europe will remain steady at 19 percent.
In sizing up global competitors, Bosson said several Japanese chip makers, including Fujitsu, Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Mitsubishi Electric, and Toshiba "have transitioned from semiconductor paradise to hell."
On the other hand, Bosson said, Sharp and Sony "have transitioned from
hell to paradise." Asked in an interview if SGS Thomson's European parent is interested in acquiring Temic Semiconductors, a subsidiary of Daimler-Benz AG now on the block, Bosson replied, "We are building our own new fabs in Europe and will have more than enough capacity without trying to acquire Temic."
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