Numonyx Killer... or EU Killer?
Will the EU agree to swallow ST/L'Intel's entire PCRAM risk? ...Just how long and far will these fab addicted societies go before someone demands a basic cost benefit analysis of this plan to develop the first universe on a pin head?
Ex-ST exec proposes pan-European chip company
Anne-Francoise Pele
Page 1 of 2
EE Times Europe
(03/13/2008 6:40 AM EDT)
MUNICH — Joseph Borel, former executive vice president in central R&D at STMicroelectronics NV has proposed that Europe's top three chip companies — NXP, ST and Infineon Technologies — should consolidate into one European super chip company. A 12-page proposal from Borel has been sent to the French Senate and is being transferred to the office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The European semiconductor industry has been struggling in a storm-tossed tempest. To avoid shipwreck, Borel, now of the JB-R&D consulting company, explained with conviction in an exclusive interview with EE Times Europe that NXP Semiconductors (Eindhoven, The Netherlands), ST (Geneva, Switzerland) and Infineon Technologies AG (Munich, Germany) have to stop operating individually, and join to achieve critical mass at a scale close to that of semiconductor market leader Intel and to be larger than number two Samsung.
Borel said he had defended his idea in front of Medea, now Catrene, the pan-European research collaboration for microelectronics. But, because he realized that only state governments could take such a decision, Borel addressed his 12-page proposal to the French Senate, which then transferred it to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
According to Borel, Europe's situation has become critical. For fiscal year 2007, ST reported a net loss of $477 million on revenues of $10.0 billion, NXP made a net loss of $750 million on sales revenue of $7.04 billion and Infineon, excluding DRAM maker Qimonda, announced a profit of about $121 million (up from negative $27.7 billion in fiscal year 2006) on revenues of $6.27 billion.***
eetimes.com
Sheesh... Talk about pigs in a poke... How about throwing some Gabillions into Moon mining? ...Maybe build a few Martian colonies?
Is it really necessary... much less beneficial... to have a subcutaneous telecommunicalculator in every citizen? ...Do we have to prove that we can achieve Baron Von Frankenstein's dream... and actually resolve John Connor's nightmare too?
How about "funding" a nice quiet horseback ride instead... and maybe a little clean air... a little natural, untainted water would certainly be nice. I wonder how many people born today will ever know what that tastes like? Sheesh... <ack?><ack?>
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