In addition to regularly posting new electronics projects and articles, Elektor's editorial team works hard each week to keep you updated about new developments in the electronics industry. The following electronics news round-up covers the last several days. 

IC News, EDA Revenue, and More

  • Semiconductor Industry Calls Chips "Essential": Which industries and companies should be considered "essential" by governments during the coronavirus crisis? Last Friday, 10 semiconductor industry associations — including Semiconductor Industry Association in EU (ESIA), Semiconductor Industry Association in Japan (JSIA), Semiconductor Industry Association in Korea (KSIA), and Semiconductor Industry Association in US (SIA) — called on nations to "specify semiconductor industry operations as 'essential infrastructure' and/or 'essential business' to allow continuity in operations." In a joint statement, the associations argued that semiconductors are key components in many essential, life-critical products and services, including medical devices, communication networks, and energy grids. electronics news IC wafer news
     
  • The Coronavirus's Impact on High-Tech Industries: Market research firm TrendForce reported on March 30, 2020, that "IC design revenue is not expected to decrease by a considerable amount in 1Q20 despite being somewhat affected by the pandemic." However, TrendForce noted that IC design demand is decreasing and thus Q2 revenues will likely drop. As for products such as TVs and smartphones, TrendForce has revised its Q1 end product shipment forecast due to the coronavirus crisis. For instance, pre-COVID-19, the firm predicted a global TV shipment of 48.8 million units; now, it predicts 44.6 million units. The firm predicts that the total worldwide smartphone production volume in 2020 might reach 1.29 billion units, which is 7.8% less than 2019. 
     
  • EDA Revenue Increased in 2019: The ESD Alliance reported last week that Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industry revenue increased 2.2% percent for Q4 2019 to $2626.3 million (compared to $2570.1 million in Q4 2018). Revenue in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) in Q4 jumped 31% (compared to Q4 2018) to $445.1 million. For the year, the total EDA industry revenue increased 8.3% to reach $10.2 billion.
     
  • 100 IC Wafer Fabs Shuttered Since 2009: Semiconductor manufacturers either closed or repurposed 100 IC wafer fabs since 2009, IC Insights reported last week. Japan led the way, closing or repurposing 36 fabs between 2009 and 2019. North America had 33, Europe had 18, and Asia-Pacific had 13. "Many of the shuttered wafer fabs had been used for decades and had outlived their useful purpose," IC Insights concluded. "Consequently, these fabs were closed in favor of much more cost-efficient facilities."
     
  • Elektor Member Insights: Each month, we survey Elektor members about their technical interests and more. Some recent results: 62% of surveyed Elektor members are currently thinking about selling a product or publishing a book in the Elektor Store. 91% of surveyed Elektor members have a dedicated electronics workspace at home or are currently planning to create one.

Stay Informed

Every week, Elektor’s editorial team update you about electronics news, new products, and more. Visit our Electronics News Byte page and subscribe to the tag. And don't forget to sign up for Elektor's free weekly E-Zine.