European Microelectronics
Technologies vs. Competition
With the slow-down in the economy, most companies prepare themselves to face the fierce competition for a still smaller market. Some of them do it by exchanging fixed costs with variable costs by outsourcing (part of) production — often to countries where salaries are an order of magnitude less than in the Western world. Some times even development will be outsourced, and then the companies try to focus on core business — whatever that is and with whatever that is left. Most often this is an irreversible process that in the long run might either be a disaster with the result that the company will disappear and die — or it can be a success if it has been done properly and well analyzed using the best partners, resulting in survival and a basis for new growth and prosperity.
Others will focus on their technologies in order to save costs. This might result in new focus on the R&D department with the challenge to introduce and implement new integration and miniaturization technologies leading to space and cost savings — a good platform for future growth when the market again has recovered. Unfortunately this ideal situation requires a strong belief in the future with light to be seen at the end of the tunnel, but most often this route does not please impatient shareholders.
Instead there will be a focus on current technologies and the way they have been utilized, and some existing solutions will be found to be less than optimal due to changed conditions. For instance previous integrated power and control modules for speed control of motors based upon wirebonding and thick film technology might be made cheaper isolated, seen by using DBC power modules plus a control module on laminate using packaged SMDs. Or a power amplifier for a mobile phone previously made as a laminate MCM-BGA might be smaller and offer better performance and at the same time also be cheaper if replaced with a ceramic-based module accommodating a flip chip RF IC with more integration.
What this means is that no way we can rest and be self-assured that the technology or solution chosen some time ago continuously will be the best.
If we want to stay in business and be superior to our competitors, we have to know about the competing technologies, their strengths and their weaknesses. An interesting technology in itself is not enough; the success criterion is what it offers the market or ultimately the customer. Will he see a better, smaller, less expensive product?
The only way to stay on top of this is continuous education and an open eye for new solutions, opportunies and possibilities.
IMAPS offers a fantastic platform for this with workshops, conferences and symposia with presenters from all over the world — and by attracting many delegates also offering the opportunity to meet and interact with other delegates.
Companies in Europe with its very high salaries have to work very smart to be in business at all.
You can benefit in their success by checking out the calendar of events for future European IMAPS conferences.
We will welcome you!
Søren Nørlyng
noerlyng@micronsult.dk
| Table of Contents | Previous Page | Next Page |
