The head of Munich chip group Infineon, Jochen Hanebeck, does not expect the semiconductor crisis to be over any time soon. “We will see bottlenecks in semiconductors that we source from contract manufacturers in the coming year, for example in the areas of microcontrollers and connectivity,” said Hanebeck. In fact, if he looks further into the future, it is “very likely that the next power semiconductor shortage is just around the corner soon”.
The strong demand for electromobility and renewable energy sources are converging, says Hanebeck, who has been CEO of Infineon, the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” since April. “We are stepping on the accelerator and expanding capacity. But it is uncertain whether we can meet the high demand.”
Concerned Look at Taiwan
He is also concerned about the deterioration of the conflict over Taiwan, the Infineon chief said. “During the semiconductor crisis of recent years, we realized what it means if the manufacturers in Taiwan cannot supply enough chips. But if there were no more chips coming from Taiwan at all, it would have a major impact on all sectors of the economy worldwide.”
Europe is even more dependent on semiconductors from Taiwan than on energy from Russia, Hanebeck said. “For highly advanced semiconductor products, such as processors for smartphones and next-generation microcontrollers for automotive applications, the dependency is very high.” It is not possible to replace this production at the necessary scale elsewhere in the next five to ten years.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
