The Future of Europe as a Global Semiconductor Leader

In emerging countries, such as India, China and other places, many routine medical emergencies require immediate intervention otherwise become fatal due to lack of infrastructure and poor rural connectivity. Thanks to the application of electronics, diagnostic techniques have become more or less automated and affordable. The issue of portability is also being addressed for clinical diagnostics like CT, MRI, ultrasound and angiogram. Home diagnostics like blood sugar, BP and ECG have also become popular due to its portability and low cost of ownership. These developments have been possible mainly due to the integration capabilities of wireless technologies and semiconductor chips that have brought down the size and cost of these products while increasing their capabilities. In summary, despite the uncertainty of global macroeconomic challenges, opportunity for the semiconductor industry exists in many forms. How Europe chooses to address these opportunities in expanding economies, particularly in areas where they maintain design strength, will portend the probabilities of future success. This presentation looks at the following questions: What is Europe's role in the global economy and how can it leverage its design and manufacturing strengths to capture a significant share of the emerging world? What role will China play in manufacturing strategies versus the rest of the world? As IDMs shut down fabs, how will this impact the delivery of product into an expanding market? What role will the Chinese IDMs play in the market recovery in 2010 and beyond? Will inventory management continue to be strong? Which companies are poised to grab a share of the worldwide emerging markets?