Town Hall Session: Model for Capitalising on Emerging Markets (BRIC)

There has been much discussion in the past decade about the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) markets and how they have the potential to offer huge growth potential for the hi-tech industry. These BRIC countries offer an increase in economic and consumption lead by their rising population and income levels. In fact, in the last decade alone, the number of people with incomes greater than $6,000 and less than $30,000 has grown by hundreds of millions, and this number is set to rise even further in the next 10 years. The BRIC markets pose a very interesting and lucrative investment, as well as offering a hot bed for technological innovation, giving semiconductor companies the opportunity to benefit and profit from the wealth of natural resources and labor these countries provide. In summary, despite the uncertainty of global economic 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. The main focus of this session is on: (1) 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? (2) What is the fastest route to emerging economies for semiconductor companies? (3) How have the BRIC countries - which are 'cornerstones of emerging markets' - become less dependent on help from abroad and become more independent and competitive? (4) What role will these 'cornerstones' play in the market recovery in 2011 and beyond?