Mobile Internet Reshaping the Pattern of Global Semiconductor Industry

The semiconductor industry is the foundation of the information industry, and the information industry is the driving force for the development of the semiconductor industry. According to the study of the Software and Integrated Circuit Promotion Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the mobile Internet is the fifth technological development cycle of the information industry following mainframes, minicomputers, personal computers, and the traditional Internet. The development speed of mobile internet is obviously faster than that of traditional internet. Its scale is larger and it is gradually permeating into people's lives. The mobile internet industry will also reshape the global semiconductor industry.

Experts from the Software and IC Promotion Center believe that the global semiconductor industry and its related industries are shifting from PCs to mobile communications and wireless, and thus gradually transitioning to the mobile Internet era. According to statistics, the semiconductor industry dominated by the PC market has gradually lost its dominant position in the past, and ARM-based processors with smart phones and tablet PCs as the main application areas are becoming popular in the market, and major companies around the world are actively deploying them. Grab the growing mobile internet market.

From the perspective of market conditions, the global semiconductor industry experienced a rapid growth of 30% in 2010 and a sharp slowdown in 2011. Events such as the Japan earthquake and tsunami and floods in Thailand have had a major impact on the supply and demand of the global semiconductor market. According to data from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), global semiconductor sales revenue grew by 5.4% year-on-year in 2011, but the wireless semiconductor market represented by smartphones and tablets continues to grow. According to iSuppli's data, in 2011, wireless semiconductor market sales accounted for 17.5% of global semiconductor sales revenue, demonstrating market influence. Although research institutions are not optimistic about the growth of the semiconductor market this year, the research institutions are unanimously optimistic about the potential of the wireless semiconductor market in 2012. Gartner expects that global mobile phone sales will increase by 7.5% in 2012, and tablet PC sales will increase by 63%. Smartphones and tablets will support the growth of the global semiconductor industry in 2012. Gartner believes that by 2015, smartphones, tablets, and solid-state drives will contribute a total of 77% to the growth of the semiconductor market.

From the regional structure point of view, the global semiconductor industry's center of gravity is clearly the trend of continuing to shift to the Asia-Pacific region. Experts from the software and integrated circuit promotion center stated that in recent years, the proportion of the Asia-Pacific market has continued to rise in the four major regional markets in the world, with Japan and Europe decreasing significantly, and the US market basically remaining flat. Affected by many factors such as the market, in recent years, international semiconductor companies have begun to shift the relatively low technological content and labor-intensive industrial chain links to China. This has made China's semiconductor industry a part of the international industrial chain, with its output and output value. Rapidly increase, but the technical content and added value of products are low. Among them, packaging and testing are the fastest growing and the largest in China, while the upstream IC design is the weakest link, and the chip manufacturing industry is in between. At present, multinational companies have begun to shift chip manufacturing to China gradually. Domestic enterprises have developed rapidly. However, this industry structure is characterized by low profit levels and weak pricing power. Low level of technology, high-end core chips, key equipment and materials, and other basic reliance on imports, and related standards and patents are subject to human beings are the root causes of this situation.

To change this situation, we must accurately grasp the development trend of technology and applications, make full use of the major development opportunities brought about by the industry reshuffle, and occupy the commanding heights of industrial development. At present, the global semiconductor industry structure will gradually change with the advent of the mobile Internet era. These changes will manifest themselves both in terms of technology and market, and they will certainly change from quantitative to qualitative changes. China’s semiconductor companies should firmly grasp this trend, develop their weaknesses, give full play to China’s advantages in mobile terminal consumption and manufacturing, improve the overall technological level and competitiveness of China’s semiconductor industry, and realize the transformation and upgrading of China’s semiconductor industry. The global semiconductor industry structure occupies a more favorable position and lays a more solid foundation for China's information industry to take off.