European semiconductor distribution shrank 9.1% in Q4, says the Distributors’ and Manufacturers’ Association of Semiconductor Specialists (DMASS) but for 2011 as a whole it grew 7.6%
“The last quarter displayed the current market trends of cautious ordering behaviour in some and inventory corrections in some other industry segments,” says Georg Steinberger, Chairman of DMASS, “the two halves of 2011 couldn’t have been more different, from 23% plus to 7% minus. I would not be surprised to see the opposite in 2012 – weak first half and stronger second half.”
Q4 had growth in Eastern Europe and Sweden but the main regions declined.
Germany declined by 12.7% to €434m, Italy by 17.7% to €118m, the UK by 7.5% to €117m, and France by 14.5% to €96m.
Eastern Europe grew by 3% in total to €209m and Sweden to by 4.8% to €142m.
“Eastern Europe remains driven by low-cost manufacturing and benefits from ongoing production transfers,” says Steinberger.
Memories were down -5.8%. Standard logic fell 21.8%; analogue fell 14.2%; MOS micro fell 13.2%; power and opto each fell10%; programmable logic fell 7.9%.
“More than 50% of the distribution business comes from design-in efforts with customers across industry segments,” says Steinberger.