Rohm is targeting the semiconductor market as part of a re-organisation of its component activities in Europe.

“We have spent the last two years re-organising the company in Europe to address the IC market and we now see the IC business as key for the future,” Christian Andre, president of Rohm Europe told EW.

Andre believes Europe is important for two markets – wireless telecoms and automotive. “50% of all mobiles sold in the world are designed in Europe,” said Andre. 

The Japanese manufacturer is already an established supplier of semiconductors worldwide and it is now looking for double digit growth in Europe in these sectors.

Andre accepts that this new focus on the IC business will require changes for Rohm which has traditionally been known in Europe as a supplier of passives, discretes and opto devices.

“We need a different structure and this is happening,” said Andre.

Rohm has a team of FAE’s in three locations in Europe and is looking to expand its engineering activity in Europe to support the semiconductor business. “This is in the pipeline and should happen by year end or early next year,” said Andre.

Andre also said the company needs to penetrate a wider market. As part of this move in to the wider semiconductor market, Andre has overseen a reorganisation of the company’s distribution network in Europe.

European distributors include Future Electronics, Abacus and Rutronik. The company has also recently signed up with Farnell. “This is an important step for us to access demand creation,” said Andre

Analogue, mixed-signal and power management are the semiconductor products which Rohm is bringing to the European market.

For example, the company recently added an RDS-compatible FM transmitter to its range of broadcast-quality wireless audio link ICs. Rohm also has an established range of HDMI switches for use digital TVs and displays.

The on-going acquisition of a majority interest in Oki’s semiconductor business will also add new digital products and memory to the portfolio.

In May, Rohm and Oki Electric announced that the two companies have reached an agreement which will see Oki spinning-off its semiconductor business through a company split, and transferring 95% of its issued shares to Rohm.

Rohm is also part of a group of Japanese companies which have set up a joint venture company to assess the business viability of organic electroluminescence panels for lighting applications.

The joint venture, which also includes Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toppan Printing Co and Mitsui, plans to sell sample panels from the spring of 2009.