Q2 saw the European semiconductor distribution grow 13.2% compared to Q2 2010, according to DMASS (Distributors’ and Manufacturers’ Association of Semiconductor Specialists).
"It is apparent that distribution is coming back to a more moderate path after several quarters of dynamic growth and allocation," says DMASS chairman George Steinberger, "with almost 23% growth for the first half of 2011 and a record result, the outlook for the total year is still very positive. Some macro-economic effects can certainly change the course of the second half and infuse more caution into the overall market behaviour."
DMASS reckons the Q2 distribution market was worth Euros 1.7bn and H1 sales were Euros 3.5bn.
The growth came from Central and Eastern Europe.
Eastern Europe again grew strongest, by 31.1% to 241 Million Euro.
For Germany grew 21.1% to Euros 603m, Italy grew by 10.3% to Euros 183m, the UK by 6.3% to 138m, and France by 3.3% to Euros 122m.
Switzerland grew 18.7% and the Nordic Region declined 3.2%, driven by a sharp decline in Sweden.
"As we have seen for a few years, Eastern Europe has become the growth driver, primarily through production transfer, with the exception of Russia, which seems to experience its own growth dynamics," says Steinberger.
DMASS reported growth in Flash Memories (25.6%), MCUs (23.5%), Power (22.7%), Other Logic (21.6%), Standard Analogue (16.4%) and Small Signal (15.3%). Declining areas were Programmable Logic (-3.1%), DSPs (-3.7%) and DRAMs (-10.5%).
"From a product perspective, it again shows that distribution gains pace in design-intensive areas like power, analogue and MCUs and becomes less dependent on either singular technologies or commodities," says Steinberger.