Energy efficiency and LED lighting are key – says chip v-p
David Somo, v-p of corporate marketing at ON Semiconductor tells Electronics Weekly that energy efficient products and LED lighting are two of the most important market opportunities for chip suppliers at present.
What is the biggest opportunity in terms of technology and/or markets in 2011?
David Somo: We see great opportunities for our energy efficient silicon solutions across several market segments. For automotive, there are opportunities in powertrain and body applications driven by government mandated fuel economy, emissions reduction and safety regulations; as well as infotainment systems.
The quantity, complexity and value – relative to total vehicle cost – of electronic content in passenger vehicles continues to increase creating opportunities and the chance to demonstrate innovation for semiconductor companies.
For consumer white goods the opportunities come from the growing adoption of variable speed motors in place of AC induction motors to meet more stringent energy efficiency regulations.
LED lighting is a market sector that continues to grow rapidly as the efficiency, reliability, longevity and versatility of solid state replacements for traditional lighting technologies gain wider acceptance.
There are opportunities in multiple applications such as automotive interior and exterior lighting, mobile displays, LCD TV backlighting and general indoor / outdoor lighting where the company is able to support designs with its portfolio of integrated LED driver devices. In the Industrial market, we see opportunities within building automation, smart grid and power supply applications where there is increasing use of electronics and semiconductor content.
Finally, in the wireless market, both smartphones and tablets continue to offer strong growth potential for companies that can offer low power, integrated solutions that support the never ending demand for more functionality in smaller overall form factors.
What challenges in global markets are keeping you busy at the moment?
David Somo: We are focused on delivering the full benefits of our Sanyo Semiconductor acquisition in January of this year to our worldwide customers. In addition, the supply chain disruptions caused by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and ongoing flooding in Thailand have required close coordination to ensure supply continuity for our global customers.
If you had to name one design technology with the largest commercial potential this year, what would it be?
David Somo: Power efficiency and power density continue to grow in importance as electronics systems become increasingly portable / battery–powered and required to meet stringent energy conservation regulations.