66 SMT Magazine • May 2017
Average Contract Price of 4GB DDR4
DRAM Modules to Climb 12.5%
Entering 2Q17
DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, reports
the general price increase in the PC DRAM market
is growing larger than anticipated as the already
tight supply situation is compounded by quality
problems with products made on the leading-edge
processes.
Worldwide Spending on Cognitive and
AI Systems to Hit $12.5B in 2017
A new update to the Worldwide Semiannual Cog-
nitive Artificial Intelligence Systems Spending
Guide from International Data Corporation (IDC)
forecasts worldwide revenues for cognitive and ar-
tificial intelligence (AI) systems will reach $12.5 bil-
lion in 2017, an increase of 59.3% over 2016.
China's IC Industry to Embark on a
Major Recruitment Drive This Year
TrendForce's latest analysis on China's semicon-
ductor sector reveals that the country's domestic
IC manufacturers are affecting the movement of
industry talents worldwide as they continue to ag-
gressively headhunt for senior managers and engi-
neers.
Global IT Robotic Automation Market:
Improved Efficiency Encouraging Adoption
A recent report by Transparency Market Research
observes that the IT robotic automation technol-
ogy is in nascent stage and highly consolidated,
with a few players holding control over the global
market. According to the report, the global IT ro-
botic automation market will have an opportunity
worth $4.98 billion by 2020.
Increasing Demand for Consumer
Electronics to Boost Global Flexible
PCB Demand
According to a new study by Transparency Market
Research, the global flexible PCB market is expect-
ed to increase to $33.39 billion by 2025, up from
$13.51 billion in 2016.
Technological Advancements in the
Defense Markets
According to a research published by Global Mar-
ket Insights, the defense market size is anticipat-
ed to exceed $10.5 billion by 2023, growing at
a CAGR of 6.1% from 2016 to 2023. The growth
can be attributed to innovations and advance-
ments made in defense technology.
U.S. Companies Still Hold Largest Share
of Fabless Company IC Sales
Fabless IC suppliers represented 30% of the world's
IC sales in 2016, up from only 18% in 2006, ac-
cording to IC Insights' latest McClean Report.
Semiconductor Industry Sets Out
Research Needed to Advance
Emerging Technologies
A coalition of leaders from the global tech, de-
fense, and aerospace industries, led by the Semi-
conductor Industry Association (SIA) and Semi-
conductor Research Corporation (SRC), has re-
leased a report identifying the key areas of sci-
entific research needed to advance innovation in
semiconductor technology and fulfill the promise
of emerging technologies such as artificial intel
-
ligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and super-
computing.
Electronics Industry News
Market Highlights