Smart car technology is on the fast track. According to a forecast by the Consumer Technology Association, revenue for North American technology will reach $398 billion in 2019, with sales of emerging technologies related to automotive electronics alone expected to hit $17 billion, a 9 percent increase over 2018. Growth of automotive electronics in the semiconductor application market is on pace to exceed 10 percent for the first time, with a 11.9 percent annual compound growth rate from 2017 to 2022, said Peng Maorong, research manager of ITRI Industrial International.
Today, automotive electronics trails only personal computers and mobile devices in driving semiconductor market revenue.
For its part, Automotive World 2019, the world's largest exhibition for advanced automotive technologies, has drawn even more attention in recent years. The event consists of six exhibitions, including automotive electronics technology, auto parts, drive systems, lightweight materials, autopilot technology and car networking, and featured demonstrations of compelling technologies including an AI deep learning module (Xilinx) and high-speed car intranet technology (Israeli manufacturer Valens).
Toyota is also on the cutting edge of automotive electronics with the rapid maturity of its semiconductors, AI technology and materials, and complete network technology. The carmaker is no longer just a pure-play automotive manufacturer. Instead, the automotive giant is positioning itself as a car service provider (mobility service provider) and plans to team with ride-sharing providers such as UBER and Didi and other automotive technology providers in the future.
Taiwan, with its strong semiconductor industry chain and a complete ecosystem of information communication, will be a key force in the automotive market as the region looks to cross-industry and cross-border cooperation to help power the market.
To help the automotive electronics industry seize the market promise of smart cars, SEMI established the Global Automotive Electronics Advisory Committee (GAAC), with members including Audi, Bosch, Denso, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, Amkor, Infineon, NXP, Synopsys and Wanghong. More than 30 international companies, spanning Europe, the United States, Japan and other regions are represented on the committee.
The committee met for the first time this month in Taiwan to help leverage the prowess of Taiwan's microelectronics supply chain in advancing international automotive electronics, better link Taiwan to international trends, and give Taiwan a bigger voice in the emerging smart car market, and create more opportunities for resource integration across borders.
To learn more about GAAC, contact Helen Chen Chen Huiyu | Email: hchen@semi.org | Phone: (03) 560-1777 #112.
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Emmy Yi is a marketing specialist at SEMI Taiwan.