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SEMICON EUROPA
Transitional activities
SEMICON Europa was held in Stuttgart for the last time. With the
industry in a state of change the exhibition focused on upcoming
opportunities for microelectronic manufacturers. The event was
overshadowed by global changes in the financial world.
T
he 2008 Europa event Moving to an area that has a fair European industry overall. The aim of the
displayed its positive and percentage of the continent’s efforts paper is to ensure industry involvement in
negative attributes in equal makes practical sense. It is fair to say decisions that impact on the industry as
measure but there were good signs of an that for a time trade shows will be well as develop a coherent plan for a
association that was making an effort to negatively impacted by financial upheaval realistic pan-European research
focus on areas relevant to the local area. so SEMI will have difficulty accurately approach.
The first thing to say is that the event judging the appropriateness of the move. “Microelectronics have been, and
could not help but look small in Despite the appearances the feedback I continue to be, the driving force for
comparison to previous events. Since the received from the exhibitors on the floor technologies in all industries, helping to
previous year’s event, SEMI Europe has was surprising. The majority felt that they address societal challenges such as safety,
moved its PV efforts towards joint efforts had received a better quality of visitors climate change, energy shortages and
with another European PV event. This than the previous year with talk of a health,” said Heinz Kundert, president of
reduced the numbers of attendees and number of significant orders made. SEMI Europe.
exhibitors who were all placed in a large Although mainly in the PV arena. SEMI’s “In recent years, European
single hall. The Stuttgart venue is a vast efforts to provide focus on the competitiveness in semiconductor
complex and the Europa event was requirements of members rather than manufacturing has diminished due to
dwarfed further by the scale of the venue. appearance of size at this conference greater incentives and competition in
Ironic that scale should play a part. meant higher quality interaction. The other regions. Therefore, it is vital that
This all provided the SEMI same could be said of the technical the industry take immediate action to
announcement that the 2009 event will symposiums and discussions that took reinforce and revitalise our local industry
move to Dresden under an agreement place around the trade show. There were to ensure future competitiveness. There
involving the Saxony region, with an plenty of seats in many events but the are opportunities for prosperity requiring
impact on perspective as all four halls of general sense of the participants was of the EU and governments to keep state of
the Dresden Messe have the same floor positive discussion and progress. the art manufacturing. It’s late, but not
space as the single Stuttgart hall. The SEMI Europe also took the too late”.
move also makes sense in view of the opportunity of the show to announce an The transition continues for SEMI
current consensus in Europe that advocacy project they have undertaken Europe as they continue to develop and
the industry is contracting. with the presentation of a white paper implement European specific initiatives as
developed for the European Union to well as find the most appropriate home
increase European competitiveness in for the trade show. The move to
microelectronics’ encourage a pan European approach to
manufacturing. industry development is the correct one
The paper and inline with other European
includes six organisational thinking.
recommendations The European industry may be
to the European contracting with a few strong geographic
Union and National regions but the impact of the industry
Governments and changes on the broader European market
highlights concerns that a and society cannot be pointed out strongly
further decline of the enough. With global events creating
mainstream unplanned for transitions across the board
manufacturing base now is the time for the industry to ensure
will have a negative they do not slip further down the
impact on European priority list.
www.euroasiasemiconductor.com November 2008
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