The recent anti-globalization political rhetoric raises a number of challenges for the semiconductor supply chain. Throughout the ongoing US-China trade war, and now the dispute between South Korea and Japan, most attention has focused on the consequences for players at the top of the supply chain.

SEMI spoke with Thomas Fries, founder and CEO of FRT GmbH, about how hybrid metrology is shaping multi-sensor metrology tools to enhance measurement precision as the industry moves away from a single-sensor approach.

Thanks to a combination of proprietary algorithms, advanced sensor fusion and the natural geomagnetic field, GipStech, a spin-off of Università della Calabria, built an indoor localization and navigation technology platform for accurate localization in the absence of an adequate GPS signal.

The project, MADEin4, connects nearly 50 European manufacturers and research and technology organizations (RTOs) to drive Industry 4.0 solutions for the European semiconductor manufacturing industry.

The photomask market has seen exceptional growth of 13% and 8% in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The upsurge is striking given that, in the early to mid-2000s, the photomask market averaged less than 4 percent annual growth. And the gap between the past two years and the previous ten is remarkable.

The SEMI Talent Forum, 2-3 May, 2019 in Bristol, UK will explore new opportunities and challenges of the digital era and the industry’s need for talent and the knowledge and skills in automation, computerization and digitization to drive tech innovation.

SEMI spoke with Andy Collins, manager at Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre (QTEC), ahead of the SEMI Talent Forum (2-3 May, 2019, in Bristol, UK) about the impact of emerging technologies on the future of work in the semiconductor industry.

With three plenaries and a dedicated session on talent and diversity, ISS Europe brought together more than 150 industry, academia, education and government representatives for in-depth discussions on strategies and innovations for Europe to compete globally in the digital era.

For the semiconductor industry, 2018 was nothing if not incredible. Chip revenue shot up to $469 billion, trouncing the record-setting $412 billion reached in 2017 to reach a new high. Both semiconductor equipment and materials hit record revenues of $65 billion and $52 billion, respectively.

Last month, Germany published its National Industrial Strategy 2030, which sets strategic guidelines for a German and European industrial policy. The Strategy has drawn mixed feedback across Europe and internationally. SEMI shares its analysis.