Peak of the cycle in electronics

Abstract

Autonomous vehicles, data clouds, smartphones, and chemical profits. The fourth item on this list seems out of place, but it belongs. As the tools consumers use get more interconnected and the most mundane objects come endowed with smart capabilities, profits are surging at chemical firms that supply the materials used to make them. Profitability is high—reaching record levels in some cases—at most chemical makers that have a large exposure to electronics. It is clearly the best of times for companies supplying the electronics industry. But it may not last. A recent meeting of electronic materials suppliers in Seoul, South Korea, revealed that they face many challenges, even in the current boom times. R&D is becoming increasingly challenging. Product cycles are becoming shorter. Semiconductor manufacturers are reluctant to open up about their product development efforts. And to top it all off, a trade war is on the horizon. But for the