Japan looses its hold on top semiconductor ranking

In the electronics and semiconductor business, Japan holds a top position in many areas. But in the past two decades, its stronghold on the electronics and semiconductor industry is coming down. In semiconductor area, the companies from Japan occupy 4 to 5 positions in the top-10 ranking consistently for many years. If you look at the latest ranking by IC Insights for the first half of 2013, Toshiba is the only semiconductor company in the top 10 list. IC insights is provided the below insights on the subject of Japan's losing hold on top semiconductor ranking. Anyone who has been involved in the semiconductor industry for a reasonable amount of time realizes this is a major shift and a big departure for a country that once was feared and revered when it came to its semiconductor manufacturing presence on the global market. Figure 1 traces the top 10 semiconductor companies dating back to 1985, when Japanese semiconductor manufacturers wielded their influence on the global stage. That year, there were five Japanese companies ranked among the top 10 semiconductor suppliers. Then, in 1990, six Japanese companies were counted among the top 10 semiconductor suppliers—a figure that has not been matched by any country or region since. The number of Japanese companies ranked in the top 10 in semiconductor sales slipped to four in 1995, then fell to three companies in 2000 an...