Launch of Microelectronics Europe (SME)

Microelectronics International

ISSN: 1356-5362

Article publication date: 1 August 2000

73

Keywords

Citation

(2000), "Launch of Microelectronics Europe (SME)", Microelectronics International, Vol. 17 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/mi.2000.21817bab.011

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited


Launch of Microelectronics Europe (SME)

Keywords Sharp Electronics, Sharp Microelectronics Europe, Microelectronics

After the most successful financial year in its history and with an expected increase in sales by 70 percent to 600 million DM, the microelectronics division of Sharp Electronics (Europe) GmbH (SEEG), Hamburg, was turned into an independent divisional company within SEEG on 1 April 2000. Together with the new name, Sharp Microelectronics Europe (SME), the company is directly responsibility for its own sales and independent asset management.

"This step toward more independence and flexibility will allow us to offer our customers even better individual solutions. We can act even quicker and be more flexible in this highly globalised market of high-tech components", says Maximilian Huber, the new president of SME (Plate 1), who, until now, has been heading the microelectronics division as general division manager Microelectronics. He is assisted by executive vice president Akira Sasaki, former deputy division general manager at Sharp MED.

Plate 1 Maximilian Huber - President of Sharp Microelectronics Europe in Hamburg

In Europe, SME maintains its headquarters in Hamburg and regional offices in Germany, France, UK, Ireland and Italy, serving the pan-regional client structures in the European market for microelectronic components. Two-thirds of the workforce (approximately 100 employees) work in Hamburg, where the company maintains its own ASIC Design Centre (application specific integrated circuits) for the development of client-specific solutions.

"In the electronic semiconductor and components business we are currently witnessing dramatic shifts on the market promoted by Internet, e-commerce and telecommunications", says Huber, explaining the current situation. "This development promotes Sharp as one of the global players in the field of microelectronic key technologies. Today we are world-wide technology leaders in promising fields such as LCD, optoelectronics and flash memory."

In the LCD/TFT field, Sharp supplies 70 percent of its production to OEM clients. In Europe, Sharp has established itself as the leading TFT supplier with an increase in sales by 50 percent. Its main clients are companies like Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Porsche and Volkswagen, who use Sharp TFT modules for their automotive navigation systems. The growth rate in the semiconductor field (IC) is even more dramatic. With an increase in sales of more than 250 percent, Sharp mainly counts manufacturers in the field of mobile telecommunications and consumer electronics among its OEM clients.

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