Optimistic about growth potential of tablet PCs, Morris Chang, chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest semiconductor foundry by output, projects the global market for such products to significantly expand at an annual compound growth rate of 34% from 2011 through 2016, which will help to fuel his industry in the years to come.
Chang reiterated his optimism about market outlook this year, stressing that the global semiconductor industry is expected to see output value surge 2% in the year from 2011, based on the forecast that hot-selling smartphones and tablet PCs will continue to lead the global trends for consumer electronic devices.
With semiconductor components increasingly used in electronic devices, Chang indicated that Taiwanese IC designers are very likely to achieve bigger market shares, along with IDM (integrated device manufacturers) to increasingly outsource production. In light of the upcoming booms, he believes that IC designers and manufacturers will lead the growth of the overall semiconductor industry in the coming years.