ST Bets Big on Internal Fab Model
ST Doubles Down on Internal Chip Production
By Bolaji Ojo
A strong IDM model is seen as key to explosive revenue growth in an era of industrywide component shortages.
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PreAct Going Close-Up to Cut Lidar Cost
By Junko Yoshida
Startup eyes $45 bill of materials for near-field devices that foretell collisions.
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China Seen Outspending U.S. in R&D by 2025
By George Leopold
U.S. still leads thanks to corporate investment, but China is poised to become the world’s top funder of science and technology research.
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MEMS Microspeakers Target 'Smart' Hearables
By Rebecca Day
Bosch’s acquisition of Arioso Systems signals the next round of MEMS technology innovation.
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Podcast: China's EV/AV Sectors on a Roll
By George Leopold
Tu Le of Sino Auto Insights steers us through the nascent mobility sectors and considers potential potholes like future overcapacity.
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What Caught Our Eye This Week
What’s Your Life Worth?What’s the value of a human life taken in a traffic accident? The U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) recently updated that figure to $11.8 million per person. DoT has been publishing its “Valuation of a Statistical Life” (VSL) since 1993.That’s in stark contrast to the level of insurance coverage required of autonomous vehicle makers. AV bills proposed by state legislatures are all well below the VSL benchmark, at or below $1 million. Phil Koopman, safety expert and associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University, noted in a LinkedIn post: “In exchange for the benefit of free use of public roads as a testbed for chasing their trillion-dollar market, multi-billion-dollar AV companies should at least offer human test subject road users fair insurance value for loss of life.”
Supply Chains and StartupsImagine you’re a small startup developing a new product. You thought you had wisely selected the right chips to drive your system.Be prepared to abandon your plan at a moment’s notice.In our recent interview with PreAct, a near-field lidar startup, its CEO told us: “We placed an order with somebody like Avnet, they take our money, two months go by, and then they're like, ‘Oh, well, just kidding, we don't have those for you now,’ which means they sold them to somebody else.” Asked whose MCU the company is instead using, the CEO replied, “I have no idea what we're using because I know we planned on one and then, suddenly, they were non-existent, literally. You couldn't find them for any price. So then, we changed it, but I have no idea what we changed to.”
Intel Shareholders Toss Executive Compensation PackageIntel Corp. investors rejected the compensation package proposed for its senior executives during a recent shareholder meeting. CEO Pat Gelsinger was to receive a package of $178.6 million. Investors rejected the proposed package, though on an advisory basis. They want compensations to be tied to performance. Intel in response said it would work to address the concerns of its shareholders. Investors are miffed by the decline in the company’s market value since Gelsinger took over and appeared unconvinced about his reorganization plans.
Russian Military Scavenging Chips from AppliancesAs Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags through its third month, it’s increasingly clear that Vladimir Putin’s Potemkin Army is running short of spare parts. Among the clearest indications are reports that Ukrainian defense forces are finding scavenged chips—reportedly microcontrollers—intended for appliances in captured and deserted Russian tanks. “We have reports from Ukrainians that when they find Russian military equipment on the ground, it’s filled with semiconductors that they took out of dishwashers and refrigerators,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told a Senate hearing. Raimondo said at least two Russian tank factories have been idled for lack of components. Hence, the combination of western export controls, economic sanctions and stiff Ukrainian resistance are exposing glaring weaknesses in Russia’s military capabilities.
Washington Post: Sanctions forcing Russia to use appliance parts in military gear, U.S. says
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