SEMICON West 2016: A New Focus for New Business
July 28, 2016
You didn’t have to look very far, or very hard, to latch on to SEMICON West’s message this year. Even if you didn’t make it to the keynotes or sessions, it was plastered everywhere, in 4-foot-tall letters. “Definitely NOT Business as Usual.” On the street and in the halls, billboards blared: “$100B in semiconductor M&As; disruptive trends; accelerated schedules; shifting priorities. Forget what you know, it’s time for a reality check.” Another one cried out: “A changing industry. A new landscape, new players, and winner-take-all stakes.” These signs were not meant to invoke fear, but to be an inspiration for change.
It appears SEMI is taking the bull by the horns to address the evolving industry in a positive way, by retooling its events to expand its reach across the supply chain, promoting the ideas of connection and collaboration.
While foot traffic seemed to be lighter than in years past, the diversity of attendees was evident, thanks to the changes in program to include new sectors of the industry, such as sustainable manufacturing, flexible and hybrid electronics, the IoT forum and the extended supply chain forum. These breathed new life and drew new players to the event.
By Hardev Grewal, Vice President of Business Development, NSTAR Global Services
