News Article
Infineon to overtake STMicro as Europe's largest chip maker
Infineon is set to replace STMicroelectronics as Europe's largest semiconductor company, according to a list of the world's top ten biggest chip makers (by forecast 2004 sales) compiled by market analyst IC Insights.
Infineon is set to replace STMicroelectronics as Europes largest semiconductor company, according to a list of the worlds top ten biggest chip makers (by forecast 2004 sales) compiled by market analyst IC Insights.
But, despite leaping up two places in the list, the Germany-based company still lags a long way behind US giants Intel and Texas Instruments and South Korean behemoth Samsung.
Intel, unsurprisingly, tops the table with forecast 2004 sales of $30.05 billion, almost twice that of its nearest competitor Samsung ($15.93 billion) and three times that of third place Texas Instruments ($10.885 billion).
Japanese firm Renesas keeps its fourth position with estimated 2004 sales of $9.475 billion. Then comes Infineon with $9.365 billion – up an impressive 35 per cent on 2003s sales of $6.925. The company will overtake both Toshiba (5th place with $9.03 billion) and STMicroelectronics (7th, $8.715 billion) in the rankings.
Europes third largest semiconductor maker Philips ($5.600 billion) just sneaked into the top ten, occupying the final position just below US firm Freescale (formerly Motorola Semiconductor, $5,650 billion) and NEC of Japan ($6.660 billion).
Of all the companies in the top ten, Samsung put in the best performance, increasing sales by 53 per cent. This compares with a piffling 11 per cent growth – the lowest out of the top ten - achieved by Intel.
Infinions 35 per cent leap in sales in 2004 made it the second fastest growing company on the list. Overall, sales generated by the top ten companies rose by 24 per cent to $111.360 billion.
But, despite leaping up two places in the list, the Germany-based company still lags a long way behind US giants Intel and Texas Instruments and South Korean behemoth Samsung.
Intel, unsurprisingly, tops the table with forecast 2004 sales of $30.05 billion, almost twice that of its nearest competitor Samsung ($15.93 billion) and three times that of third place Texas Instruments ($10.885 billion).
Japanese firm Renesas keeps its fourth position with estimated 2004 sales of $9.475 billion. Then comes Infineon with $9.365 billion – up an impressive 35 per cent on 2003s sales of $6.925. The company will overtake both Toshiba (5th place with $9.03 billion) and STMicroelectronics (7th, $8.715 billion) in the rankings.
Europes third largest semiconductor maker Philips ($5.600 billion) just sneaked into the top ten, occupying the final position just below US firm Freescale (formerly Motorola Semiconductor, $5,650 billion) and NEC of Japan ($6.660 billion).
Of all the companies in the top ten, Samsung put in the best performance, increasing sales by 53 per cent. This compares with a piffling 11 per cent growth – the lowest out of the top ten - achieved by Intel.
Infinions 35 per cent leap in sales in 2004 made it the second fastest growing company on the list. Overall, sales generated by the top ten companies rose by 24 per cent to $111.360 billion.
