Component Supplier Partners with Customers as Business Shifts

摘要

In an interview with AEI, Satoshi Sonoda, Head of Global Sales & Marketing Unit and Director from Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.'s Tokyo Branch, provided a market assessment of electronic components and how is the company shifting its strategies in light of the changing dynamics of customers. AEI: How can you describe the present market conditions? Sonoda: I feel that orders as a whole have been increasing since around Sept. 2019. In October, I was convinced with this shift, as the market conditions bottomed out in the first half, and turned around in the second half. Some inventory adjustments following excessive orders from distributors and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies until Oct. 2018 remain, which may slightly affect orders in Jan. to Mar. 2020. Nonetheless, robust orders for fifth-generation (5G) communication-related components continue to reflect orders for 5G base stations in China ahead of initial plans. I also feel that orders for components for personal computers have been slightly on the rise reflecting the replacement demand from Windows 7, as Microsoft ends its support. In Japan, elementary and junior high schools are assigning a tablet computer for every student, which is expected to contribute to increased orders for electronic components in the coming years.