The year we didn't expect continues to amaze

摘要

AS WE ENTER fourth quarter 2020 - a time of reflection on what was, and speculation on what will be - no one across industry can say 2020 wasn't a year of surprises. Some good. Some bad. Some very bad. Five years from now, what will the Year of the Pandemic look like in our review mirrors? Firstly, when the world realized a new, potentially fatal virus was going to impact every corner of the earth, we reacted with fear, denial, stalwart preparation, confusion and dread - And then we got on to deal with it even while life around us changed in ways we could not have anticipated nine months ago. Secondly, while some industries have 'cratered' and remain in dire straits, the semiconductor supply chain has managed to grow despite typhoon-like headwinds. Industry conferences have been cancelled and rescheduled by the score even as companies have had to reinvent themselves in a business-unusual year driven by COVID-19 fears.