The total revenue from the global top 10 providers of outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) service for 1H18 is estimated to grow by 10.5% YoY, reaching US$11.12 billion, reports TrendForce. Particularly, JCET, TSHT and TFME, the major three Chinese OSAT providers, are projected to represent a share of 26.9% in the total revenue of the top 10 providers in 1H18, hitting a new record high.
According to the latest research by TrendForce, the demand for sensing camera in automotive OE (Original Equipment) market will see considerable growth in 2018, driven by the development of smart vehicles in high-end market and the establishment of regulations in the U.S., the EU, Japan and China. The shipments of sensing camera in automotive OE market are expected to reach 121 million units in 2018, a year-on-year growth of 63% compared with 74 million units in 2017.
According to the latest data from EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce, cobalt prices continued to rise in 2018 and soared by more than 20% in the first quarter. The rise of raw material prices results from short-term capital speculation and high supplier concentration. This concentrated industry structure may continue to push up the prices in long term. The soaring costs of raw material will be reflected in prices of lithium batteries and new energy vehicles quarter by quarter. This is also a challenge for the battery industry, which has been figuring out ways to reduce the dependence on cobalt.
5G is expected to enter commercial operation in 2020, while vehicles become more intelligent, networked and electric, driving the development of SiC and GaN, the third-generation semiconductor materials. TrendForce estimates that the revenue for SiC substrates and GaN substrates will be US$180 million and US$3 million respectively in 2018.
Self-driving taxi services that combine ridesharing and autonomous vehicles have undergone road tests in 2017, and most companies expect to launch their commercial self-driving taxi services formally in 2021, which will tremendously change the future of transport. TrendForce estimates the CAGR of self-driving taxis to reach 81% from 2018 to 2023.