Category: Supply Chain

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Electronic Components Supply Chain Technology

New US India semiconductor partnership

The US recently formed a partnership with India with an aim to cooperate in several industries, including semiconductor production. This is
hoped to be a very fruitful partnership, especially since the increase in restrictions between China and the US.

Recent changes

More companies have been investing in India in recent years, including Vedanta-Foxconn, PSMC and Micron Technology. Partly thanks to new government incentive schemes, companies are trying to move manufacturing into the country. More are expected to follow as India increases its funding for semiconductor manufacturing.

The Indian Government and related parties have announced several incentives for incoming companies. One of the largest was that there would be a 50% waiver on the cost of establishing a fab.  

The US and Indian Semiconductor Associations (SIA and IESA respectively) have also formed a taskforce to strengthen collaboration. The taskforce plans to assess the country’s readiness to sustain a semiconductor market and make recommendations to increase its presence in the
supply chain.

But it hasn’t been easy. Many incoming companies have mentioned difficulties with a lack of infrastructure, difficult regulations, and other struggles.

The competition

India could also potentially help in the sourcing of minerals for semiconductor production. Currently much of the world’s supply (72%)
comes from China, which could prove troublesome soon enough. 

However, India is apparently abundant in 49 critical and non-fuel minerals that are used in the industry according to a report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Work away

 

Another potential benefit to the States is the new ‘friend-shoring’ location it has unlocked. While the Chips Act attempts to move much of the
process to domestic, this won’t be entirely achievable.

The high cost of labor and the lack of highly-skilled employees within the field will prove challenging. In a collaboration with India, however, it would provide a manufacturing location with manageable labor costs. It could also pave the way for highly-skilled professionals from India
to work in the US.

There are hopes that this collaboration is the next big milestone for the countries since the 2016 nuclear power agreement.

A different kind of partnership

We have a steadfast relationship with all of our customers, thanks to the trust and reliability we are known for. Lantek Corporation can fulfil
all your electronic part needs, all you need to do is contact us. We’re available at sales@lantekcorp.com or call us on 1-973-579-8100.

Categories
component shortage Covid-19 Electronic Components Supply Chain

Lantek 2022- a year in review

As 2022 comes to an end, we at Lantek are reflecting on the many ups and downs of the year and the great things that will be happening in 2023. 

This year was yet another year of challenges for finding product and then the even bigger challenge to find stock at pricing that customers can afford. Lantek was able to work with many companies this year to help avoid lines down situations. The years of experience from all of our staff
played a major role in that.

Electronica

This past November we were able to meet up with long time and even some new customers at Electronica in Munich. Some conversations were
had about the market and where everyone sees it going but more importantly, it was a chance to just sit and talk face to face with people we haven’t seen since 2018!

Frank Cervino, our GM, said this: “After so many years, catching up with customers and suppliers during these uncertain market
conditions was very beneficial. It was also a pleasure to spend time with the Cyclops Group and be present on the stand.”

Christmas

As our year ends on December 22, we will be having a Christmas lunch brought in for us all to enjoy.

In January, Lantek will be marking its 29th year in business and what a way to celebrate but with our new office and warehouse
space!

We are hoping to be able to start moving product by mid-February.

We will take volunteers to help with that! (If any of you have ever been to NJ in the winter, you will appreciate the challenge this will be)

See you next year!

In closing we would like to wish all of you a very happy holiday season and may your 2023 be a prosperous and positive one!

We will be back in the office on January 3, 2023 for any and all of your electronic component needs. Please contact us at 973.579.8100 or at sales@lantekcorp.com.

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Electronic Components Supply Chain

UK Government asks for views on supply chain security

Government asks for views on supply chain security

UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has called for views on security measures across digital supply chains and IT services, including data processing, infrastructure management and supplier assurance.

The call comes as more organizations move their operations online and pivot to digital business models. A few obvious examples are retailers moving online and car manufacturers offering cars on subscription, which may kill showroom sales.

As organizations increasingly move their operations online, it’s a given that digital supply chains and third-party IT service operators will become more vital. The government wants to take a leadership role in helping organizations make the transition.

“We’re seeking views from firms that both procure and provide digital services, as a first step in considering whether we need updated guidance or strengthened rules,” said Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman.

Call for Views

The Call for Views focuses on two parts:

Part 1 seeks input on how organizations across the market manage supply chain cyber risk and how government intervention would help.

Part 2 seeks input on the suitability of a proposed framework for Managed Service Provider security and how it can be appropriately implemented.

You can read more about the Call for Views here.

The information submitted by organizations will be used to develop new policy solutions that support organizations in cyber risk management.

However, responses are not limited to organizations and all those that have an interest in supply chain cyber risk management are being asked to provide their opinions.

Security comes first

The government wants to ensure that organizations can properly review the cyber security risks coming from suppliers and their supply chains.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) already offers a raft of support to help organizations assess the security risks of their suppliers, however the government wants to go further and is asking for views from organizations on this matter.

They have requested views on existing guidance for supply chain risk cyber management and they are testing a new security framework with some firms. This is a managed service provider framework, which requires Managed Service Providers to meet the current Cyber Assessment Framework so feedback can be collected.  

On the Call for Views, Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman has said: “There is a long history of outsourcing of critical services. We have seen attacks such as ‘CloudHopper’ where organizations were compromised through their managed service provider. It’s essential that organizations take steps to secure their mission critical supply chains – and remember they cannot outsource risk.

“Firms should follow free government advice on offer. They must take steps to protect themselves against vulnerabilities and we need to ensure third-party kit and services are as secure as possible.”

Want to take part?

If you wish to take part in the Call for Views, you can complete the online survey. If you are unable to complete the survey, you can email your response to cyber-review@dcms.gov.uk or send it via post to the following address:

Call for views on supply chain cyber security

Cyber Resilience Team – 4/47

DCMS

100 Parliament Street

London

SW1A 2BQ

Categories
Covid-19 Electronic Components Supply Chain

Electronic component supply chain efficiency. Will we see another increase in supply and demand due to COVID-19 this year?

Electronic component supply chain efficiency. Will we see another increase in supply and demand due to COVID-19 this year?

In 2020, the electronics components industry saw both increases and decreases in supply and demand depending on where you look.

For example, demand for semiconductors that enable servers, connectivity and cloud usage skyrocketed due to stay at home workforces. Meanwhile, demand for semiconductors used in the automotive industry declined as car sales fell.

In other words, the supply and demand for electronic components was different across various sectors. Now that 2020 is behind us, 2021 is looking to follow much the same path as we continue to contend with COVID-19.

However, there will be one big difference – most of the sectors that had reduced demand for components in 2020 will ramp up their purchase orders in 2021. This is the result of economies opening up and companies getting back to operations.

Supply and demand in 2021

We believe the electronic component industry will witness a significant increase in supply and demand in 2021. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that most industries hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic will open up. Car manufacturing is the big one. This will fuel a surge in demand for semiconductors and sensors.

2021 will also play host to cyclical sectors and several tailwinds. 5G, Wi-Fi 6, AI, robotics, cloud, communications, edge computing and AR / VR are the big ones. These technologies will fuel demand for new electronic components.

Supply constraints will persist

Factories will have to ramp up production to meet demand. 2019 was a bumper year for electronics and a lot of infrastructure was built to meet demand. 2020 stuck a fork in the road, placing higher demand on certain components. In 2021, demand will return to a form of previous normality, increasing supply constraints.

We expect supply constraints of components to grow in 2021. Manufacturers will struggle to get a hold of the parts they need.

This will increase the need for partnerships with electronic component distributors like us who are ingrained into the fabric of the industry.

Things will get better over time

With the global rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in place and manufacturing sectors protected from Government shutdowns in most countries, 2021 should be a year where we see supply constraints reduce over time.

Supply and demand will get back to 80% normality toward the end of 2021. 2022 should be much better. This assumes we get to grips with this horrible virus.

In the meantime, tailwinds will continue to fuel demand for electronic components in sectors like AI and edge computing. COVID-19 has only accelerated digital transformation in most sectors. This is a powerful tailwind.

Ultimately, the demand for passive and active components will increase in 2021. You can make sure you have access to the components you need by partnering with us. We specialise in the procurement and delivery of electronic components and parts for a wide variety of industries from the world’s leading manufacturers.