In 2021, the global satellite-manufacturing industry was valued at $25 billion, predicted to increase significantly over the next decade from 380 to 1,700 new satellites annually. Satellites and spacecraft need lots of electronic components and semiconductors in particular, have enabled many new applications for space technology. 

LICKING COUNTY, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2022 – Intel today announced plans for an initial investment of more than $20 billion in the construction of two new leading-edge chip factories in Ohio.

The supply chain has suffered an unprecedented series of disruptions during the past two years and many are easy to identify: Covid-19 related factory closures; the grounding of the Ever Given; a lack of skilled workers and of course, not enough semiconductors.

The pandemic has amplified supply chain issues across industries. Whether it was a trade restriction or a product shortage, all industries have felt the impact at some level over the past 18 months. Today, one of the most notable disruptions impacting companies across all sectors is the supply-demand imbalance of semiconductors, which has created the ongoing chip shortage.

A combination of global risk factors will lead to the supply chain industry taking until 2023, and possibly beyond, to resolve the current electronic component shortage issues.This is according to global technology intelligence research firm ABI Research’s Technology Trends White Paper that analyses 70 trends that will shape the tech sector in 2022.

Chip shortage made headlines across the globe, letting even people outside the technology business know the worth of semiconductor devices. Now, as the new year dawns, the million-dollar question is how this shortage will pan out in 2022 and beyond.

Samsung and Micron have slowed operations at their memory chip facilities in Xi’an after a Covid outbreak forced the city of 12 million to enter lockdown on Dec. 23.

An increase in Covid-19 cases globally and a fresh round of restrictions imposed in China and Hong Kong have started to worsen an already fractured supply chain of components, senior executives at several electronics and automobile companies said.

Delivery times for chips lengthened again in November, dashing hopes that the end of shortages that have hammered many industries is finally in sight. The lead times -- a closely watched gap between when a semiconductor is ordered and when it's delivered -- increased by four days to about 22.3 weeks last month compared with October...

One year on, how have manufacturers adapted to the ongoing components shortage? What’s the outlook in 2022? What strategies would help improve the resilience of manufacturers’ supply chains? These and more in this month’s In Focus series.