Renesas to Increase Chip Production by 50%

September 30,2021

https://worldindustrialreporter.com/renesas-to-increase-chip-production-by-50/

Renesas has announced plans to raise its capacity ofhigh-end microcontroller units – a key component in cars and electronics – bymore than 50% by 2023.

According to the Nikkei, this move comes at a time when the auto industry in total is suffering from an unprecedented global chip shortage: Consulting firm AlixPartners recently predicted that the semiconductor chip shortage is expected to cost the global automotive industry $210 billion in revenue this year itself.

Renesas’ current plan is to boost its capacity for high-end microcontroller units by 50% to the equivalent of 40,000 200mm wafers a month, by securing more lines for outsourced production at chip foundries.

For the record, Renesas’ outstanding automotive orders surged to about 30% since the end of June, says Renesas’ senior vice president Takeshi Kataoka.

“We have been increasing supply, but demand has also been strong as manufacturers make up for lost production time: We haven’t been able to narrow the gap.”

According to the Nikkei, Renesas is also planning to increase capacity for low-end microcontrollers by about 70% to over 30,000 wafers per month, mainly by expanding in-house facilities.