Overview Of The Global Semiconductor Industry

This study useschipless firms’ operating in the global semiconductor industryas the research setting.Chipless firmsare highly innovative firms at the heart of most technological breakthroughsin the semiconductor industry. Their technologies are used as inputs in a far range of industries frombasis industries such as steel and medical devices, photographic and communication equipment to more sophisticated computers and consumer electronics, and automobile and aerospace industry. They are considered as principal licensorsin the semiconductor industry and engaged extensively in cross and unilateral licensing. As specialised firms that depend mainly on licensing, the licensing choice that they use to exchange their technology is of paramount importance. It influences the amount of value that they capture from their innovation and has a profound implication on their very survival. Also, the characteristics of chipless firms vary significantly, from small players operating in a single market to large firms with broad markets scope and licensing experience. Hence, chipless firms operating in the semiconductor …show more content…
Ofthe 458 licensing agreements, 91% were unilateral licensing, while 9% of all the licensing agreements were cross-licensing agreements. About 53% of the licensing agreements were signed between chipless firms and other semiconductor industry participants (SIC 367_, IDM’s). Other industry participants with whom chipless firm entered into licensing agreements included: computer firms and all SIC 35 firms accounting for around10.3%,software and services firms 11.6 %, all others electronics/comm equips firms 9%, automobile/ Aerospace firms 1.1%, Photographic equip firms0.4% andfirms form all other industry sectors 12.4%. These figures indicate the networked nature of chipless firms licensing engagements and their extensive use of cross and unilateral