The president of IBM corporation Jim Whitehurst today, May 14, announced on the air of the British television channel BBC that the shortage of chips in the world could last two more years. Chip makers are struggling to keep up with the growing demand, he said.
This crisis is primarily associated with a significant increase in demand for chips for laptops, smartphones and other computer equipment, sales of which increased during lockdowns, as well as the fact that chips are needed for an increasing number of devices – from IoT gadgets to cars. The situation was also negatively impacted by the shutdown of production at some factories last year due to the pandemic, supply disruptions due to weather conditions this year and a fire at one of the major factories in Japan in March.
“There is a long lag between when the technology is developed, when the manufacturing starts, and when the chips start,” said Mr. Whitehurst. “So we need to lay in a few years… before we have enough power on the grid to cushion everything. aspects of chip deficit ”. In his opinion, the industry needs to think about reusing chips, working on extending the life of some computer technologies, as well as increasing investment in building production.
Consulting firm AlixPartners on Friday downgraded its forecast for the impact of the chip shortage on automakers’ revenues: it estimates the problem will cost the industry $ 110 billion in 2021.
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