LONDON, UK: According to Semicast's final vendor ranking for its "Industrial/Medical Semiconductor Service", Infineon Technologies is ranked as the largest supplier of semiconductors to the industrial sector in 2007, ahead of STMicroelectronics and Renesas Technology.

Colin Barnden, Semicast's principal analyst for semiconductor research and author of the study commented: "This is the first time our vendor ranking has shown Infineon at number 1 in the industrial sector and we see its rise over the last 12 months reflecting both booming sales of power discretes and a strong Euro. In 2008 we are expecting another hard fought battle between Infineon and STMicroelectronics to be the leading supplier."

One of the defining characteristics of the industrial and medical sector is that it does not exhibit the "boom-and-bust" cycle so typical of the  semiconductor industry as a whole. While in good times this means opportunities are often overlooked, during more uncertain times the sector represents a safe bet for steady and dependable revenues. Accordingly, amid growing signs of an economic slowdown in the wake of the global "credit crunch", many semiconductor vendors are now taking a much closer look at the opportunities.

Barnden summed up "The market for semiconductors in industrial and medical applications is estimated to have been $20 billion in 2007 and forecast to pass $33 billion in 2013. That is not an opportunity any semiconductor supplier can afford to overlook in good or bad times". The 2008 edition of Semicast's "Industrial/Medical Semiconductor Service" was published in June 2008.

Market Share Estimates for Top 5 Semiconductor Suppliers to the Industrial/Medical Sector in 2007:

Infineon: 7.5 percent
STMicro: 7.0 percent
Renesas: 6.5 percent
Texas Instruments: 6.3 percent
Analog Devices: 4.4 percent
Others: 68.3 percent