There are many factors that should be taken into consideration when doing market research. To better assess supply chain changes, let's first draw a 3x3 grid that offers a clear framework on all key information. Across the diagonal of the grid, we put the fundamental factors that will affect the ICT industry's integrity and influence. Then, we put supply-side factors on the upper left part of the grid and demand-side factors on the lower right. This will help us gain a grasp of key information when searching through a massive database.My latest book, Disconnected ICT Supply Chains: New Power Plays Unfolding offers readers this 3x3 grid as a quick reference and framework to understanding the ecosystem, markets and crucial factors.

To give a clear picture of the ICT industries, we can divide them into five major market segments - communication, computing, home appliances, automotive electronics, and industrial automation/defense. For example, computing and communication contribute about 65-70% of the ICT sales, with consumer electronics, automotive devices, and industrial control each accounting for about 10%. Automotive devices promise explosive growths, while industrial control involves large varieties of applications. But the arrival of 5G is also promising huge business opportunities for industrial applications. Consumer electronics still have potentials coming from smart home applications, such as TVs.The display panel industry is also a key sector along with semiconductor. But the next stage of development will rely on emerging markets and decentralized supply chains. COVID-19 has disrupted carmakers' supply chains, but for Japanese and Korean carmakers, it was the lack of low-end parts, such as wiring harnesses, that stalled their production. Japanese and Korean carmakers rely on China for 30% of their parts supply, while the US reliance is only about 13%. What's difference between them?These show the opportunities for Vietnam, Indonesia, India and the Philippines to become manufacturing hubs. Will Canada and Mexico stand a chance in the carmaking industry with US support? In my new book, Disconnected ICT Supply Chains, I try to answer some of the questions raised in the wake of COVID-19.Correlation between 3 core ICT sectors and 5 major market segments

China has a population of 1.4 billion in 2020. China's GDP would reach US$15.7 trillion according to CIA estimates. If China could maintain its target of a 6% growth, its GDP would be close to 80% of America's US$20 trillion. CIA even projected that China's GDP would climb to US$38.2 trillion by 2040, far surpassing America's US$28.8 trillion. China has become the world's factory and the world's biggest market.But what will become of China in the post-pandemic era? China's economic growth will no longer be able to rely on investments in infrastructure, which is already well-established in most parts of the country. And it remains uncertain whether China will have the financial means to support its semiconductor development and 5G deployments, judging from its worsening finances. How is Huawei going to survive under US sanctions? Is Samsung going to benefit from the Huawei woes? These are some of the questions I try to answer in my book, Disconnected ICT Supply Chains: New Power Plays Unfolding.Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China, Feb 2020

When Chinese president Xi Jinping declared war on COVID-19, I knew the outbreak in China must have been very grave. At the time, many Taiwanese CEOs and managers had returned home from China for the Lunar New Year break. They couuld not go back to work in China after the holiday, and yet these "stranded" CEOs provided us with very good sources of first-hand information about what was actually happening to the supply chains in China during the outbreak. As an analyst with 35 years of experience under my belt, and with strong ties with many industry leaders in Taiwan, I felt a strong commitment to recording what I was witnessing at this turning point.That was how Disconnected ICT Supply Chains: New Power Plays Unfolding came into being. This new book of mine analyzes the ICT supply chains in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic from a Taiwan-originated Asian perspective that could fill the gaps of understanding from a US-European standpoint. I have done many research projects commissioned by major ICT firms, such as Microsoft, Applied Materials, TSMC, Foxconn and AUO, and I'm well aware of their blind spots.Taiwan's ICT industries are standing at the crossroads, and they must have their own value propositions in order to survive. The pandemic is a global disaster, and yet it provides Taiwan with an opportunity to show the world its worth.