From a macroeconomic perspective, the global economy is expected to see a slow comeback in 2014. According to statistics by IMF (International Monetary Fund), the global economy is estimated to see a 3.7% year-on-year growth in 2014, compared to just 3% in 2013.

This is mainly attributed to growing economy witnessed in some major markets in 2014 such as the United States and Japan, even the euro zone. Emerging markets, though experiencing a slowdown, is expected to see 5.1% year-on-year growth in 2014, in particular China and India, where economic performance in 2014 is expected to outpace that in 2013.

Looking at the downstream demand for ICT products, the decline in personal PC shipments is expected to slow down in 2014 compared to 2013. Smart handheld devices, despite a slowdown in demand, are still expected to see positive shipment growth. Therefore, amid the global economic recovery, sales of smart handheld devices will buoy the global semiconductor market, to see a 4.4% growth in 2014 compared to 2013.

Figure one: The Worldwide Semiconductor Market Volume, 2009 – 2015 (Source:WSTS, compiled by MIC, March 2014)