Okmetic CCO Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen elected as Chair of an international group of silicon wafer suppliers
Okmetic CCO Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen has been elected as Chair of SEMI’s Silicon Wafer Manufacturers’ Group (SMG) for a two-year period that started in January 2022. In addition to Okmetic, SMG members include leading silicon wafer suppliers such as Shin Etsu Handotai, SUMCO, GlobalWafers, Siltronic, SK Siltron and WaferWorks.
SEMI aims to increase the visibility of material suppliers in the market and the group of silicon wafer suppliers aims to facilitate cooperation in matters related to the silicon industry, including the development of market data and statistics for the silicon industry and the semiconductor market. This helps increase customer awareness of the material suppliers’ business and industry development.
The task offers a significant vantage point for the development of the market and the industry, as well as an opportunity to develop cooperation between players in the industry.
– I am honoured to serve as Chair of SMG and have the opportunity to continue our work on issues impacting the silicon industry. Silicon wafers are an essential part of the semiconductor value chain. SMG’s aim is to keep up a dialogue with the semiconductor industry stakeholders of silicon wafers’ role in this rapidly developing industry, says Vuorikari-Antikainen.
Vuorikari-Antikainen has 30 years’ experience from the silicon wafer industry and she has been actively involved in SMG’s work as Vice Chair in 2020 and 2021. At Okmetic Vuorikari-Antikainen has held several senior management positions before being appointed as the head of sales in 2014. With her expertize, she is also raising the profile of the Finnish semiconductor knowhow in the world.
Demand for silicon wafers is growing strongly as the amount of electronics increases
Key technologies of the 2020s such as 5G, AI and autonomous vehicles will not materialize without advanced semiconductors and materials. The total net sales of the global semiconductor industry including materials and equipment are at a record level. For 2021, net sales are expected to have exceeded 550 billion US dollars and upward growth is expected to continue throughout the decade.
Asia has become the most important market area in the rapidly consolidating industry (already 80 % market share), but both in the USA and in Europe, the importance of the industry and Asia’s strong role have been recognized. The EU’s European Chips Act aims to strengthen the ecosystem and increase European production capacity.
The industry is consolidated, companies are highly specialized and production is tailored. Silicon wafers, which are used as a platform for the manufacture of semiconductor components, are an integral part of the semiconductor industry value chain and the outlook for the silicon wafer industry is similar – growth is expected to remain strong. The global shortage of silicon chips is holding back the development of the industry by delaying deliveries and causing downtimes at factories, so Silicon Wafer Manufacturers’ Group is playing an even more important role in increasing transparency in a critical industry.
