The chip market - Italy

1.1 Introduction

The chip market represents a strategic sector within electronics and information technology, covering the manufacture and sale of microprocessors used in a wide range of electronic devices. Market offerings include:

• Microprocessors and microcontrollers for computers and mobile devices.
• Memory chips used in smartphones, tablets and storage devices.
• Integrated circuits for specific applications, such as automotive, industrial, medical, consumer electronics, etc.
• Power chips for power electronics and industrial automation.
• Sensors and chips for the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).

In 1958, Jack Kilby, an engineer at Texas Instruments, invented the first integrated circuit, known as a "chip," which combined transistors, resistors, diodes, capacitors and links on a silicon plate. This revolutionary innovation made it possible to reduce the size of electronic circuits from entire rooms to a small pocket-sized device. Later, in 1971, three Intel engineers, including Italian Federico Faggin, developed the microchip, an even more advanced integrated circuit that combined the functions of several chips into a single object. This microchip, measuring 4 by 3 millimeters, contained 2,250 transistors and could be programmed to perform all the arithmetic, logic and control operations needed for a computer, a telephone card or a household appliance. [Focus]

Major players in the industry included Intel, Samsung, Micron, SK Hynix Qualcomm, Broadcom, Nvidia, and TI. [Startmag]

The global computer microchip market was valued at $21.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $57.3 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6 percent from 2022 to 2031.[Alliedmarketresearch]

The study focuses specifically on the microprocessor market in Italy. For information on complementary markets, such as the semiconductor industry or specific application sectors, please refer to the other studies available in the Businesscoot catalog.