Source: DMASS (please click for enlarged view)

For the EMEA semiconductor distribution Q4/2008 the DMASS (Distributors’ and Manufacturers’ Association of Semiconductor Specialists) reported a decline of distribution revenues of 11.4% versus Q4 last year. The combined membership achieved quarterly distribution revenues of 1.09 Billion Euro. For the full year, DMASS reported revenues of 5.02 Billion Euro, a decline of 7.9% versus 2007.

All regions were affected, even Eastern Europe declined for the first time in years in Q4 compared to Q4 last year (-1.4%). The only countries with Q408 over Q407 growth were Austria, Poland, Hungary and the emerging countries in Eastern Europe. Russia, star of the first half of 2008, had a double digit decline and came out only slightly positive for the full year. Of the bigger regions, Germany declined least in Q4 (-7.8% to 352 Million Euro), followed by France (-9% to 93 Million Euro) and the UK (-13.4% to 100 Million Euro).

The UK suffers a severe currency effect that diminishes the local market value quite significantly. Italy, second biggest major region in Europe, took a dive of 20.8% in Q4 to 119 Million Euro. All other regions or countries except Israel (-1.9%) and Sweden (-8.1%) declined in double digits. For the full year, Eastern Europe remained positive (5.8%), while Germany only declined by 5%.

Results by product groups

Product-wise, all major product groups went down in Q4 compared to Q4 last year – between 3.1% (Memories) and 17.4% (Standard Logic). Only slightly affected was Programmable Logic with -4.2% (102 Million Euro), while the biggest sectors reacted differently. Analog components only declined by 9.3% (to 304 Million Euro), MOS Micros went down by 14.9% to 254 Million Euro. Only three products grew at all in Q4 compared to Q4 last year: DRAMs, SRAMs and DSPs. Annualised, all the major product groups were negative, between 5.6% (Discretes) and 14.8% (Standard Logic).

About DMASS

DMASS (Distributors’ and Manufacturers’ Association of Semiconductor Specialists), a European non-profit organisation, is an industry body that collates detailed semiconductor distribution market data on a quarterly basis by country and product groups such as microcontrollers, flash memories, analog components and many more. DMASS figures are collected and consolidated by Data Dynamics Ltd. DMASS, founded in 1989, currently consists of 33 active members and represents between 80% and 85% of the total European distribution market, depending on the regions.