HTV Alter Technology's Klaudia Cyzio on component shortages and grey market
Growing demand driven by advances in artificial intelligence is exacerbating problems with the availability of electronic components. Manufacturers are increasingly having to source components outside official distribution channels, raising the risk of buying counterfeit products or parts that are unsuitable for assembly. Klaudia Cyzio from HTV Alter Technology discussed these industry challenges in an interview conducted during Evertiq Expo 2026 in Warsaw.
According to Klaudia Cyzio, the semiconductor market remains challenging. One of the main factors affecting component availability is the AI boom, which is driving significant demand for semiconductor components.
“There are a lot of allocations, so this is creating a problem for manufacturers to actually procure the parts from original sources,” she said.
As Cyzio explained, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the components they need through official distribution channels. As a result, some are turning to brokers and sourcing parts through the so-called grey market. However, this approach comes with additional risks.
“Often they get parts that are either not solderable anymore or that are fake. These are the challenges we face right now,” Cyzio said.
The problem is not limited to component availability. The origin and quality of parts are equally important concerns. Purchasing components on the grey market can disrupt supply chains, while discovering counterfeit or defective parts at a late stage of production can result in additional costs and delays.
During the interview, Cyzio also discussed the development of HTV Alter Technology's services. Over the past year, the company has expanded its capabilities in the long-term storage and preservation of electronic components.
“The biggest achievement is actually our obsolescence management, which we took to an even higher level last year. We can support customers with long-term storage and preservation of components for several decades. And if components have not been stored properly, we can re-tin or reball them. So the whole supply chain can be kept intact,” Cyzio said.
In her interview with Evertiq, which you can watch above, Klaudia Cyzio also discusses the outlook for the semiconductor market and the prospect of further restrictions on component availability. She explains why manufacturers should plan their component purchases well in advance, including last-time buys, rather than waiting until supply problems arise. The conversation also covers the growing need to detect counterfeit components and verify the authenticity of products sourced from the grey market. She also discusses the growing need to detect counterfeits and verify grey-market parts, and the challenges the industry faces in the coming years.
Evertiq Expo will return to Warsaw on 21 October 2027.
