STMicroelectronics retained its position as third largest supplier, with Freescale fourth and NXP fifth. Semicast calculates that revenues for OE automotive semiconductors grew by twelve percent to USD 25.5 billion in 2012, while the total semiconductor industry is judged to have declined by almost three percent to USD 292 billion.

Semicast’s OE automotive semiconductor vendor share analysis ranks Renesas Electronics as the leading supplier in 2012, with an estimated market share of 13.3%. Renesas continues to hold a substantial lead over the second placed supplier, Infineon Technologies, which in 2012 had an estimated market share of 8.3%. STMicroelectronics is judged to have been the third largest supplier last year with a market share of 7.4%, ahead of Freescale on 6.6% and NXP on 6.0%.

Colin Barnden, Principal Analyst at Semicast Research and study author, commented “The list of vendors making up the top five positions to the OE automotive semiconductor market has remained unchanged since 2006, despite the dramatic rises and falls in the market over this period”.

Currency movements are likely to have a substantial impact on market shares in 2013, particularly for Renesas which reports in yen. Newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced plans to depreciate the yen in the short term, to stimulate the Japanese economy and raise domestic inflation to a target of two percent.

The progress of this policy can already be seen, with the US dollar/yen exchange rate weakening to 94 yen in early March, from 80 yen before Abe’s election in December 2012, a fall approaching twenty percent.

Barnden summed up “The yen has not traded below 100 since March 2009, reflecting its status as a safe haven currency, but this level looks certain to be breached in the months ahead”.

2012 OE Automotive Semiconductor Vendor Share Ranking

1. Renesas Electronics - 13.3%
2. Infineon Technologies - 8.3%
3. STMicroelectronics - 7.4%
4. Freescale Semiconductor - 6.6%
5. NXP Semiconductor - 6.0%

• Top 5 Total - 41.6%
• Others - 58.4%

Source: Semicast Research