Will Semi Foundries/Industry Diversify to Spead Costs?

[Arthur Hanson]

Semi foundries and their suppliers have developed a staggeringly large knowledge and ecosystem base in nanotechnology that is unrivaled in many areas, from raw IP, to tooling, to personnel, to facilities to entire ecosystems. To not extend this vast investment directly or by actively seeking out licensing opportunities is not only a waste, but has the capability of others developing IP and tooling that could come back to help their semiconductor operations. I feel this move will be critical for firms in the semi ecosystem if they want to maintain their growth rates despite the ups and downs of the traditional semi sector. Utilization of resources to their highest potential separates the average company from the great company from just an average company. Some of this is already occurring at firms such as AMAT and others, but not to the extent it could be executed. Maybe this is uneconomic or just won't fit into the model or maybe a whole new ecosystem could be built to benefit the industry and those outside of it? Any thoughts, opinions or comments on this would be appreciated. Is any company in the semi industry doing this to scale up? Any input would be appreciated. Below is one example of an opportunity to extend into an entirely new area of endeavor.


Breakthrough In Nanotechnology Brings Nanomotors Closer To Reality For Drug Delivery