News Article
European Focus
In an industry that can change as quickly as the microelectronics industry, it is vital for companies to have up to the minute information to assist them in making informed decisions. There are a plethora of global consultants for the industry to choose from but only a handful that focus specifically on the European markets. As part of an ongoing focus we look at French company, Yole Développement.
With 40% annual growth since its inception in 1998 Yole Développement has steadily consolidated its position as a European corporate strategy and marketing consultant in cutting edge technology, particularly semiconductors and microsystems.
Yole Développement specialises in describing and understanding technology markets, testing and validating offerings, mounting together business plans and finding the resources to realise them. Thanks to a wide-range of skills it can assist corporate and institutional customers in strategy, marketing and sales.
The firm's know-how resides in a team of some 20 employees, most of whom are engineers or PhDs. They combine top grade scientific abilities and longstanding marketing and project management experience. Specific working methods are used to respond to the needs of marketing analysis in advanced technology industry. Central to Yole Développement's added value is its ability to give decision-makers rapid access to information and put it into perspective. Strategic and technological information underpins its marketing studies and databases. The data is made available to customers, notably in reports on specific sectors containing market research and a presentation of key players.
Yole Développement specialises in describing and understanding technology markets, testing and validating offerings, mounting together business plans and finding the resources to realise them. Thanks to a wide-range of skills it can assist corporate and institutional customers in strategy, marketing and sales.
The firm's know-how resides in a team of some 20 employees, most of whom are engineers or PhDs. They combine top grade scientific abilities and longstanding marketing and project management experience. Specific working methods are used to respond to the needs of marketing analysis in advanced technology industry. Central to Yole Développement's added value is its ability to give decision-makers rapid access to information and put it into perspective. Strategic and technological information underpins its marketing studies and databases. The data is made available to customers, notably in reports on specific sectors containing market research and a presentation of key players.
Range of services
To support its customers' development projects Yole Développement offers guidance from the validation of the original concept to the market roll-out of finished products. It can field professional skills spanning a full range of services: analysis and strategic intelligence, market research, corporate and product-oriented communication, financial engineering (business plan and fund-raising), expertise and due diligence, and finally publishing (sector-specific reports describing markets and players in MEMS, semiconductors and microsystems).
In market research Yole Développement carries out studies of potential in terms of both quality and quantity, updating customers on the demands of future users and the corresponding volumes if demand is satisfied. Its technology studies contain a description of key players, and existing and emerging technologies. The sector-specific reports are genuine off-the-shelf products, focusing on specific technologies and the players competing in a given market.
The firm has so far produced four reports: FabOpto (a description of the optical telecommunications sector in Europe); FabEurope (a description of MEMS fabs in Europe); FabOpto 2 (an updated and extended version of the previous report); BioFab (a description of the biochip and microfluidics components business worldwide). Yole Développement has also produced a CD-Rom (DataFab) presenting more than 300 semiconductor fabs in Europe. It publishes a monthly newsletter, Micronews, focusing on semiconductors, MEMS, nanotechnology, optoelectronics and biochips. Two new reports are currently being prepared: World MEMS Fab (with worldwide scope) and a study of the SiC market.
Whereas the aim of the communication arm of the company is to promote technological innovation through published documents, web sites or public relations, Yole Développement's consultancy work in strategy and marketing encompasses assessments, technology development, assistance with fund raising, and technological and strategic diagnosis for investors and public bodies.
European leadership
Yole Développement can provide technology companies with cross-the-board assistance from the development of a new technological offering to deployment of a sales network, through communication and development funding. The European experience links to the geographical strongholds of the technology they cover. Ensuring European expertise is made known to the wider world is an important part of the company's goals.
Yole Développement is based in Lyon, France, but is focusing on international development with 30% of its customers in the United States and 60% in Europe. It is the largest consultant worldwide specializing in MEMS. But its interests also include semiconductor equipment and materials and components in general, notably optics, bio-components and other innovative developments.
"In the field of market research and strategic analysis we work worldwide with all the players in the industrial process: emerging firms, start-ups, major specialist groups, investors and governments, and research centres," explains Jean-Christophe Eloy, the founder of Yole Développement. "Our skills are also used by manufacturers of components (Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, Atmel, Philips, Sensonor, Bosch, Tronic's, Opsitech, etc.), equipment (Alcatel, EVGroup, Sysmelec, Applied Materials, Opµs, Jipelec, etc.), design tools (Prosilog, Coventor, etc.), and systems (Biomérieux, Novartis, etc.), R&D centres (LETI, CSEM, CNRS, etc.), and government bodies (Anvar, MEFI, EU, DARPA, etc.)."
Yole Développement is continuing its international expansion in the various industrial centres specializing in microtechnology and microelectronics: Neuchâtel (Switzerland), Lyngby (Denmark), Dortmund (Germany), Boston and Raleigh (US), Grenoble and Rousset (France). Looking forward to the coming months and next year, two new European offices will be opening soon, in addition to the Danish office in Lyngby. The publication of new sector-specific reports in 2003 will coincide with consolidation of the financial engineering activity.
