German silicon wafer group Siltronic expects sales to fall up to 19 per cent this year due to weak demand from the semiconductor industry but plans to invest in expansion to prepare for a recovery.
There were promising prospects for strong medium- and long-term growth in view of several mega-trends, such as the macro-economic climate and customer interest, he said in an investor call. "We only have very tiny amounts of these materials and secured sourcing from outside China already," the CEO said.