A reflection on 2020 and a look at the year ahead
Last year was a remarkable one for us all, yet despite the global pandemic, the pace of innovation in the electronics industry continued. System Plus Consulting’s CEO, Romain Fraux, considers the technology highlights of 2020 – and what lies ahead for 2021.
Smartphone introductions and new vehicles models, advances in ADAS and vehicle connectivity, coupled with the increased electrification of vehicle systems were some of the main features of 2020. System Plus Consulting diligently reported the evolution of the electronics industry and introduced some new products to reflect the evolution of a dynamic electronics market.
Charting trends in 2020
The power semiconductor market continued to use new materials. Analyses of SiC and GaN charted the evolution of these two materials and their applications. There was a clear trend in 2020 for the increased use of GaN in chargers for consumer products, particularly 65W GaN fast chargers.

Product and technology introductions from power semiconductor market leaders and newer players in the market were analyzed throughout 2020. More info.
For 2021, we expect to see more SiC-based inverters in automotives, for example, and in the power electronic systems in electric vehicles.
Another area of activity in 2020 was advanced packaging. Foundries continued to reduce the size of process nodes – currently down to 5nm in some areas. This has led to increased levels of integration and shrinking form factors. More info.
Headline image: photo at System Plus Consulting’s office, 2020 – Courtesy of Franck Drion