Tokyo -- Despite a steep rebound in automobile demand, production has been hampered by problems in the semiconductor supply chain which is still struggling to return to full capacity after battling a pandemic, natural disasters, accidents and trade tensions.
In large part, the chip supply chain is snarled up because of the concentration of producers in a few countries, a situation that limits the dispersion of risks. Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger recently stressed the need for a "more balanced supply chain," given that the current production of critical chips is concentrated in East Asia.
