According to the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Murata’s president Norio Nakajima said in an interview that at least in the next three years, the growth rate of the overall MLCC market is expected to remain above 10%, and Murata will continue to increase production to meet demand. In the advanced product segment, technology research and development that competitors cannot imitate will be carried out. Compared with competitors outside Japan, Murata expects to maintain a 3-4 year lead.
Norio Nakajima said that now because of the global shortage of semiconductors, many customers are significantly increasing the inventory level of MLCC. It is expected that the price of MLCC may decline after the market inventory is sufficient in the second half of the year. He said that since plant investment has come to an end, the planned equipment investment for this year is only 160 billion yen, which is relatively small compared to recent years. However, the investment in production equipment is about 90 billion yen, and the investment in MLCC accounts for the majority.
Murata’s performance was the highest in history during the Covid-19 epidemic last year. Operating profit exceeded 300 billion yen, making it the first electronic component manufacturer in Japan to reach this milestone. In addition, driven by 5G and electric vehicles, Murata’s market share of MLCC products has reached the first place in the world.
