Electronic components are the basis of the electronics industry’s development, this study divides the electronic components according to their materials or products characteristics into five categories, namely Light-Emitting Diode (LED) in optoelectronic elements, Printed Circuit Boards (PCB), Passive Components, Connection Components and Energy Components. Reviewing the 2014 global electronic components industry, global market size of LED elements continued to grow, reaching USD. 16.75 billion, with a growth of 7.7% compared with 2013. PCB grew up to 1.5%, with the output value reaching USD. 40.84 billion. Regarding passive components, in 2014, with new demands derived from new generation end products, the global passive component industry growth rate was 9.6%. For connectors, global output growth was 3.5% compared to the previous year. Global output of energy component in 2014 has been maintaining a stable growth and development, with the annual growth rate of 15.6%.
Main competitors for Taiwan components industry are Japan, South Korea and Mainland China, with Japan and South Korea having the most intense price competition with Taiwan in printed circuit boards, passive components, secondary batteries and various other component industries. Regarding Taiwan’s competitiveness, each industry in terms of various scores (production factors, management, policy, market, technology) showed little change, meaning Taiwan's competitiveness was roughly the same as the previous year, on average, Japan and South Korea are more technologically advanced, Mainland China is advantages on market and policies. On export value, Mainland China’s growth rate of 9.0% was relatively outstanding; Taiwan and Japan generally showed a more moderate growth, respectively 1.7% and 3.3%; South Korea, due to slowdown in end product shipments, which also affect export value performance, declined 4.7%.
Looking ahead to 2015, Taiwan's electronic components manufacturers will continue to expand the layout for emerging applications; the only problem is that emerging applications are still in the initial stage, and output value accounted for the overall proportion is still low, so smart phones, NB and such applications will still be Taiwan industry's main application export items in the current stage. In 2014, the base period was already high, and since new applications have not yet fully fermented, growth rate will be lower than the previous year, estimated at 4.1%.