Chip makers start to resume work in Japan

23.03.2011
High-tech companies in Japan are slowly starting to get some of their manufacturing plants up and running after a hammered the country nearly two weeks ago.

Japan has been devastated by the series of disasters that hit the country starting on March 11. As the nation deals with massive loss of life, a nuclear crisis, damaged roads, buildings and communities washed away, as well as rolling electrical brown-outs and black-outs, its manufacturing and economy have .

But, while companies in Japan still have to deal with damaged facilities, an overwhelmed workforce and a dramatic electrical shortage, there are positive signs that some computer chip companies are starting to right themselves.

"This is huge," said Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group. "The technology ecosystem is very complex and concerns started shifting from primary to secondary and tertiary venders very quickly when it was clear how bad the problem was."

"Much of the world's production, of everything from tech products to cars, has been impacted because almost every modern product has some tech in it and almost all tech has at least one part made in Japan," Enderle said.

He added that he thinks that, barring any more disasters, high-tech production there will be at about 80% in about a month and most problems should be fully resolved by the end of the year.