The full impact of the global microchip shortage has still to be worked out, but its effects could change supply chains worldwide

The microchip has changed the world since its invention in the 1950s. But after Covid caused global demand to plunge, chip manufacturers are now finding it hard to keep up with a sharp spike in orders as the world starts to emerge from the virus

Amid a global shortage of microchips, the EU and China are seeking to wrestle back control of their supply chains. And as the silicon wafers are now fundamental to so many industries, Ireland stands to benefit from what has quietly become its fourth-largest export

Semiconductors, which account for 60 per cent of our trade with China, have now become Ireland’s fourth largest goods export