ASIA– After a three-year-long slump, demand for flexible PCB (FPCB) is on the rise, according to market indicators. The improvement is due, in part, to smartphone and notebook applications that have stabilized average selling prices for FPCBs.
 
Because of strong competition over the past few years, smaller FPCB companies have been pushed out of the market. Industry watchers predict that the consolidation will bring stabilization in pricing. As an example, Career Technology in Taiwan reported high third-quarter average quote prices. The average selling price is predicted to increase in 2009, due to the constant introduction of new smartphone models.
 
FPCB companies in South Korea have taken a substantial hit. Over the past two years, the number of FPCB companies has dropped from 50 to 60 to the current level of only eight or nine companies. Some FPCB companies in Japan, including Nippon Mektron and Fujikura, have increase market share during the same period.