The chips are down

The global chip shortage disrupting the car industry and threatening the supply of consumer technology products will last for at least another year, one of the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturers has warned. The forecast from Flex, the world’s third-biggest such manufacturer, is one of the gloomiest yet for a crisis that is forcing car and electronics groups to re-examine their supply chains.

OVERWHELMED A rapid rebound in vehicle sales, combined with a lockdown-driven boom in games consoles, laptops and TVs, has left the world’s chipmakers unable to meet the sharp increase in demand