Motorola chief sees recovery on way for semiconductor sector

The global microprocessor market is in a downturn but Joseph Yiu, Asia-Pacific vice-president and general manager of Motorola Semiconductors, believes a recovery is imminent.

A 28-year veteran of the IT industry, Mr Yiu has the onerous task of overseeing Motorola's semiconductor products sector at a time when analysts expect the sector to shrink about 2 per cent this year, compared with initial estimates of growth as high as 17 per cent.

He is optimistic the business will grow as the region regroups from the recession.

'We have been here for 30 years and we have seen economic cycles, up and down,' Mr Yiu said. 'We always grow strongly after the crises.' Mr Yiu was born in Fujian province, raised in Hong Kong and spent 24 years studying and working in the US.

He first joined Motorola in 1970 as a part-time radio service technician while studying electronic engineering in Nebraska. After earning a master's degree, he worked with Hy-Gain Electronics as a senior circuit designer for a year before returning to Motorola.

While working in the company's automotive products division in Texas, Mr Yiu pioneered factory automation processes, such as robotic engineering.