Nexperia’s outsized influence exposed in system teardowns

Disruptions to the supply of discrete semiconductors from Nexperia are rippling through the global automotive sector, exposing structural weakness that industry players cannot ignore.

As contingency plans kick in, the crisis is a stark reminder of the industry’s dependency on a handful of component suppliers, and how quickly geopolitical tensions can bring production to a standstill. With this new snapshot, Yole Group highlights the strategic importance of teardowns in today’s semiconductor competitive landscape. By leveraging Yole Group’s analyses, semiconductor companies can gain a deeper understanding of their competitors’ latest innovations and strategic directions. And that’s just the beginning…

Nexperia and the recent announcements from the Dutch government provide a concrete example. Yole Group has already published two insightful articles. Now, take a moment to explore the value of Yole Group’s teardowns and the world of semiconductor technologies with this new billet written by Wilfried Theron, Director, Systems Teardown as well as Axel Clouet and Thibault Cherel, both Product Marketing Manager at Yole Group. Step inside Yole Group’s expertise…

Nexperia is a less visible supplier, but it is central to the automotive ecosystem. Its diodes, transistors are MOSFETs are critical components that deliver essential functions across vehicle control units, power electronics and consumer devices. Although the company is headquartered in the Netherlands, it is a subsidiary of Shanghai-listed Wingtech Technology and operates manufacturing facilities in China. That global footprint has now become a vulnerability. Nexperia has been caught in the crossfire of the US-China trade war, as the US is tightening semiconductor export controls and scrutinizing foreign ownership of assets, while China has blocked exports of components from Nexperia. The situation escalated in October 2025, when the Dutch government took control of the European company, citing economic and technological security concerns. In today’s global supply chain where there is a lack of quick substitutes, even brief supply chain interruptions can halt factories and reverberate throughout the European automotive ecosystem.

Analysis based on Yole Group’s Teardown Tracks reflects just how deeply embedded Nexperia’s components are within today’s automotive architectures.

Since 2020, 300 (or 75%) of the 400 teardowns of automotive systems Yole Group has completed contain at least one Nexperia component, primarily in the ADAS, infotainment, telematics and electrification controllers.

Nexperia has an outsized influence when it comes to the overall automotive bill of materials. Discretes account for around 5% of the total semiconductor electronic bill of materials (eBOM) and Nexperia components account for just 1%, but these are essential to the manufacturing process, Yole Group’s analysis shows.

Yole Group works closely with its specialist team in China to select the most relevant electronic systems to analyze and enrich this visibility.

By dismantling the system and analyzing detailed photographs and component markings, Yole Group’s experts can determine each component’s supplier and reference, enabling Yole Group to compile a comprehensive BOM. This confirms sourcing and the importance of each provider.

Teardowns cut through that opacity, providing a complete understanding of the manufacturer and mapping the full supply chain to reveal where a company like Nexperia sits inside critical systems. With this information, Yole Group’s analysts can quantify the knock-on effects if a key supplier is disrupted, blocked, or acquired, and determine which OEMs and Tier 1s face the highest exposure.

The availability of extensive data from Teardown Tracks along with the in-depth analysis of technology developments, market trends and key players by Yole Group’s experts creates a unique and powerful combination.

Yole Group’s integrated approach helps OEMs, Tier 1 manufacturers, and public authorities understand what is inside the systems they rely on and what could happen if any link in the chain fractures. Armed with this intelligence, they can build a strategic view of the technical choices around semiconductor content, understand where key components are manufactured, and accurately assess disruption risks. That insight allows decision makers to uncover hidden dependencies, anticipate shortages and identify alternative sources when geopolitical uncertainty threatens stability. Beyond the standard Teardown Tracks activity covering innovative systems, Yole Group also provides custom teardown projects tailored to each client, delivered as an integral part of its consulting services. Whether the goal is to evaluate a particular system, specific supplier, or strategic concern, that data can offer immediately actionable insights.

As geopolitics and technical innovations continue to influence semiconductor flows, Yole Group’s teardown program will stay closely aligned with industry innovations, offer fast insights into technological shifts and supply chain dynamics.

Axel Clouet, PhD is Product Marketing Manager, Market Intelligence at Yole Group.

Axel occupies a new position in the company’s marketing department where he bridges products, sales, and markets, tailoring reports and services for global clients. He leverages strong technical insight to develop value propositions and support strategic product initiatives. Prior to this position, Axel was a Senior Technology & Market Analyst, Imaging, in the Imaging & Display team. He contributed daily to technology & market analyses on various imaging technologies and participated in the production of the relevant Yole Group products. Axel Clouet is the author of various scientific papers and conference presentations.

Axel earned his PhD on CMOS image sensors at CEA-Leti (France) after graduating from the Grenoble Institute of Technology (France) with a specialization in semiconductor physics.

Thibault Chérel is a Product Marketing Manager, Teardowns & Reverse Costing at Yole Group.

With more than 15 years of experience in marketing, product strategy, and innovation, Thibault brings a dual technical & business expertise shaped by a strong engineering background and extensive experience in competitive industrial environments. At Yole Group, he supports the development of marketing strategies by combining market understanding, technical expertise, and data-driven decision-making. Before joining Yole Group, Thibault led strategic initiatives centered on portfolio optimization, value positioning, and structured pricing. He managed innovation processes, product lifecycle activities, and contributed to the development of advanced technical products. Thibault earned an engineering diploma from Polytech Orléans and later graduated from CentraleSupélec in Innovation & Transformation, equipping him to navigate the modern industrial landscape.

Wilfried Theron holds the position of Director, Systems Teardown at Yole Group, where he oversees the global development of Teardown activities.

With over 25 years of experience in modeling the manufacturing costs of electronics systems and components, Wilfried leads a dedicated team focused on the analysis and production of teardowns. His responsibilities extend to managing specific custom projects and refining the methodologies employed in teardown and costing analysis at Yole Group. Additionally, he maintains the ISO-9001 certification. Specializing in automotive systems such as ADAS, Electrification, Telematics, and Infotainment, Wilfried’s expertise also encompasses consumer systems like smartphones, headsets, and smartwatches. He is adept at identifying and selecting electronic systems for analysis.

Before joining Yole Group, Wilfried co-founded System Plus Consulting in 2005, which later became part of Yole Group. He holds a master’s degree in Microelectronics from the University of Nantes, France.

Automotive Teardown Tracks including:

Source: www.yolegroup.com