Industrial and heavy equipment systems are built to last for decades—but the semiconductors inside them are not. As chip manufacturers shift their investments toward fast-moving markets like AI, automotive, and data centers, industrial OEMs are facing an unprecedented rise in component obsolescence. The result? Critical machines, infrastructure, and globally deployed equipment are at risk of downtime, costly redesigns, and regulatory setbacks. Equipment systems are built to last for decades — but the semiconductors inside them are not.

Our latest white paper, Preserving Industrial Systems While Preparing for What Comes Next, explores this widening gap—and how industrial manufacturers can stay ahead of it.

Why Obsolescence Is Accelerating

Semiconductor suppliers are rapidly moving away from the mature wafer processes, legacy packages, and tester platforms that industrial systems rely on. Eight-inch wafers, leaded packages, and legacy test platforms are disappearing as manufacturers retool for advanced nodes and next-generation packaging.

For industrial OEMs, that creates three major challenges:

• Shrinking supply of legacy components
• Expensive requalification cycles triggered by even small hardware changes
• Risk to safety, compliance, and field-proven software ecosystems

Component obsolescence is no longer a one-off issue—it’s a structural reality.



Why Change Isn’t Always an Option

In many regulated industries, stability equals safety. A single component substitution can force OEMs to repeat costly emissions testing, safety certifications, or EMI validation across dozens of countries. The safest path forward is often to avoid redesign altogether—but only if parts remain available.