Despite chip stock declines – Applied Materials executive: "We are increasing production volumes"

Senior executives in Israel's chip equipment industry stated at a Globes conference that they see no slowdown in orders, despite sharp declines in chip stocks. Ofer Greenberg from Applied Materials: "We are increasing production volumes." Yotam Ironi from Altshuler Shaham: "This is a waking from a dream, a sobering up."

At a panel during the "Seeing Beyond the Trend" conference by Globes in collaboration with Altshuler Finance, senior executives in Israel's chip manufacturing equipment industry said they see no sign of a slowdown in orders, despite the sharp declines in chip stocks in recent weeks. Ofer Greenberg, President and CEO of Applied Materials Israel, said: "We don't see a change. We are in contact with manufacturers worldwide. There is probably a gap here between a financial market seeking short-term returns and companies investing in infrastructure for a horizon of years." He added that the company is increasing production volumes due to demand. Lior Aviran, Chairman of Camtek, agreed that no conclusions should be drawn from point fluctuations. Yotam Ironi from Altshuler Shaham took a more cautious stance, calling the declines "a waking from a dream, a sobering up." The panel also addressed the field of process control, where Israel has become a powerhouse.