History
Our association was established in November 1988, when Japan-U.S. trade friction over semiconductors was escalating, as a non-profit and independent organization under the name of the Distributors Association of Foreign Semiconductors (DAFS). We were on missions to promote Japan’s imports of foreign semiconductors and to expand their access to the Japanese market. The founding members were 55 major companies importing foreign semiconductors for distribution in the Japanese market.
Since the foundation of DAFS, foreign semiconductors have been rapidly expanding their share in the Japanese market to see it surpass 50% up to the present date, becoming an indispensable presence for the Japanese electronics industry.
To date, the semiconductor industry has gone through major structural changes, with many companies experiencing realignments and mergers, becoming fabless and accelerating the globalization of their operations.
Our initial mission of expanding imports of foreign semiconductors has now been completed. The purposes of our activities and the makeup of the member companies have changed a great deal. As solution providers, many DAFS members now deal in a wide range of semiconductors, including those made by Japanese manufacturers, on top of foreign products.
To more accurately reflect the current state of the association, we decided to change its name to the Distributors Association of Semiconductors & Components of Japan in May 2011. (The abbreviated name “DAFS” was retained.) Under the new name, we made a fresh start as the only group representing Japanese distributors dealing in semiconductors.
As of March 2024, DAFS member companies total 42, and they handle the products of over 500 semiconductor device makers in 25 countries, including Japan. With high technological skills required for the companies specialized in distributing semiconductor devices, DAFS members, as solution providers, develop the products on their own, offer technical support and design ICs on a consigned basis.
Objectives
We are committed to achieve sound development as distributors dealing in semiconductors, other electronics parts and embedded products. We join hands in overcoming common challenges facing member companies and organize events to promote friendship among the members.
By achieving these goals, we hope we can ultimately contribute to the development of the Japanese semiconductor industry as well as to the steady expansion of semiconductor supply networks around the world.
Activities
DAFS is engaged in the following activities through 8 committees consisted of voluntarily participating member companies with the aim of supporting the development of DAFS members.
- To hold international exhibitions of new semiconductor products and those of new electronics devices at users’ factories or R&D facilities. (5 to 6 times a year)
- To improve member companies’ technical knowledge by holding seminars, including introductory seminars on semiconductors for newcomers and advanced seminars on the latest technologies and market trends for persons in the semiconductor industry. (5 to 6 times a year)
- To organize tours to visit R&D facilities of the Japanese government, universities and private entities and to hold seminars at these facilities to give member companies opportunities to learn about next-generation semiconductors and nano-technologies. (once a year).
- To help member companies tackle management issues common across the industry, such as problems in doing business with emerging economies and the need to train their staff to cope with the globalization of semiconductor businesses, by organizing study groups, holding seminars and doing surveys,
- To hold briefing sessions for introducing Japanese semiconductor venture companies and to organize business meetings between DAFS members and the venture firms with the aim of promoting cooperative and compensatory ties between them.
- To promote information exchange and cooperative ties between DAFS members and public institutions or related industry groups in and outside Japan.
- To cultivate interchange and mutual friendship among member companies by publishing newsletters, hosting gatherings for exchanging business cards, doing golf tournaments, etc.
- To provide service of creating report in designated format on chemical substance contained in products.
