Mehr als nur Bauteile: Eine Netzwerkanalyse zur Risikostruktur der MLCC-Zulieferkette

Abstract

Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are key components of modern electronics and are widely used in a variety of applications - from smartphones and vehicles to medical devices. Despite their essential importance, the upstream supply chain of these components has so far been insufficiently researched, especially with regard to systemic risks on the supplier side. Against the backdrop of increasing global crises and disruptions in electronics chains, the investigation of structural vulnerabilities in the MLCC supply chain is becoming increasingly relevant. The aim of this thesis is to identify supplier-side risks within the MLCC supply chain, to analyze them systematically and to make them visible through a combination of theoretical and empirical methods. The work follows a two-stage approach: In the first part, a comprehensive literature analysis is carried out in order to structure general and MLCC-specific risk factors. In particular, raw material dependencies (e.g. nickel, palladium, tantalite) and geopolitical influences that cause a high susceptibility to external shocks are examined. In the second part, a data-based network analysis of the five largest MLCC manufacturers (Murata, TDK, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Taiyo Yuden, Yageo) is carried out. With the help of transaction data from the Bloomberg database, supplier relationships are visualized and examined using central network metrics (e.g. centrality, topology). The aim is to identify so-called “nexus suppliers” - i.e. players whose failure can trigger far-reaching cascading effects in the network. The results show that the global MLCC supplier networks are highly concentrated and that individual suppliers occupy a system-critical position. Particularly noteworthy is the high centrality of some Asian raw material and component suppliers, whose interruption could potentially destabilize the entire network. These structural dependencies highlight the vulnerability of the electronics industry and emphasize the need for strategic resilience measures such as diversification, redundancies or geographical risk diversification. The work thus makes a practical contribution to the discussion about more resilient supply chains in the high-tech industry and shows how network-analytical methods can be used to identify risks in supply chain management.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Gerald Schönwetter (Supervisor)