Coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan: What it means for the industry

By Junko Yoshida, chief international correspondent, EE Times

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, global media attention has focused on Wuhan.

Knowing the region and its history helps us understand the effects of the coronavirus on the companies located there and their business partners around the world. And it is important to illustrate the epidemic on a human scale by examining the impact on the people of Wuhan.

What do we know about Wuhan? How important is the city to China? To the world?

Which companies in the electronics industry are in the region? How are these companies coping?

And, of course, how does the fallout in Wuhan affect the global supply chain?

AspenCore Media, the publishing house that owns EE Times, is launching a Special Project, “Outbreak in Wuhan ,” seeking to define the global impact of the deadly virus.

We have been working in close coordination with colleagues at EE Times China and ESM China, our sister publications.

We offer what we know now, and we will provide continuous coverage.

The key piece of this Special Project is a profile of Wuhan. It’s written by George Leopold, a science and technology writer and EE Times’ frequent contributor, in collaboration with Junko Yoshida, EE Times’ chief international correspondent. The piece covers Wuhan’s geography, its history, and the trajectory of the city over the last few decades in the electronics industry. The key question we ask is: How did Wuhan become such a strategic city in China?

ESM China’s Clover Lee offers a “Who’s who in Wuhan” — a list of high-tech companies in Wuhan.

Barb Jorgensen, editor-in-chief of supply chain publication EPSNews , guides readers on to how to best navigate the supply chain crisis as the epidemic continues. EPSNews is also a part of AspenCore Media.

Leopold also explores how the virus outbreak has exposed vulnerabilities in the global network of technology distribution and what might be done to mitigate the risks.

Brian Santo, editor-in-chief of EE Times, relates the impact of the coronavirus on events in the electronics industry, many of them either delayed or cancelled.

EE Times’ Yoshida, a frequent visitor to China, provides her impressions on people’s lives under the virtual lockdown.

A team of global editors in locales from the U.K. to France and Italy also contributed stories on how the world is reacting to the outbreak of coronavirus.

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