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Jul 6
Analysis: AI supercycle could drive semiconductor market beyond US$2 trillion by 2030
The global semiconductor market is entering a historically significant growth phase. According to WSTS's latest June forecast, global semiconductor revenue is projected to grow by nearly 90% in 2026, reaching approximately US$1.5 trillion. Growth is expected to remain exceptionally strong in 2027, with year-on-year expansion of around 27%, pushing total market revenue close to US$1.9 trillion.
Lenovo confirmed that some notebooks sold outside China now use solid-state drives from Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC), marking the first known appearance of the Chinese memory maker's SSDs in an overseas Lenovo model. The move comes as global PC makers face tighter NAND flash supply and higher prices.

Amid ever-shifting geopolitical concerns and a US$50 billion injection from the CHIPS and Science Act to revitalize domestic semiconductor production, a new round of competition has arisen across the US to attract investment. For Taiwan's electronics sector, the question is no longer whether to invest in the US, but which state to choose.

China memory makers are diverging in their outlook as AI demand keeps the global memory market tight. After GigaDevice recently issued an unusual risk warning, Beijing-based special memory and embedded processor maker Ingenic said global DRAM foundry capacity remains broadly constrained and is unlikely to improve before the second half of 2027.
While there are still years to go for the commercialization of 6G adoption, the next-generation mobile network architecture is increasingly poised to take shape.

Global markets are likely to feel the effects of a renewed rise in memory prices, as tighter supply and early inventory buying lift DRAM and NAND prices again in mid-June 2026. The trend could ripple through smartphones, PCs, and servers, while Apple's possible sourcing shifts may influence pricing across the wider semiconductor industry.

United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) reported its strongest quarterly run in years as mature-process demand and factory utilization improved. June consolidated revenue reached NT$23.12 billion, up 0.8% from May and 22.85% year-on-year — a 44-month high. Second-quarter revenue climbed to NT$68.73 billion, up 12.61% sequentially and 16.98% year-on-year, the highest level in 15 quarters.
Samsung Electronics is trying to turn its foundry business into a bigger supplier of custom chips, with Meta Platforms and Anthropic reportedly considering Samsung for processors after its Tesla win, according to Seoul Economic Daily. The potential orders could push Samsung Foundry toward profitability sooner than expected, with industry sources estimating its medium- to long-term order backlog could approach KRW50 trillion (approx. US$32.64 billion).
Anthropic's reported move into in-house chip development could matter well beyond Silicon Valley if it helps lower the cost of running AI services worldwide. By prioritizing cheaper inference rather than elite performance, the startup may be signaling a more pragmatic path that could influence how global AI systems are built and priced.

Atomic Semi, the semiconductor equipment startup founded by chip architect Jim Keller, has rebranded as Fab2 and moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, with a vision of mass-producing small fabs. According to Tom's Hardware, Fab2's core idea is a "fab fab": it designs and builds all of its own equipment, from pumps, valves, and gas lines to lithography tools and vacuum chambers, then assembles the components into machines and the machines into a complete fab.

LG Chem has begun supplying semiconductor strippers to Amkor Technology, a major US-based packaging and testing provider, in its first commercial move into the market. The deal highlights rising demand for advanced chip-making chemicals as artificial intelligence, high-bandwidth memory, and smaller device designs reshape global semiconductor manufacturing.

Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) reported consolidated revenue for June 2026 on July 5, with continued demand for AI servers and cloud networking products driving record performance. Revenue for June, the second quarter, and the first half of 2026 all reached record highs for the corresponding periods.