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Jul 6, 07:29
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.
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.
Longsys Electronics expects a sharp rise in first-half profit as global memory supply stays tight and demand from artificial intelligence-related devices strengthens. The outlook points to firmer conditions across the semiconductor market, with implications for storage prices, component availability, and technology costs worldwide.
Rising demand for AI servers and high-performance computing (HPC) continues to drive price increases across the upstream PCB materials supply chain.

China's IC design industry is nearing CNY1 trillion (approx. US$150 billion) ahead of schedule, but AI is exposing deeper gaps in computing architecture, high-end talent, and ecosystem control.

SK Group, Samsung Electronics, and Amkor will invest a combined KRW896 trillion (US$585.2 billion) to build South Korea's second major semiconductor production base in the country's southwest, the industry ministry said.

South Korea is considering exempting research and development personnel from the country's 52-hour workweek limit inside proposed Mega Special Zones. These would include a planned second semiconductor cluster in the southwestern Honam region.

SJ Semiconductor has started construction of a CNY10 billion (approx. US$1.47 billion) 3DIC manufacturing project in Shanghai's Lingang New Area, expanding advanced packaging capacity for high-performance computing, AI and data center chips.