(PR) SEMI Projects Double-Digit Growth in Global 300 Mm Fab Equipment Spending for 2026 and 2027

Key Takeaways

• 2026 fab equipment spend reaches $133 billion, 18% growth.
• 2027 spending exceeds $150 billion, first time surpassing milestone.
• Logic & Micro drives $228 billion investment 2027‑2029.
• Memory equipment totals $175 billion, led by DRAM.
• AI demand expands fabs in China, Taiwan, Korea, Americas.

Summary

SEMI’s latest 300 mm Fab Outlook projects worldwide fab equipment spending to jump 18% to $133 billion in 2026 and 14% to $151 billion in 2027, marking the first time the market exceeds $150 billion. The surge is driven by exploding AI chip demand for data‑center and edge applications and by governments’ push for semiconductor self‑sufficiency. Logic and micro‑electronics will lead the investment wave, accounting for $228 billion between 2027 and 2029, while memory follows with $175 billion. Regional spending remains broadly distributed, with China, Taiwan, Korea and the Americas anchoring growth.

Pulse Analysis

The AI renaissance is redefining capital allocation in the semiconductor industry. SEMI’s projection of double‑digit growth through 2027 reflects a structural shift: chipmakers are accelerating fab expansions to meet the compute intensity of generative AI models and edge inference workloads. This surge dwarfs the modest growth seen in the post‑pandemic recovery, positioning equipment vendors for a multi‑year revenue upswing and prompting investors to reassess valuation baselines for fab‑related equities.

At the segment level, logic and micro‑electronics dominate the spending horizon, with $228 billion earmarked for advanced‑node capacity between 2027 and 2029. Sub‑2 nm processes will move from pilot to volume, delivering the power‑efficiency gains essential for AI acceleration. Memory follows closely, buoyed by DRAM and 3D NAND demand tied to high‑bandwidth training and massive storage needs in data centers. This balanced growth across nodes mitigates traditional memory‑cycle volatility, offering a more resilient investment narrative for both mature and leading‑edge fabs.

Geographically, the outlook underscores a diversified investment landscape. China’s policy‑driven expansion, Taiwan’s continued leadership in cutting‑edge foundry work, Korea’s memory‑centric upgrades, and the Americas’ push for domestic supply‑chain resilience collectively shape a globally distributed fab ecosystem. Government incentives and supply‑chain localization strategies are likely to sustain this momentum through 2029, making strategic partnerships and regional risk assessments critical for stakeholders seeking to capitalize on the AI‑driven semiconductor boom.