Global Semiconductor Equipment Market to Hit Record High by 2028, Driven by AI Investment

SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- The global semiconductor manufacturing equipment market is forecast to reach a record high in 2028, driven by increased investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, an industry report showed Tuesday.

Global semiconductor equipment sales are expected to soar 23.2 percent on-year to US$165.9 billion in 2026 before reaching an all-time high of $229.5 billion in 2028, according to the report by SEMI, a global industry association representing about 3,000 electronics design and manufacturing companies worldwide.

The association said the expansion of AI infrastructure and investment in advanced logic chips, and next-generation memory products, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM), will drive market growth.

The wafer fabrication equipment market is projected to reach $200 billion in 2028, supported by expanded AI-related production capacity and the transition to advanced manufacturing processes, SEMI said.

Memory equipment investment is also expected to grow significantly, driven by rising demand for HBM and the transition to advanced dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash products.

Equipment sales for DRAM and NAND are forecast to reach $56.9 billion and $20.8 billion, respectively, in 2028.

By region, China, Taiwan and South Korea are expected to retain their positions as the world's top three semiconductor equipment investment markets through 2028.