Featured article picks
ITmedia Business Online publishes many articles every day. From among these, we will narrow down and deliver articles of interest to you: ``Interview articles'' that are worth reading, ``News articles'' that follow current topics, and ``Explanatory articles'' that provide detailed explanations of important business topics.
In 2026, the global semiconductor market size will reach $1,511.2 billion (approximately 240 trillion yen), an 89.9% increase from the previous year - a market forecast released by World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) on June 2, surprising market participants. This is the highest growth rate since 1987, when comparable data was available.
The semiconductor market continues to make rapid advances. How are domestic companies competing? Among articles published on ITmedia Business Online in the first half of 2026 (January to June), articles containing the keyword "semiconductor" in the text are selected. We have selected the seven articles that received the most views.
The first place went to the article ``What's really happening behind the ``semiconductor shortage due to AI demand'' revealed by a Tokyo Electron Devices executive'', which covered concerns surrounding semiconductors from a distribution perspective. In addition, three articles about the SoftBank Group, which invests in AI and semiconductor companies, and interviews with executives from Fujikura and Resonac, which will benefit from the AI boom, were among the top articles.
Image of semiconductor chip (Image: Getty Images)
Semiconductor-related articles read in the first half of 2026
What's really happening behind the "semiconductor shortage due to AI demand" Tokyo Electron device executive reveals
It is often explained that "semiconductors are in short supply due to demand for AI." Is this true? We have summarized the main points that Tokyo Electron Devices executives said about what is happening behind the scenes of the AI boom.
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Will Masayoshi Son monopolize the “oil of intelligence”? SoftBank Group's Japan-U.S. data center concept
SoftBank Group is moving to grasp the very foundation of the AI era. In the US, it will build a huge AI data center and a 10 gigawatt power plant. We take a closer look at the aims of Masayoshi Son, the leader of the project.
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“If it disappears, the semiconductor industry will not exist.” Who is “Arm,” a company that SoftBank G places great trust in?
Arm, a British semiconductor design company, was acquired by President Masayoshi Son for 3.3 trillion yen. What kind of company is this company, which has now become an indispensable presence in the age of AI? I will explain in detail.
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Why Fujikura is being designated for purchase by Big Tech in the US Why will “optical wiring” become profitable as generation AI grows?
Semiconductor and software companies aren't the only ones benefiting from the AI boom. We asked Naoki Okada, president of optical fiber giant Fujikura, which is a ``designated buyer'' by US Big Tech, about the structural changes that are occurring behind the scenes of AI.
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Power generation from data center exhaust heat!? Why TEPCO's ``new fire invention'' can't be called a pipe dream
Power consumption at data centers that support AI processing has become a serious issue. Electricity is required to cool the semiconductors that generate heat due to advanced AI processing. Tokyo Electric Power Company HD has begun trying to generate electricity using waste heat from data centers.
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"I want to be the best" -- Masayoshi Son's ambition OpenAI's "over 10 trillion yen" investment in the AI revolution is gradually bearing fruit
SoftBank Group's AI investments are starting to bear fruit. As initiatives such as U.S. OpenAI, Arm, and the data center business progress, Masayoshi Son said, ``We want to become one of the companies that plays a central role in the world economy'' in the AI revolution.
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Resonac has proven Japan's weapon of ``post-processing'' to prevent AI development from stagnation in big tech companies.
In order to increase the competitiveness of AI semiconductors, "post-process" materials that support the increasingly complex structures of semiconductors are becoming increasingly important. Under these circumstances, Resonac is increasing its presence. We will explore the background behind this strategy and the chances of success for Japanese companies.
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