THE CRUNCH
Global spending on 300 mm front-end fab equipment is projected to reach $149 billion in 2026, up 31% year over year, and to keep growing at double-digit rates to $227 billion in 2029, according to SEMI's latest 300 mm Fab Outlook. The trade association ties the trajectory to a sustained pipeline of new fabs and production lines moving from construction into operation.
Excluding pure R&D fabs, SEMI projects 20 new 300 mm fabs or lines to begin construction worldwide in 2026, followed by 18 in 2027. In the United States specifically, three are projected to start construction in 2026 and four in 2027.
SEMI president and CEO Ajit Manocha framed the figures as demand turning into physical expansion, saying the buildout will provide the manufacturing foundation for AI, high-performance computing and other next-generation applications. The figures are SEMI's projections rather than confirmed orders, so the usual caveats about forecasts apply.