Global Semiconductor Equipment Market Seen Hitting Record High in 2028 on AI Spending

According to Yonhap, the global semiconductor manufacturing equipment market is forecast to hit a record in 2028 as investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure increases. SEMI, a global industry association for electronics design and manufacturing companies, said worldwide semiconductor equipment sales are projected to rise 23.2% on year to $165.9 billion in 2026 before reaching an all-time high of $229.5 billion in 2028. The group said AI infrastructure expansion, along with spending on advanced logic chips and next-generation memory products including high-bandwidth memory (HBM), will support growth. It projected wafer fabrication equipment sales to reach $200 billion in 2028, while memory equipment investment is also expected to climb on stronger demand for HBM and the shift to advanced dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash products. SEMI forecast DRAM and NAND equipment sales at $56.9 billion and $20.8 billion, respectively, in 2028. It also said China, Taiwan and South Korea are expected to remain the world's top three semiconductor equipment investment markets through 2028.