SEMI sees 300mm fab-equipment spending reaching $227 billion by 2029

SEMI's latest outlook puts global 300mm front-end fab-equipment spending at $149 billion for 2026, up 31% from 2025, with investment forecast to reach $227 billion by 2029. The organization also expects construction to start on 20 new 300mm fabs or production lines in 2026 and 18 more in 2027, excluding research-only facilities. At SEMICON West, SEMI's Clark Tseng said AI infrastructure, computing and memory are supporting wafer demand even as PC and smartphone shipments contract. The forecast covers equipment and fab investment across the semiconductor sector; it does not specify how much new capacity will be devoted to memory.