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Jul 6
Analysis: AI supercycle could drive semiconductor market beyond US$2 trillion by 2030
The global semiconductor market is entering a historically significant growth phase. According to WSTS's latest June forecast, global semiconductor revenue is projected to grow by nearly 90% in 2026, reaching approximately US$1.5 trillion. Growth is expected to remain exceptionally strong in 2027, with year-on-year expansion of around 27%, pushing total market revenue close to US$1.9 trillion.

Huawei's next-generation flagship Mate 90 smartphone series has reportedly entered the chip packaging and testing stage, according to sources within China's supply chain. The lineup is expected to launch in September 2026 and will be the first to feature Huawei's new Kirin 2026 flagship processor, which is based on the company's Tau Scaling (τ) concept. The device is expected to be one of Huawei's flagship demonstrations of its post-Moore semiconductor strategy.

Memory module maker Transcend Information reported consolidated revenue of NT$5.07 billion (approx. US$138.66 million) for June 2026. Revenue declined 19.5% from the previous month due to customer inventory adjustments at the end of the quarter, but it still surged 381.6% compared with June 2025.

Nvidia and other artificial intelligence chipmakers are still facing shortages as TSMC's advanced-node and CoWoS packaging capacity remains tight, pushing demand into foundries, back-end assembly, testing, and overseas fabs. The strain is creating spillover opportunities across the broader semiconductor supply chain, while also exposing how dependent the market has become on limited high-end capacity.

Broadcom has extended its custom chip supply agreement with Apple through 2031, strengthening a key supplier tie that could shape wireless connectivity, AI infrastructure, and device design for years. The move offers investors greater visibility, while global consumers may ultimately see faster, more integrated Apple hardware and network performance.
Samsung Electronics reported a sharp jump in second-quarter operating profit, underscoring how global demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure is reshaping the memory-chip market. The result matters far beyond South Korea, as higher DRAM and NAND prices affect data-center spending, device costs, and the pace of the worldwide AI buildout.
Lenovo confirmed that some notebooks sold outside China now use solid-state drives from Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC), marking the first known appearance of the Chinese memory maker's SSDs in an overseas Lenovo model. The move comes as global PC makers face tighter NAND flash supply and higher prices.

Amid ever-shifting geopolitical concerns and a US$50 billion injection from the CHIPS and Science Act to revitalize domestic semiconductor production, a new round of competition has arisen across the US to attract investment. For Taiwan's electronics sector, the question is no longer whether to invest in the US, but which state to choose.

China memory makers are diverging in their outlook as AI demand keeps the global memory market tight. After GigaDevice recently issued an unusual risk warning, Beijing-based special memory and embedded processor maker Ingenic said global DRAM foundry capacity remains broadly constrained and is unlikely to improve before the second half of 2027.
While there are still years to go for the commercialization of 6G adoption, the next-generation mobile network architecture is increasingly poised to take shape.

Global markets are likely to feel the effects of a renewed rise in memory prices, as tighter supply and early inventory buying lift DRAM and NAND prices again in mid-June 2026. The trend could ripple through smartphones, PCs, and servers, while Apple's possible sourcing shifts may influence pricing across the wider semiconductor industry.

United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) reported its strongest quarterly run in years as mature-process demand and factory utilization improved. June consolidated revenue reached NT$23.12 billion, up 0.8% from May and 22.85% year-on-year — a 44-month high. Second-quarter revenue climbed to NT$68.73 billion, up 12.61% sequentially and 16.98% year-on-year, the highest level in 15 quarters.