Semiconductor Industry Has Prioritized North American Growth
A new industry survey highlights how AI adoption and workforce shortages are shaping global chip manufacturing investment.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Semiconductors
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A survey of 200 industry professionals conducted in September 2026 revealed that 94% of firms are targeting North America for investment. The data reflects a sector balancing rapid AI-driven growth with significant operational and labor bottlenecks.
Why it matters
The findings underscore a shift toward regionalized capacity to meet a market forecasted to hit $1.6 trillion in revenue this year. Industry leaders are focusing on operational efficiency as a primary strategy to manage resource constraints.
AI adoption in the design process is widespread, with 55% of firms using AI for chip design and 47% for electronic design automation. However, workforce availability remains the primary barrier to domestic investment, cited by 75% of respondents.
The players
EMD Electronics
A global materials and specialty chemicals company providing critical solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing process.
The details
Respondents leverage AI for capacity planning and yield prediction to optimize increasingly complex production workflows. Advanced node scaling — the process of shrinking transistors to increase performance — is currently constrained by significant hurdles in advanced packaging and testing. These technical gaps are currently driving firms to prioritize investments in energy-efficient processes, with 71% of respondents focusing on renewables.
Timeline
September 2026: EMD Electronics conducted the industry survey.
2026: Worldwide semiconductor revenues are projected to reach $1.6 trillion.
The Tech Race
The findings quantify how firms are navigating the competitive race to scale production in alignment with broader market growth. The industry is currently prioritizing regional resilience to support a global market projected to reach $1.6 trillion this year.
The shift toward North American investment suggests that the supply chain for consumer electronics may become more geographically concentrated over time. Efficiency gains in energy usage and AI design integration may eventually influence the cost and power profiles of future computing hardware.
The takeaway
The industry is increasingly looking to AI-driven automation to overcome labor shortages and production bottlenecks. Watch how effectively firms convert these 2026 investment plans into active capacity as the market scales toward the $1.6 trillion threshold.
Further reading
For more context on how the global manufacturing landscape is shifting, explore our latest coverage in Semiconductors.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Manila times.
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