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The Americas and Japan are at the forefront of semiconductor fab construction, with each region planning four new projects for 2026, according to the World Fab Forecast report. China and the Europe & Middle East regions follow with three projects each, while Taiwan has two and Korea and Southeast Asia have one project each.

The total of 18 new projects includes three 200mm and fifteen 300mm facilities, primarily starting operations in the next two years. Semiconductor capacity is expected to grow at 6.6% annually, reaching 33.6 million wafers per month by 2025, driven by advanced nodes (7nm and below) and increasing demand from generative AI.

Foundry suppliers are predicted to lead in equipment purchases, with foundry capacity increasing by 10.9% year-over-year. The DRAM segment is projected to grow by approximately 7% to 4.5 million wafers per month by 2025.