October 15, 2026 / SemiMedia / — Global spending on equipment for 300mm front-end fabs is expected to rise 31% to $149 billion in 2026, according to SEMI’s latest 300mm Fab Outlook. Annual growth is forecast to remain in double digits through 2029, when spending will reach $227 billion.

Excluding facilities dedicated solely to research and development, SEMI expects construction to begin on 20 new 300mm fabs or production lines worldwide in 2026 and another 18 in 2027. The United States accounts for three starts in 2026 and four in 2027. Separately, 13 new fabs or lines are expected to begin operations or ship first silicon in 2026, rising to 23 in 2027.

Global construction spending on 300mm fabs is projected to increase 23% to $47.5 billion in 2026, followed by a further 33% rise to $63.3 billion in 2027. Spending is forecast to reach $68.4 billion in 2028, supporting capacity additions in advanced logic, memory and other 300mm technologies.

Equipment investment in the Americas is expected to more than double, from $18.1 billion in 2026 to $40.6 billion in 2029.

SEMI President and CEO Ajit Manocha said rising semiconductor demand is translating into manufacturing expansion, with the new facilities set to support AI, high-performance computing and other next-generation applications.