India, Oct. 19 -- Global 300mm front-end fab equipment spending is projected to reach $149 billion in 2026, up 31% year-over-year, SEMI reported in its latest 300mm Fab Outlook. Investment is expected to continue growing at double-digit rates through 2029, reaching $227 billion.

The stronger investment trajectory is accompanied by a sustained pipeline of new 300mm fabs and production lines moving through construction and into operation. Excluding pure R&D fabs, SEMI projects 20 new 300mm fabs or lines to begin construction worldwide in 2026 and 18 in 2027. In the United States, three are projected to begin construction in 2026 and four in 2027.

"Semiconductor demand is increasingly translating into physical manufacturing expansion acros...