India, May 6 -- Malcolm Penn, Founder and CEO, Future Horizons, stated the May 2026 update for the global semiconductor industry, at the IFS 2026, UK.

Global outlook

Global outlook darkened following 28 Feb. 2026 US/Israel attack on Iran. Strait of Hormuz closure and Middle East war have damaged the oil and natural gas infrastructure. We risk triggering worst global energy crisis since the 1970s oil shocks. War has interrupted the prior steady growth trajectory, and planned growth forecast upgrade.

2026 outlook for the semiconductor industry is that we are back in the blue sky, for now. 2025 chip sales were up 26% to $795 billion, driven by $130 billion AI data center windfall. Strong Q3-/Q4-2025 added 10 percentage points to 2025's gr...