Outlook Supplement - Flipbook - Page 22
Forecast
“From One Engineer to Another®,”
industry partnership continues to play
a key role in our success. In Taiwan,
for example, we’re especially excited to introduce new materials that
were co-developed with in-country
partners. Collaborating directly with
manufacturers in one of the world’s
most influential semiconductor ecosystems provides invaluable insight into
emerging needs and what’s coming next
in semiconductor materials.
As we move through 2026, we will
further strengthen our team’s focus on
close collaboration with customers,
aligning supply strategies with product
roadmaps to keep pace with their
ever-evolving innovations.
Market Growth and
Federal Incentives Power
Semiconductor Construction
J E FF PAY N E , V ice P r e sid e n t
a n d A cco u n t Ma n ag e r,
Skanska Advanced
Te c h n o l o g y
The semiconductor
market in the USA is
experiencing strong
momentum, driven
by rapid technological
advancements, rising
demand for smart
devices and the accelerating shift toward
JEFF PAYNE
AI-powered applications, according to Statista. This growth
is reshaping the industry landscape and
fueling significant investment.
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reports that landmark
government incentives and research
funding have catalyzed a wave of
private-sector investment. Companies
have committed more than $500
billion to revitalize the domestic chip
ecosystem, setting the stage for a
projected tripling of US chipmaking
capacity by 2032. Industry analysts
expect these developments to generate
more than 500,000 jobs nationwide,
20
including 68,000 facility roles,
122,000 construction jobs and more
than 320,000 additional positions
across the broader economy in the
coming years.
In July 2025, the USA enacted
legislation that strengthens a critical tax
incentive, the Advanced Manufacturing
Investment Credit (AMIC), which encourages investment in semiconductors.
The new law increases the AMIC rate
with credit that may be extended beyond
its 2026 expiration and expanded to
cover chip research and design (SIA).
Government policies like these
are catalyzing new private-sector
partnerships and large-scale capital
investment, prompting leading semiconductor and technology companies
to collaborate on domestic manufacturing, research and supply-chain
expansion initiatives.
Meanwhile, current US policies
encourage onshoring of manufacturing
and technology, driving significant
financial commitments from major
companies for construction projects.
Given these factors, it’s clear that the
US semiconductor sector is primed for
substantial growth.
To meet the high-technology sector’s
increasing growth, Skanska established
a specialized unit, Skanska Advanced
Technology (SAT). With semiconductor
experience dating back to the 1990s and
more than 240 facilities completed or
under construction, this group of 180+
construction experts across the country
delivers complex, large-scale projects.
SAT is well positioned to respond as
funding for the 300mm semiconductor
sector advances.
It’s Time to Reduce Costs &
Timelines for US Fab Construction
ALLAN FULLER, P r e s i d e n t ,
F o r e sig h t Te c h n o l o gie s
Looking ahead to 2026, a shortage of
skilled labor and established sub-fab
equipment supply chains will continue
to drive up construction costs and delay
| Supplement to January 2026 Semiconductor Digest
completion of US
semiconductor
fabrication facilities. Although it
might seem cheaper
and faster in theory,
overseas IDMs
can’t efficiently
ALLAN FULLER
bring their homegrown supply
chains and trained staff to build US
fabs. A single delay in the installation of
foreign equipment can add days, weeks,
or even months to the construction
timeline. This skill and capability gap
will grow as fabs expand into more
rural, non-traditional areas. Until that
regional ecosystem matures, this cycle
will repeat at each construction site.
Addressing these issues will require
IDMs, construction contractors, and
foreign equipment suppliers to develop
domestic solutions that improve process
performance, reduce logistical friction
and lead time, and do so at a lower cost.
This is best accomplished by partnering
with US suppliers to localize their design
and manufacturing. It will also increase
design flexibility, enabling quick
corrections, schedule recovery, or future
unplanned upgrades. A long-term vision
involves standardized modular designs
that can be prefabricated off-site to
enhance quality, decrease on-site labor,
and lower build and expansion costs.
These changes build a more resilient
and efficient supply chain for a relatively
young industry currently experiencing
rapid growth. It’s a straightforward
calculation: the current approach is
not economically sustainable, so every
stakeholder in their sector must develop
innovative solutions and adopt new
processes to keep semiconductor fabs
cost-effective and on schedule.
Foresight On-Site was established to
help create a US cost advantage. With
over 400 US employees and 30 years
of experience in high-purity system
fabrication, we aim to provide domestic
high-volume manufacturing along with
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