Global sales of total semiconductor manufacturing equipment by original equipment manufacturers are forecast to set a new industry record, reaching $109 billion in 2024, growing 3.4% year-on-year, SEMI announced today in its Mid-Year Total Semiconductor Equipment Forecast – OEM Perspective at SEMICON West 2024. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment growth is expected to continue in 2025, with sales forecast to set a new high of $128 billion in 2025, driven by both the front-end and back-end segments.

The 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) opened in Shanghai, showcasing an impressive array of 45 intelligent robots, including 25 humanoids.

Humanoid robots are currently dominating discussions in the robot market, with manufacturers from the US and China at the forefront of this competition. Surprisingly, traditional Japanese robotics giants seem absent from this scene, and even the historically dominant “Big Four” robot manufacturers—Fanuc, ABB, Yaskawa, and Kuka—appear unusually quiet.