McClean Report February 2026: Regional Semiconductor Outlook

Semiconductor growth in 2026 is driven by EVs, AI, and post‑COVID shifts, with the US, China, Korea, and Taiwan leading as Europe and Japan grow steadily.

Since the beginning of this decade, the COVID-19 pandemic, the electrification of automobiles, and the development and rapid growth of advanced AI processors and high-bandwidth memory have impacted the worldwide sale and production of semiconductors, which are now considered foundational to national security, comparable in importance to energy networks and digital communications. Regionally, the US, China, South Korea, and Taiwan are likely to experience the strongest growth in 2026 due to enormous demand for high-value logic and memory devices. Europe and Japan are expected to see somewhat moderate growth. Europe is focused on strengthening its position as a key supplier of automotive and industrial devices. Japan is striving to revive high-volume manufacturing of advanced node devices.