The global semiconductors industry registered growth in 2020 after declining by 12.0% in 2019. Growth in 2020 was attributed to the increasing sales of notebooks, tablets, and datacenter (DC) products.

In 2021 (and beyond), growth will be driven by the technology convergence of connectivity and AI/ML, which will be the core of product development activities across all verticals. The increased deployment of 5G, the rising adoption of 5G smartphones, the increasing electronics content in automotive, the migration to EVs and AVs, factory automation, and the proliferation of IoT devices in smart homes are key trends that will drive future market growth.

Smartphones and PCs, which were traditionally viewed as key indicators for semiconductor market performance, will not remain the sole indicators, going forward. Market participants will witness significant customer base expansion across several verticals (automotive, most importantly).
While the semiconductor devices market witnesses a surge in demand, the lack of sufficient capacity is restraining revenue realization opportunity in the short term. Beyond the demand-supply gap, the market also faces several challenges, including the geopolitical chaos and the skills shortage.

In such a scenario, it is important to understand the demand for semiconductor devices in the short term and the key growth opportunities from 2022 to 2025; as a result, stakeholders can develop strategies and action plans to accelerate growth.

This Frost & Sullivan study aims to provide an outlook of the semiconductor devices market for 2022. It identifies emerging trends and growth opportunities across key end users and regions. Some important aspects—from a device standpoint—include evolving design, technology nodes, and materials across emerging applications such as AI, 5G, IoT, EVs, connected cars, and AVs. The study also aims to understand the impact of the chip shortage, supply chain issues, and the impact of the US-China trade war. It highlights significant technological innovation across equipment, equipment subsystems, material, and technology nodes.

Key Issues Addressed

  • Will the semiconductor devices market grow in 2022 or will it witness a decline in demand?
  • What are the key underlying trends? What are the important market growth drivers?
  • Will the demand-supply gap ease in 2022?
  • How does the demand for end-user products impact market growth? How do the technological trends in end-user verticals impact growth? 
  • Are new companies expected to enter this space?
  • Which verticals should be prioritized to realize short-term growth opportunities?
  • What are the key growth opportunities across different end-user verticals?
  • Are new semiconductor device classes emerging?