Worldwide semiconductor market to grow by 17.3% in 2021: IDC

The worldwide semiconductor market is expected to grow by 17.3 per cent in 2021 versus 10.8 per cent in the previous calendar year, according to research firm IDC.

The industry will see normalisation and balance by the middle of 2022, with a potential for overcapacity in 2023 as larger scale capacity expansions begin to come online towards the end of 2022, an IDC statement said. Growth is driven by mobile phones, notebooks, servers, automotive, smart home, gaming, wearables, and Wi-Fi access points, with increased memory pricing. IC shortages are also expected to continue easing through fourth quarter of 2021 as capacity additions accelerate, it said. Despite the current Covid-19 wave, consumption remains healthy.

IDC reports that dedicated foundries have been allocated for the rest of the year, with capacity utilisation at nearly 100 per cent.