Wafer foundry services market forecast points to AI, HPC and EV demand as major chipmakers expand capacity

The global wafer foundry service market is projected to keep expanding through the end of the decade, according to a new forecast tied to the Research and Markets catalog. The report, added to the site on Oct. 19, points to accelerating demand for advanced semiconductor manufacturing as artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and electric-vehicle related electronics increase pressure on chip supply chains.

Wafer foundry services generally refer to the business of manufacturing silicon wafers for other companies, including chip designers that may not operate their own leading-edge fabrication plants. Instead, they contract with foundries to produce chips using specific process nodes, packaging flows and quality specifications. The report frames those services as benefiting from multi-year technology transitions and higher compute intensity across end markets.

The forecast also ties growth to capacity scaling by major industry players. It specifically names Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), Samsung, Intel and GlobalFoundries as manufacturers working to enlarge output. As demand rises for advanced logic and related semiconductor components, foundries and integrated device makers that operate foundry-like capabilities are expected to invest in manufacturing capacity and process technology.

While the announcement of the report highlights the demand drivers, it does not provide detailed segment breakdowns or manufacturing pricing disclosures in the post reviewed for this story. It also does not specify individual market-share movements among the named companies, or offer a quantified view of unit wafer starts, utilization rates or contract pricing trends.

For Intel, the inclusion alongside TSMC, Samsung and GlobalFoundries reflects how the industry’s manufacturing footprint has become increasingly central to competitive positioning. Intel’s semiconductor strategy has increasingly emphasized both process technology development and foundry-style customer manufacturing initiatives, which it has discussed in prior company communications. Even when an announcement is framed as a market research development rather than an Intel disclosure, it points to how outside observers view the competitive landscape in fabrication capacity.

Still, investors and industry watchers will likely want more than headline drivers. The forecast’s usefulness will depend on whether it provides measurable assumptions about AI and HPC procurement timing, EV electronics content per vehicle, and the pace at which new fabrication capacity converts into usable production. Until the full report’s methodology and figures are reviewed, uncertainty remains around the scale and timing of the capacity-to-demand gap the forecast assumes.