CEO Insights Asia Team, 0
The Current Market Size of Semiconductors
The market size of semiconductor devices in the Asia-Pacific region was USD 432.11 billion in 2025 and is projected to increase to USD 641.10 billion by 2030, with an 8.21 percent CAGR during this period, according to Mordor Intelligence. The growth is supported by strong demand for advanced logic, memory, and power devices, along with the expansion of regional capacity. Factors such as government incentives for sub-7 nm manufacturing, the introduction of 5G and upcoming 6G networks, and the rapid increase in electrification in transportation and renewable energy systems further drive this momentum.
Despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainties, leading foundries' strict node migration timelines and continuous capital investments by memory manufacturers help maintain high utilization rates. In the past, the semiconductor market in the Asia-Pacific region has exceeded that of the Americas and has been growing rapidly as a result of high demand for consumer electronics, 5G infrastructure, automotive electronics, and data centers. While North America excels in chip design, fabless innovation, and software/R&D, the AsiaPacific region dominates in both manufacturing and consumption volume.
China
SMIC — China’s Leading Foundry
SMIC is the biggest contract chip maker in mainland China and plays a crucial role in China's efforts to become self-reliant in semiconductor production. Despite facing limitations in accessing the latest lithography tools, SMIC has managed to develop cutting-edge process technologies around 7 nm, including extensions like N+3. It is considered one of the leading global foundries, accounting for approximately six percent of global foundry revenue.
While it lags behind TSMC and Samsung, SMIC surpasses many Western competitors in terms of production scale. SMIC's capacity to manufacture chips at less than 10 nm nodes without the need for EUV tools, through the utilization of advanced multi patterning methods, establishes its significance as both a contender in the industry and a valuable resource for China's semiconductor aspirations.
YMTC — Memory Chip Challenger
Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) is at the forefront of China's NAND flash memory production, specializing in 3D NAND, which is commonly found in SSDs, smartphones, and devices that require high data storage capacity. By developing cutting-edge 232-layer 3D NAND technology, YMTC has established itself as a strong contender in the global memory market, showcasing impressive technological advancements in the face of restrictions. Memory is a highly strategic and competitive industry that has been historically dominated by a small number of players. The growth of YMTC could potentially disrupt the global memory
market, which has traditionally been dominated by companies from South Korea and the United States, leading to changes in competitive dynamics, particularly in terms of pricing and supply diversity.
South Korea
Samsung Electronics — Memory & Beyond
Samsung Electronics is known as one of the biggest makers of semiconductors globally, and has a rich history of being the leading provider of memory chips worldwide, particularly in the production of DRAM and NAND flash. The profits of Samsung are significantly driven by its semiconductor segment, known as Device Solutions, which also plays a crucial role in shaping the company's strategic focus, especially in the realm of AI memory technologies. For many years, Samsung has maintained its position as the top supplier of DRAM and NAND memory, offering a diverse array of memory solutions for various devices such as smartphones, computers, data centers, and AI systems.
In the latter part of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, Samsung's semiconductor sector experienced unprece -dented financial gains, propelled by the surge in memory prices and the growing demand for AI technology. Apart from its memory products, Samsung possesses advanced packaging and logic research and development capabilities, which sets it apart from other companies focused solely on memory. With significant revenue and investment assets, Samsung is well-equipped to continue investing in research and development and expanding its production capacity in the competitive semiconductor industry, which requires substantial capital investment.
SK Hynix — Memory Specialist & AI Memory Leader
SK Hynix, a prominent semiconductor provider based in South Korea, specializes in memory chips such as DRAM and NAND flash. The company has a strong emphasis on high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a crucial technology for AI tasks. In 2025, SK Hynix surpassed Samsung to become the top DRAM vendor in terms of revenue for the first time, holding about 36 percent of the global DRAM market. HBM chips are essential for AI training and inference tasks because of their exceptional speed and efficiency, giving SK Hynix a strategic advantage as the demand for AI data centers increases. SK Hynix plays a significant role in supply chains for major industry players like Nvidia and other large-scale data centers, cementing its position in the AI hardware sector.
Renesas Electronics — MCUs and Embedded Solutions
Renesas Electronics is a prominent company in Japan that specializes in producing microcontrollers (MCUs), analog devices, power components, and system-on-chips (SoCs). It is considered a leading supplier of MCUs worldwide and plays a significant role in the automotive and embedded sectors. Renesas has a long-standing reputation as a major provider of automotive microcontrollers that are used in various applications such as engine control, electronic systems within vehicles, ADAS interfaces, and beyond.
It consistently holds a strong position in the global MCU market, competing closely with companies like NXP and Infineon in terms of market share.
Rohm — Discrete & Power Semiconductors
ROHM, a Japanese company, focuses on producing discrete semiconductor devices, power management ICs, and analog circuits. Its range of products includes transistors, diodes, power modules, and mixed signal ICs. The company's expertise lies in power semiconductors such as MOSFETs, GaN, and SiC power devices, as well as ICs for power management systems in automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics sectors.
Sony Semiconductor Solutions — CMOS Image Sensors
Sony Semiconductor Solutions, a division of Sony Group, is the leading manufacturer of CMOS image sensors worldwide. These sensors are utilized in various devices such as smartphones, automotive equipment, surveillance systems, and industrial vision technology. Sony's market share in this sector is estimated to be approximately 45 percent or higher, significantly surpassing that of its rivals. The company dominates the global CMOS image sensor market, showcasing its expertise in image quality, performance in low-light conditions, and innovative pixel technology.
South Korea
Samsung Electronics — Memory & Beyond
Samsung Electronics is known as one of the biggest makers of semiconductors globally, and has a rich history of being the leading provider of memory chips worldwide, particularly in the production of DRAM and NAND flash. The profits of Samsung are significantly driven by its semiconductor segment, known as Device Solutions, which also plays a crucial role in shaping the company's strategic focus, especially in the realm of AI memory technologies. For many years, Samsung has maintained its position as the top supplier of DRAM and NAND memory, offering a diverse array of memory solutions for various devices such as smartphones, computers, data centers, and AI systems.
In the latter part of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, Samsung's semiconductor sector experienced unprece -dented financial gains, propelled by the surge in memory prices and the growing demand for AI technology. Apart from its memory products, Samsung possesses advanced packaging and logic research and development capabilities, which sets it apart from other companies focused solely on memory. With significant revenue and investment assets, Samsung is well-equipped to continue investing in research and development and expanding its production capacity in the competitive semiconductor industry, which requires substantial capital investment.
SK Hynix — Memory Specialist & AI Memory Leader
SK Hynix, a prominent semiconductor provider based in South Korea, specializes in memory chips such as DRAM and NAND flash. The company has a strong emphasis on high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a crucial technology for AI tasks. In 2025, SK Hynix surpassed Samsung to become the top DRAM vendor in terms of revenue for the first time, holding about 36 percent of the global DRAM market. HBM chips are essential for AI training and inference tasks because of their exceptional speed and efficiency, giving SK Hynix a strategic advantage as the demand for AI data centers increases. SK Hynix plays a significant role in supply chains for major industry players like Nvidia and other large-scale data centers, cementing its position in the AI hardware sector.
Renesas Electronics — MCUs and Embedded Solutions
Renesas Electronics is a prominent company in Japan that specializes in producing microcontrollers (MCUs), analog devices, power components, and system-on-chips (SoCs). It is considered a leading supplier of MCUs worldwide and plays a significant role in the automotive and embedded sectors. Renesas has a long-standing reputation as a major provider of automotive microcontrollers that are used in various applications such as engine control, electronic systems within vehicles, ADAS interfaces, and beyond.
It consistently holds a strong position in the global MCU market, competing closely with companies like NXP and Infineon in terms of market share.
Rohm — Discrete & Power Semiconductors
ROHM, a Japanese company, focuses on producing discrete semiconductor devices, power management ICs, and analog circuits. Its range of products includes transistors, diodes, power modules, and mixed signal ICs. The company's expertise lies in power semiconductors such as MOSFETs, GaN, and SiC power devices, as well as ICs for power management systems in automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics sectors.
Sony Semiconductor Solutions — CMOS Image Sensors
Sony Semiconductor Solutions, a division of Sony Group, is the leading manufacturer of CMOS image sensors worldwide. These sensors are utilized in various devices such as smartphones, automotive equipment, surveillance systems, and industrial vision technology. Sony's market share in this sector is estimated to be approximately 45 percent or higher, significantly surpassing that of its rivals. The company dominates the global CMOS image sensor market, showcasing its expertise in image quality, performance in low-light conditions, and innovative pixel technology.