The Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan　(SEAJ) held a presentation meeting to forecast the demand for the production of semiconductor and flat panel display (FPD) at Tokyo Kaikan on January 16, and forecasted the Japan-made semiconductors for the year 2025 to be 4,659 billion yen up 5% from the previous year.

  The performance for the year of 2024 is expected to surpass a 4 trillion-yen level amounting to 4,437.1 billion yen owing to the active capital investments in the Chinese market which had lasted since the previous year and the recovered capital investments by memory manufacturers related to Generative AI. Regarding the year 2025, Chairman Toshiki Kawai commented in the Q&A session, “The investment in China will level off in 2025 after the thriving investments mainly by the uprising manufacturers during these two years. In terms of sales ratio, there will be more investments for Generative AI. As for the Chinese market, the demand will depend on an anticipated demand in and after 2026 in the uprising manufacturers’ plan of output capacity for mass-production. It will be a guidance to forecast the year 2025.” The sales in the Japanese market in 2025 is forecasted to be 1950.2 billion yen which is an increase by 30%. With a highly increased sales of the domestic and overseas manufacturers, it is expected to have recovery in investments to memories and DRAM including the investment to the related data center as well as the ones by major foundry. Regarding the PC and smartphone, there is no change in the composition of Generative AI leading the market including the replacement demand for Generative AI. Although there is feeling of relief in the in-vehicle, power device and industrial uses, the field has been deemed to be prospective for growth in terms of the medium and long term.