Specialty Gas Market Update
ABSTRACT
This talk delivers a strategic outlook on the global Electronic Specialty Gases (ESG) through 2031. Accelerated AI infrastructure investment and AI chip demand have pulled forward the semiconductor industry’s $1 trillion revenue milestone to 2026—years ahead of previous market projections. However, the sector reflects a bifurcated demand structure: while AI-related applications require ultra-high purity and reliability of materials, other non-AI mature applications like consumer electronics face inventory overhang and margin compression forcing suppliers into price-driven competition for standardized materials.
Crucially, escalating process complexity and 3D chip architectures are re-indexing materials demand from aggregate wafer starts toward a value-per-wafer intensity metric. Concurrently, geopolitical friction, export controls, and tariff risks are driving supply chains away from cost-driven globalization toward a "glocal" model focused on localized manufacturing, multi-sourcing, and domestic self-sufficiency, particularly in China.
Overall, the global ESG market is projected to expand at a 10% CAGR from 2026 to 2031, growing from $5.15 billion to $8.26 billion, anchored by capacity buildouts in China, Korea, Taiwan and USA. This analysis highlights vital operational strategies for suppliers navigating tech migration and geopolitical realignment.
BIOGRAPHY
Andy Tuan joined Linx Consulting in 2014 to manage Linx Consulting’s Asian business. China, Mr. Tuan is responsible for business development and project management and overall strategy development in Asia. In addition, he is supporting SEMI to manage the integration of market research business recently acquired from Linx Consulting as a senior consultant to the Market Intelligence Team of SEMI.
Prior to joining Linx, Mr. Tuan was Director of Strategic Marketing of the Global Electronics Division of Air Products and Chemicals, where he focused on Semiconductor, FPD, Photovoltaic, LED, and other emerging electronics industry segments in Asia. Mr. Tuan was also general manager of the Electronics Business in China, and global product manager in the company’s electronics specialty material group at the US headquarters. Mr. Tuan joined Air Products Asia in 1996 where he built and led the regional electronics commercial team. In this capacity, he supported the establishment and integration of an intra-Asia electronics materials supply network of manufacturing vendors, affiliate companies, strategic business partners and channel distributors across Asia. He also led several semiconductor and solar cell project activities in Southeast Asia and India as a new fab business development manager.
Mr. Tuan holds an International Business Management MBA and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.