SEMICON West 2025 marked a year of many milestones. Not only was it the first SEMICON West ever to take place outside of San Francisco Bay Area, but it was also its largest exhibition in over 18 years. This year saw a 45% increase in booths, along with a 60% surge in registrations over 2024. The CEO Summit Keynote Series also returned to SEMICON West, featuring 14 unique presentations from October 7-9 at Arizona’s Phoenix Convention Center. Top leaders from both government and industry shared insights on a range of pertinent topics, from technology innovations, to emerging partnerships, sustainability and supply chain initiatives, and more. The keynote series began with opening remarks from SEMI’s President and CEO, Ajit Manocha, who urged audience members to focus on strategies that drive the industry forward and reinforced the importance of collaboration. He also outlined SEMI’s current priorities, including mitigating talent shortages, environmental disruptions, and geopolitical volatility.For those who missed the CEO Summit Keynote Series, this blog offers a summary of each presentation. The State of Arizona“In Arizona, vision becomes opportunity, and opportunity becomes action.” – Katie HobbsSEMICON West’s keynote series kicked off with Arizona Governor, Katie Hobbs, who underscored the expansive growth of Arizona’s semiconductor industry. She highlighted TSMC’s $165 billion investment in Arizona, the largest foreign direct investment in the state’s history, as well as more than 60 other semiconductor expansions that have taken place in the state. There are several reasons, Hobbs said, why Arizona has become an attractive place for semiconductor companies. The local talent base is one, with Arizona ranking among the top five states in the country in this area. Hobbs also highlighted Phoenix’s reliable energy grid, pro-business climate, and 100-year plan for water.AI in Every Layer: Future-Ready Strategies for Technology and Talent“This much disruptive innovation can’t be done by any one company. It requires a broad collaboration ecosystem.” – Sesha Varadarajan Following Hobbs, Sesha Varadarajan from Lam Research discussed AI-related challenges and budding solutions that address them. With AI setting the pace of industry innovation, Varadarajan emphasized the need for clarity for device-specific roadmaps. For example, logic is transitioning from FinFET to Gate-All-Around, DRAM is moving toward 3D architectures, and advanced packaging innovations are enabling continued scaling. Ultimately, Varadarajan concluded that device roadmaps would come down to three things: thinner materials, taller structures, and smaller features. Lastly, he noted that workforce development training often lags behind industry demand, highlighting Lam Research’s Semiverse education platform as a solution. Stronger Together - Building a Resilient Future for Semiconductors“When you’re working at an atomic level of precision, every detail matters.” – Jon KempDupont’s Jon Kemp offered insight into how the semiconductor industry can usher in a new wave of transformation. To achieve this, he highlighted three strategic priorities: supply chain, sustainability, and AI. Kemp emphasized bringing manufacturing closer to customers, designing products for energy efficiency, and creating new AI architectures that address mounting performance expectations. He also announced that Qnity, an integrated material solutions provider, will be spinning out of DuPont on November 1, 2025. Where Vision Meets Execution: Global Executive Summit (GES) Unites Industry Leaders“[There has been] lots of progress so far, and we want to build on that momentum.” – Carolin Seward. Carolin Seward from Google took the stage to discuss the upcoming Global Executive Summit (GES) from December 15-16 in Tokyo. This invitation-only meeting will convene industry executives to discuss core sustainability issues, like advancing abatement, pursuing gas substitution, driving green materials, and enabling low-carbon energy. Closer to Home: Costa Rica as a Partner for Successful Operations in the Western Hemisphere“Costa Rica is ready to become part of the solution.” – Manuel Tovar RiveraManuel Tovar Rivera discussed Costa Rica’s efforts to bolster its semiconductor industry. With its close proximity to the U.S., three decades of advanced manufacturing experience, and free trade, Rivera also explained the benefits of U.S. and Costa Rica collaborations. To meet the needs of its trade partners, Costa Rica is developing its local talent base, attracting foreign professionals, offering incentives for R D and startup investment, and streamlining its regulatory processes. Advancing 3DIC Technologies to Propel AI Innovations“Our best day is still ahead of us.” – Jun HeClosing out the Tuesday keynote series was TSMC’s Jun He, who spoke about the packaging innovations that are pushing the world closer to more advanced AI. The key benefit of advanced packaging, he said, is to enhance AI performance and efficiency–but excellent yield is a nonnegotiable requirement. He underscored the growing importance of CoWoS, or Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate packaging structures, as well as fluxless thermocompression bonding, to help meet demand for AI. AI Supercomputing for Next Generation Semiconductor Design and Manufacturing“AI factories transform electricity into intelligence.” – Timothy CostaNIVIDA’s Timothy Costa began the Wednesday keynote series by highlighting physical AI as “the next trillion-dollar industry,” and outlined how the company is helping the industry get closer to that benchmark. Costa noted the three NVIDIA computers being used to train physical AI models – Omniverse for simulation, DGX for training, and Jetson AGX for deployment. All of these, he said, need to work together to deliver on physical AI promises, like robotics, autonomous vehicles, and others. Executive Panel – Powering the Next Decade: AI’s Impact on Semiconductor Infrastructure and Market“We’re living in the most exciting time in the world of computing.” – Mukesh KhareFollowing Costa, the CEO Summit Keynote stage transitioned into a panel discussion with industry-leading AI experts – including Laura Matz from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Mukesh Khare from IBM Research, Mark Dougherty from TEL, and Angada Sachid from ASM. The panel was moderated by David Anderson, President of NY CREATES. Although there was much said during this 50-minute panel, a few key points were emphasized. First, Khare highlighted open chip design activities for AI models as a way to alleviate cost burdens. Design costs for more advanced nodes, he said, can be greater than $500 million. Matz also outlined the urgent need to develop PFAS-free materials without sacrificing yield. Currently, there are several areas where the industry doesn’t have a solution for PFAS, but AI models may be able to help.Sachid also mentioned power challenges, pointing to how one or two misplaced atoms can be the difference between a power-efficient versus a power-hungry chip. Deposition needs to be perfect at 10 trillion separate locations, and he pointed to AI as an emerging solution for this as well. However, despite the promises of AI, the panelists underscored that people are still a company’s most valuable asset. Revolutionizing Semiconductor Collaboration: The Emergence of AI-Driven Industry Platforms“You can make better decisions with more information.” – John KibarianWhile nearly every session touched on the need for industry-wide collaboration, John Kibarian from PDF Solutions focused on making this feasible. In today’s highly complex semiconductor supply chain, every point is critical, from fabless companies, to foundries, OSATs, and external vendors. To make industry-wide collaboration practical without compromising IP, he noted the importance of secure infrastructure, automated orchestration, and robust AI agents to assess and analyze the raw data that often goes unused. Kibarian highlighted PDF Solutions’ secureWISE system as a tool that’s already in place to address these needs. Shaping the Future of Semiconductors in the U.S.“The specific things that drove growth were the evolution of new applications.” – Giel RuttenAs the semiconductor industry continues its journey to $1 trillion in annual industry revenue, Amkor’s Giel Rutten provided an update on the U.S. market. Because OSATs are heavily concentrated in Asia, this poses a significant challenge for reshoring U.S. manufacturing. Most OEMs, he said, are looking to OSATs to handle several of their processes because it’s cheaper than doing it themselves. Rutten detailed the mounting complexities of backend assembly, including rising demand for multiple, high-bandwidth memory stacks that traditional SoCs can’t accommodate. This is pushing the industry toward heterogeneous integration, which further complicates the supply chain. Rutten concluded by emphasizing the importance of industry-wide collaboration, and noted that Amkor’s Arizona fab will offer a complete, turnkey supply chain in the U.S. Fireside Chat – Harnessing Digital Transformation to Empower People and Accelerate Precision“The more we double down on technology, the more we should also elevate humanity and double down on our values.” – Khadija Ben HammadaWith a strong emphasis on AI during the 2025 keynote series, the final discussion on Wednesday brought humans back into the spotlight. Khadija Ben Hammada from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Daniel Drellich from EMD Electronics (the electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), joined Jon Krohn on stage for an insightful talk on empowering employees in today’s AI era. Of the many things discussed, both Hammada and Drellich underscored the need to build trust with employees, as many of them fear being left behind by the technology. While it’s true that companies have invested heavily in AI, such investments also require them to educate teams on how to use it. This can best be achieved through a culture, they said, where people feel comfortable enough to learn in the first place. The panelists also highlighted the importance of finding the right AI tools for specific purposes, instead of blindly choosing the most sophisticated solution. Partnering to Serve the Demands of the AI Era“A foundry business is a trust business.” – Kevin O’BuckleyAlthough there’s no shortage of discussion about the industry’s road to $1 trillion, Intel’s Kevin O’Buckley shared where that trillion-dollar value is being realized. Based on recent projections, the simple breakdown he presented shows that 50% is generated by fabless companies, 25% by suppliers, and 25% by foundries and OSATs. With the rise of fabless companies, he highlighted the need for foundries to provide value to customers, including better power delivery solutions and predictable execution on customer projects. He also shared Intel’s efforts, like bringing its 18A node into production, its PowerVia for backside power delivery, and new slurry formulations for delicate wafers. Bridging the Talent Gap: Accelerating Workforce Solutions for Semiconductors“We're building opportunity and innovation into the semiconductor workforce.” – Shari LissShari Liss, VP of Global Workforce Development and Initiatives at SEMI, detailed the current state of the industry’s workforce needs. More than 170,000 new workers, she said, will be needed in the U.S. in the next five years. To help close the talent gap, Liss shared a roadmap of the SEMI Foundation’s efforts, ranging from awareness programs that target children as young as seven, to apprenticeship programs for adults. So far, the SEMI Foundation has reached 1.25 million students through its apprenticeship and certification programs, 3,300 people through its expanded childcare access, and 7,000 people through its SEMI U courses. Liss also highlighted the SEMI Foundation’s operator role in the newly established National Network of Microelectronics Education (NNME) — a national program that aims to build regional centers around the U.S. for microelectronics education and training. Requests for proposals are now open, and applications are due in December. American Chip Revival and the Trusted Tech Imperative“Trust is the most important word in any language.” – Keith KrachThe 2025 keynotes series concluded with Purdue University’s Keith Krach and former undersecretary of state. During his time as undersecretary, he emphasized the importance of building trust to rebuild the U.S. semiconductor supply chain. Through his trust-first approach, Krach helped secure TSMC’s presence in Arizona, leading to better jobs and a stronger domestic chip ecosystem. In addition, he was instrumental in creating a clean 5G network that later became the xGTT, or the Global Trusted Tech Standard. SEMI would like to thank all speakers, sponsors, and attendees for the success of this year’s CEO Summit Keynote Series. Joe Stockunas is President, SEMI Americas.
