Comparing the R&D Investments of Major Semiconductor Players

Semiconductors have become an integral component of most industries. But with productivity impacted by various global events, including Covid-19 and geopolitical tensions in several regions, there has been a semiconductor shortage for a number of years now. Innovation has been called for, making research and development (R&D) a core focus for all within the industry. So, let’s have a look at where this investment is being made, and how it is being used.

The Top Five Semiconductor R&D Investors

1. Intel Corporation – US$16.52 Billion

As the leading semiconductor manufacturer, it’s little surprise that Intel had the highest R&D budget in 2023. It’s also not surprising that the company is cagey about exactly what its R&D budget is being used for. But in broad strokes, it has acknowledged investment in artificial intelligence (AI integration), intelligent edge infrastructure, and semiconductor security and traceability. The brand is also looking at semiconductor design and programming, with an aim to ‘accelerate the pace of innovation’ within the industry.

2. QUALCOMM Incorporated – US$8.86 billion

The latest R&D investment figures for QUALCOMM are for the year between June 2022 and June 2023. While the company’s budget was considerably below Intel, they’re still invested an enormous amount, primarily focusing on mobile technologies. The primary emphasis has been on 5G, and enhancing the advanced processing capabilities of 5G base stations. Snapdragon SoCs has been the brand’s best-known recent development, which also has a role in supporting Wi-Fi 6. Like most other tech brands, QUALCOMM has also made it known that AI is featuring strongly in its R&D efforts.

3. NVIDIA Corporation – $7.81 billion

In the trailing twelve months to July 31, 2023, NVIDIA made the third-highest R&D investment. Predominantly known for gaming (along with automotive electronics and mobile devices) NVIDIA’s semiconductor investment has focused mainly on the further development of graphics processing units (GPU). As well as AI applications and integrations.

4. Advanced Micro Devices Incorporated –$5.73 billion

Although less well-known outside of the industry, Advanced Micro Devices Incorporated remains one of the largest semiconductor companies. The company supports the computer, communications, and consumer electronics industries, by designing and producing microprocessors and low-power processor solutions. The key area of focus for the brand’s R&D in the last year has been overcoming the problem of the Memory Wall. In other words, finding ways to ensure that improvements to processor speeds will not be cloaked by slower dynamic random access memory (DRAM) speed.

5. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited – $5.53 Billion

Last on the list with a by no means small investment, is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited. Serving an array of sectors, from computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), to automotive, the brand’s core focus is simply the improvement of semiconductor technologies. And the new development of the same. The company’s current named areas of research are:

·        3D CMOS technology platform for SoC

·        A14 and beyond logic technology platform and applications

·        3DIC

·        Next-generation lithography

·        Specialty SoC technology (including new NVM, MEMS, RF, analogue) and transistors.

For anyone looking to move into the semiconductor industry, R&D is an area where new talent is always needed. As demand continues to grow for semiconductors, new approaches to development, design, and deployment will be needed. All of which can be transferred from other industries. So, if you have skills in any of these areas, and are looking for a change, you could find a waiting audience in the semiconductor sector.