Samsung Electronics dropped its ranking in the world semiconductor market for the first time, while American businesses rose dramatically
Sales in Samsung Electronics' semiconductor sector in 2023 decreased 33.8% from a year ago, to $44.374 billion.
This is the first time in 22 years since the statistics were compiled in 2001 that Samsung has been pushed to third place.
According to statistics from market research company Omdia published on March 29, sales in the semiconductor field of Samsung Electronics in 2023 decreased by 33.8% compared to a year ago to 44.374 billion USD (about 59,800 billion Won). ). The sharp drop in sales pulled Samsung's ranking from number one in 2022 to third place in 2023.
Meanwhile, American businesses have risen spectacularly in 2023, the most notable of which is Nvidia.
Statistics show that Nvidia, the world's number one company in graphics processors, which are essential for artificial intelligence (AI), has jumped from 8th to 2nd place. In 2023, Nvidia's revenue increased 133.6% over the previous year, to 49.161 billion USD.
According to experts, although semiconductor industry sales will decline in 2023, AI has emerged as an important growth driver, bringing strength to businesses like Nvidia.
Intel's revenue in 2023 is $51.197 billion, down 15.8% compared to the previous year. However, the decrease in sales was less than that of Samsung, so the company regained the top position. Unlike Samsung, which depends heavily on memory, Intel's main product is the central processing unit, so it is less affected by the environmental fluctuations of the semiconductor industry.
Mr. Kyeong Gae-Hyeon, head of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division, said high-capacity HBM is competitive in AI applications. This is why more and more customers are looking for HBM3E (5th generation HBM) developed by Samsung and so this business is confident about its leadership in the HBM field.
The semiconductor sector has shown signs of rapid recovery since the end of 2023 and the market is expected to recover this year. The areas expected to bring momentum to the industry are high-performance semiconductors such as high-bandwidth memory, AI chips and the memory inventory situation is basically resolved.
“The memory chip market is expected to continue to recover in 2024, although macroeconomic instability still exists,” a Samsung representative optimistically stated.
The Korean “giant” added that it will strive to meet the demand for chips in some AI applications, expand into the AI-integrated consumer product market as well as “strengthen its leading position in premium product segment and advanced semiconductor manufacturing competitiveness”.
Samsung is currently in the process of producing 3-nanometer chips, and the company has set a roadmap for mass production of 2-nanometer chips by 2025. Typically, reducing nanometer size can result in more powerful and efficient chips. .
“We expect chip prices to continue to increase in the first half of 2024 and expect a clear recovery in earnings from memory chip manufacturers in the second half of 2024 as well as 2025,” said expert Kim from Daiwa Capital. Markets expressed.
