SEMICON West moves east
A fixture in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 50 years, SEMICON West is moving to Phoenix for a five-year annual rotation starting in 2025 and shifting from its longstanding July event dates to October beginning in 2024.
The event will be held again in Arizona in 2027 and 2029, with all three appearances at the Phoenix Convention Center.
"SEMI is excited to bring SEMICON West to Phoenix, a booming semiconductor manufacturing hub, in October 2025," said Joe Stockunas, president of SEMI Americas, host of the exhibition and conference. "Greater Phoenix is home to more than 75 semiconductor companies including SEMI members EMD Electronics, Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), and the sector employs more than 100,000 with more jobs on the way. As recent investments in chip manufacturing in the area have made abundantly clear, Phoenix embodies the drive by SEMI and the industry at large toward greater innovation."
"SEMI thanks the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), and the city of Phoenix for their tremendous support as we make this important move," Stockunas added.
"We're proud to welcome SEMICON West to Arizona!" said Governor Katie Hobbs. "Arizona has become a global leader in chip manufacturing and innovation, with rapid growth across our entire semiconductor ecosystem. We look forward to joining with local partners and SEMICON West to welcome industry leaders from around the globe and showcase why Arizona has become the world's leading destination for new chip investments."
"The recent expansion of the semiconductor industry in Phoenix has been transformative," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. "We are already benefiting from new jobs, new suppliers, new housing, new educational opportunities, and new businesses that are excited to relocate here. SEMICON West's presence will underscore and amplify Phoenix's commitment to attracting and growing our advanced manufacturing and semiconductor industries." Mayor Gallego also thanked the Arizona Commerce Authority, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Visit Phoenix, and city staff for the collaborative efforts to bring SEMICON West to Phoenix.
In November, the state of Arizona announced a $100 million investment in semiconductor industry research and development under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act to consolidate the state's competitive position. And in December, TSMC announced plans to triple its fab investments in Phoenix to $40 billion, facilities that are expected to create 13,000 high-tech jobs, and produce leading-edge 3-nanometer chips at the new factory by 2026. The Phoenix site features two fabs with enough space to add four more.
Greater Phoenix is also a rich source of new talent for local semiconductor companies. The Arizona State University engineering program is the largest in the United States, with more than 30,000 students, including 7,000 focused on microelectronics-related fields. The Maricopa Community Colleges have also made significant investments in quick-start programs to bring even more technicians online.
Phoenix will first host SEMICON West Oct. 7-9, 2025. The event will continue to be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on the alternating years and over the long term.
The event changes do not affect this year's SEMICON West, scheduled for July 11-13 at the Moscone Center.
