Silicon AnalyticaAccording to SIA, US-headquartered semiconductor companies spent $76.8 billion on R&D in 2025, up from $69.6 billion in 2024, an increase of 10.3%.
R&D as a share of sales
SIA, citing the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard 2025, reports semiconductor R&D intensity by economy. The US is highest at 15.0%; Taiwan, home of the largest contract manufacturer, is at 8.1%.
Per cent of sales
Source: SIA, 2026 State of the U.S. Semiconductor Industry, PDF p. 15 (EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard 2025; SIA analysis). Europe excludes Switzerland and the UK.
Why manufacturers score lower
Contract manufacturers have very large sales and capital spending, which pushes down R&D as a share of sales even when the amounts are large. The comparison says more about business models than about innovation capacity.
The competition
SIA states, citing the OECD, that Chinas combined industry and government R&D spending now exceeds that of the US. The figure covers all sectors, not just semiconductors.
AW
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