HBM: Latest Forecast
2026 HBM3E supercycle: SK hynix to dominate $54.6B HBM market as AI memory demand explodes
“ChipPub” Publication: 20% Discount Offer Link.
In 2026, the global semiconductor industry will enter a transformation period, with market structures and value chains adjusting to accommodate the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure. The overall market size is expected to approach $1 trillion, with memory semiconductors becoming a key driver of demand and profitability. Notably, industry experts anticipate that SK hynix will be the primary driving force behind this shift, as the chipmaker holds a unique advantage as the only supplier capable of reliably delivering both HBM3E and the next-generation HBM4.
According to data from the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS), the global semiconductor market in 2026 will grow by more than 25% year-over-year, reaching approximately $975 billion, with the memory segment achieving a 30% growth rate. Market research firms and investment banks predict particularly strong growth in the server and data center memory market, with some institutions estimating that the 2026 memory market size will exceed $440 billion.
Analysis indicates that as investments in AI training and inference servers increase, DRAM and HBM memory capacity per server is steadily rising. At the same time, demand for storage devices such as enterprise solid-state drives (eSSD) is also increasing, leading to a structural rise in the proportion of memory and storage within overall AI infrastructure.
