Report: Semiconductor Industry Spending On R&D Up Just 0.5% In 2015

According to DigiTimes, a Taiwan-based newspaper publication that covers the semiconductor, electronics and computer communications industries, reported that the semiconductor industry's spending on research and development grew by just 0.5 percent in 2015. Total research and development spending for the entire semiconductor sector was estimated to be $56.4 billion in 2015. DigiTimes noted that the growth rate represents the smallest increase since 2009 and falls noticeably short of the 4.0 percent compounded annual growth rate the sector experienced over the past 10 years. The publication cited ongoing concerns over the weak global economy, slumping sales during the bottom half of 2015, and "unprecedented" industry consolidation. Looking forward to 2016, DigiTimes suggested that semiconductor research and development spending will grow around 4 percent to $58.9 billion and reach $76.3 billion in 2020.