SEMICON West Comes to Phoenix: Why This Matters for the Silicon Desert
SEMICON West’s relocation signals a global shift. Phoenix is no longer emerging—it’s leading.
For more than 50 years, SEMICON West has been the semiconductor industry’s flagship event. What began in 1971 as a modest gathering of 80 exhibitors in San Mateo has grown into the most influential semiconductor conference in North America. For decades, it has been anchored in San Francisco, drawing thousands of executives, engineers, policymakers, and innovators who shape the technology powering our world.
Now, for the first time in its history, SEMICON West is moving—and Phoenix, Arizona is its new home.
This is more than a venue change. It’s a reflection of how the global semiconductor industry itself is shifting. Greater Phoenix is no longer just a fast-growing metro—it has emerged as a critical hub in the global tech supply chain. Companies like TSMC, Intel, and Amkor are building billions of dollars’ worth of advanced manufacturing facilities here. Since 2020, the region has attracted over $100 billion in semiconductor-related projects, alongside thousands of high-paying jobs.
Why Phoenix?
The Valley has earned its reputation as the Silicon Desert. TSMC’s $165 billion commitment to three fabrication plants in North Phoenix will produce the world’s most advanced chips, with Apple and other major tech players already lined up as customers. Intel continues to expand its massive Chandler campus, investing another $20 billion in new fabs. And Amkor Technology is adding a $2 billion advanced packaging facility in Peoria to keep more of the supply chain local.
These investments aren’t just reshaping Phoenix—they’re reshaping the industry. SEMICON West’s move here is an acknowledgment that the future of semiconductor manufacturing runs through Arizona.
What Happens at SEMICON West?
For industry leaders, SEMICON West is where strategies are set and partnerships are made. Keynotes and CEO summits dive into the biggest themes: artificial intelligence, advanced packaging, sustainable manufacturing, supply chain resilience, and workforce development.
But the event also has a broader impact. It’s designed to connect talent pipelines with opportunity, highlight sustainability solutions like water reclamation in desert fabs, and showcase the innovation that makes semiconductors the “brains” of modern life. Whether it’s powering smartphones, electric vehicles, or AI-driven systems, the technology born from these discussions touches every corner of the economy.
Why It Matters to Phoenix Professionals
For local professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors, SEMICON West is more than a global tech summit—it’s a signal. The world is watching Phoenix not as a secondary market, but as a centerpiece of the next industrial revolution.
For real estate, it means rising demand along the I-17 and Loop 303 corridors where major fabs and suppliers cluster.
For startups and service providers, it means new opportunities to plug into a global ecosystem.
For students and professionals, it means access to careers at the cutting edge of technology without leaving Arizona.
The Bottom Line
Phoenix is no longer just competing with traditional tech hubs—it’s being recognized as one. The relocation of SEMICON West, the industry’s most influential gathering, confirms that the Silicon Desert has arrived on the global stage.
For more than half a century, San Francisco hosted the world’s semiconductor conversation. Now, that conversation comes to Phoenix. And with billions in investment, tens of thousands of jobs, and a once-in-a-generation opportunity unfolding, it’s clear: the future of tech is being built in the desert.