PCB Design Software Sales Rose 16% YoY in Q4
MILPITAS, CA – Quarterly sales of printed circuit board and multichip module design software jumped 15.9% in the December period to $476 million, the ESD Alliance, a SEMI Technology Community, announced in April.
The four-quarter moving average for PCB and MCM, which compares the most recent four quarters to the prior four, rose 8.3%.
Overall electronic system design (ESD) revenue increased 11% to $4.93 billion in the quarter. The fourth quarter moving average rose 12.8%.
“The electronic design automation industry reported substantial revenue growth in Q4 2024,” said Wally Rhines, speaking on behalf of the SEMI Electronic Design Market Data report. “All product categories increased significantly, with all categories except semiconductor intellectual property posting double-digit growth. Regionally, the Americas, along with Japan and Asia Pacific reported double-digit growth. The four-quarter moving average increased for all product categories and regions.”
Listen to Rhines’ commentary on the market results on the PCB Chat podcast here.
The companies tracked in the EDMD report employed 61,827 people globally in Q4, up 2.9% from a year ago but down 0.9% sequentially.
By category:
- Computer-aided engineering (CAE) revenue rose 10.9% to $1.7 billion. The four-quarter CAE moving average increased 12.3%.
- Integrated circuit (IC) physical design and verification revenue increased 15.4% to $797.9 million. The four-quarter moving average increased 8.1%.
- Semiconductor intellectual property (SIP) revenue increased 7.9% to $1,760.7 million. The four-quarter SIP moving average rose 15.7%.
- Services revenue rose 11% to $195.6 million. The four-quarter services moving average rose 26.2%.
By region, the Americas procured $2.17 billion worth of electronic system design products and services in Q4, a 12.9% increase. The four-quarter moving average for the Americas rose 17.1%.
- Asia Pacific (APAC) purchases rose 10.2% to $1.82 billion. The four-quarter moving average for APAC grew 9.3%.
- Europe, Middle East and Africa procured $622 million, up 2.3%. The four-quarter moving average for EMEA grew 10.6%.
- Japan’s purchased jumped 21.7% to $318.4 million. The four-quarter moving average increased 10.8%.
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Hot Takes
Revenue at the 50 largest electronics manufacturing services companies grew 12.7% in 2024, totaling $477 billion and reversing a historic 2023 downturn. Revenue among the top 10 EMS firms made up 87.6% of sales of the top 50, down from 88.7% the prior year. (Manufacturing Market Insider)
Global semiconductor equipment sales rose 10% in 2024 to $117.1 billion, setting a new high. (SEMI)
Full-year 2025 notebook brand shipment growth will rise 1.4%, a lower outlook due to persistent economic weakness and rising tariffs. (TrendForce)
Global PC shipments reached 63.2 million units in the first quarter, a 4.9% increase year-over-year. (IDC)
AR/VR headset shipments grew 10% in 2024. (IDC)
Global semiconductor front-end fab equipment spending is projected to reach $110 billion in 2025, rising 2% year-over-year and marking the sixth consecutive year of growth. (SEMI)
February global semiconductor sales hit a record $54.9 billion, up 17.1% year-over-year but down 2.9% from January. (SIA)
iPhone costs could rise 90% if fully made in the US, driven by labor and tariffs. (Bank of America)
Global smartphone shipments rose 1.5% year-over-year to 304.9 million units in the first quarter. (IDC)
Taiwanese rigid circuit board exports fell 0.98% year-over-year in March. (TPCA)
Proactive stockpiling has expanded the anticipated contract price increases for DRAM and Nand flash in the second quarter, but momentum is likely to be short-lived. (TrendForce)
