Siltronic raised its 2026 sales forecast after wafer demand strengthened in the third quarter, while CEO Michael Heckmeier said AI customers are reshaping access to chip supply in a Nov. 4 Reuters interview.
The company now expects full-year sales to be in the range of 2025, replacing prior guidance for a low- to mid-single-digit percentage decline. It reported third-quarter sales of EUR 355.4 million, up 10.5% from EUR 321.6 million in the second quarter. Sales for the first nine months totaled EUR 983.5 million, compared with EUR 975.1 million in the same period of 2025.
Siltronic said the increase in wafer area sold across 300 mm and 200 mm products drove the quarterly rise. Demand was strong for 300 mm wafers and growing for 200 mm products. The revised outlook assumes a EUR/USD rate of 1.14 for the fourth quarter, compared with the previous outlook’s 1.18 assumption for the second half.
Heckmeier told Reuters that chipmakers have an incentive to direct supply to customers offering the best returns. He said hyperscalers have the financial capacity to pay more for AI-related chips, leaving less supply available for smartphone and PC markets. He added that other semiconductor segments might expand more quickly if they had access to additional chips.
For AI server farms, Heckmeier put silicon use at roughly three to four times the area associated with traditional servers, Reuters reported. He said he had seen no slowdown in AI demand as of Nov. 4, but if demand were to moderate, chipmakers could redirect capacity to smartphones, PCs and other markets.
Siltronic makes silicon wafers used in semiconductor manufacturing. The company said its Singapore expansion of 300 mm capacity supports market growth driven particularly by AI. Its financial calendar lists preliminary 2026 figures for Feb. 3, 2027.
