2026 Trends to Watch: Semiconductors

Mark Watson

Senior Director, Manufacturing Technology & Smart Infrastructure

Mark has direct responsibility for the core strategy, personnel, research, analysis, and commercial planning of the Manufacturing Technology and Smart Infrastructure research practices. He oversees an extensive research portfolio that covers Discrete Automation, Electric Motor Systems, Industrial IoT & Sustainability, Physical Security, Critical Communications & Safe Cities, and Smart Building and Energy Infrastructure.
Mark joined the company in August 2005 and has authored many research projects on a variety of industrial electronic component and end-equipment markets. He has also led custom research engagements and strategic consultancy projects for some of the world’s largest technology providers, and has established new syndicated research on emerging and transformative technologies.
Mark is passionate about developing a team of opinionated and inquisitive analysts and providing customers with consistent quality and insightful research that addresses specific industry challenges.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Science (Honors) degree in management science from the University of Wales, Swansea.

Craig Stice

Chief Analyst, Omdia Semiconductor Research

As part of Omdia’s semiconductor practice, Craig focuses on semiconductor manufacturing worldwide. Craig’s team provides detailed research on the semiconductor industry, whether at the IDM, fabless, or foundry markets. Additionally, his team provides a quarterly semiconductor revenue forecast by component type which currently goes up to 2027.

Previously, Craig worked with the memory team at Omdia, focusing specifically on the NAND industry. Craig provided detailed analysis of NAND manufacturing, technology trends, as well as application demand drivers to create an overall view of the current NAND supply/demand environment and the outlook.

Craig began his career as an analyst with IHS Markit (now Omdia) in 2012. Prior to that, Craig spent 16 years at Micron Technology working in product marketing and business development. Craig holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boise State University, Idaho.

Paul Pickering

Practice Lead, Research Director

Paul leads a team of research analysts covering power, automotive, industrial, MEMS and sensors, and MCUs. Paul has primary responsibility for the Power IC Market Tracker and the annual Power Semiconductors in Data Centers report.

Prior to joining Omdia, Paul was a senior analyst at IHS Markit. Before that, he spent over 30 years as an engineer in a diverse range of industries, including semiconductors, automotive electronics, flight simulation, and industrial automation. His experience includes digital and analog design, product marketing, applications, and embedded software, as well as client-side and server-side programming for internet applications. Paul was also a freelance writer with a monthly column and numerous articles in professional electronic publications. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in applied physics and electronics from Royal Holloway College, London University.

Hui He

Research Director

Hui is responsible for the analysis of China's semiconductor market with a focus on China's local semiconductor manufacturing and design trends, evaluating the impact of these trends on technical and financial factors. She also examines how new application ecosystems in China are shaping the semiconductor market.

Hui earned a master’s degree in microelectronics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.  

Cliff Leimbach

Senior Research Analyst

As part of Omdia’s memory and storage team, Cliff is responsible for providing research, analysis, and forecasting of DRAM and NAND memory for mobile and embedded applications, as well as providing coverage of the NOR flash market. Cliff’s main research focus is on memory in smartphones. 

Prior to joining Omdia (formerly IHS Markit) in 2008, Cliff received a master’s degree in economics from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Utah.

Myson Robles-Bruce

Senior Principal Analyst, AMFT

Myson Robles-Bruce is responsible for the Application Market Forecast Tool (AMFT) and OEM Semiconductor Spending & Design Activity, which are Intelligence Services in the semiconductor market portfolio of Omdia. These global products have been well-regarded in the industry for a long time and have benefited many clients by providing comprehensive views and datasets.

Before joining Omdia, formerly IHS Markit, Myson worked at semiconductor market research firm, Databeans, where he was the first employee hired. He was a major contributor to the development and success of that company for a decade. His background also includes market research and analysis with National Semiconductor and Apple. In a career that began in 2000, Myson has contributed to numerous reports, databases, and presentations. He holds an MBA from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California and a Master of Library and Information Science from San José State University in San José, California. Myson also holds diverse undergraduate degrees and certifications. 

Vimal Subramaniam

Research Analyst

As part of Omdia's research operation team, Vimal works in the team managing service providers, consumers, and the enterprise market, with a specific interest in enterprise networks and semiconductors.

Prior to joining the research operation team, Vimal served as a case management analyst in the compliance team of Refinitiv, where he was responsible for research and preparing compliance reports for clients. Vimal holds a Bachelor of Economics in industrial economics and a Master of Science in financial economics from University of Malaysia, Sarawak (UNIMAS).  

Hiro Takizawa

Principal Analyst

Hiro is responsible for Omdia's Competitive Landscaping Tool and research in the areas of teardown, memory, displays, mobile handsets, and electronics manufacturing services/original design manufacturing.

Prior to joining Omdia, Hiro was a researcher for the Center for Community and Economic Development in Mississippi. He worked on research design/implementation and strategic planning for the City of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He also completed economic base analysis, labor analysis, and demographic surveys for several counties in the US. In Tokyo, Hiro worked as a researcher for consumer products and major theme attractions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from Hosei University in Japan. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in community planning and area development and a master’s degree in economic development, both from the University of Southern Mississippi.  

Lino Jeng

Principal Analyst

Lino Jeng focuses on market tracking and DRAM forecasting. Before joining the company, he spent eight years in the marketing group of SK Hynix, where he was the major analyst covering supply and demand analysis for short to long-term dynamics. His duties included forecasting long-term market trend, building corporate-level strategy, as well analyzing supplier strategy. Lino received his degree in business administration from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Claire Wen

Principal Analyst, Semiconductors

Claire covers NAND flash memory, including its market and competitive landscape. Her work explores how memory and compute architectures enable AI, cloud, and edge workloads.

Previously, she led research on processors for AI, data centers, and 5G, including CPUs, GPUs, and ASICs. She brings a unique blend of technical and financial expertise to her analysis.

Before joining OMDIA, she was an analyst at CLSA and Gartner, covering display driver ICs (DDICs) and CMOS image sensors (CIS), with a focus on AI-capable machine vision across industrial and automotive sectors. She also worked in market intelligence at LG Display and AU Optronics.

Claire holds an MBA from UC Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in information management from National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan.

Makoto Ferguson

Senior Research Analyst

As part of Omdia’s memory and storage team, Makoto is responsible for providing research, analysis, and forecasting of DRAM and NAND memory for mobile and embedded applications, as well as providing coverage of the NOR flash market. Makoto’s main research focus is on memory in smartphones.

Makoto was a senior data analyst on the forecasting and data analysis team for over six years, where she managed, built, and launched products including smartphone, mobile PC (notebook and tablet), and desktop monitor models. Prior to joining Omdia (formerly IHS Markit) in 2014, Makoto spent eight years at Sony Electronics working in product marketing for digital camera and TV products. At Sony, she also covered market trends for point-of-sale data and gained experience in supply chain and sales strategic/promotional planning.

Makoto holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and commerce from Chuo University in Tokyo, Japan. She is fluent in Chinese, Japanese, and English.

James Zhao

Senior Principal Analyst

James Zhao covers storage technologies as part of Omdia’s SSD and HDD storage team. He provides comprehensive research data and forecasts on a host of important market signifiers, including industry shipments and revenue, average selling prices, and market share across vertical markets.

James started his career with chipmaking giants Intel and Micron as the lead on wafer-lever testing for NOR flash memory for eight years. He also spent six years with data storage solutions provider SanDisk | Western Digital as a principal product development engineer for enterprise SSDs. With in-depth understanding of SSD technologies and development processes, James provides sharp insights on the trends and transitions within the SSD and HDD storage market. He has a bachelor’s degree in electronic science and technology from Hangzhou Electronic Science & Technology University in China.  

Chee-Seng Tan

Senior Research Analyst

As part of Omdia’s semiconductor research practice, Chee-Seng is responsible for the Global Semiconductor Manufacturing Market Tracker (GMMT) and specializes in IDM fab manufacturing. He delivers in-depth research and strategic insights on global semiconductor production trends, with a focus on fab investments, capacity planning, industry inventory, and technology node transitions, while closely tracking macroeconomic and end-market dynamics that influence the semiconductor manufacturing landscape.

Since joining Omdia (formerly IHS Markit) in 2014, Chee-Seng has led several key research initiatives, including OEM Semiconductor Spending & Design Activity, the LED Market Intelligence Service, the Optoelectronic Components Report, and the Silicon Demand Forecast Tool. He has contributed to over 100 reports, databases, and articles, with a strong emphasis on analyzing global semiconductor supply and demand trends.

Chee-Seng holds a Master of Science degree in microelectronics engineering from Liverpool John Moores University.

Simon Chen

Principal Analyst

Simon is a semiconductor manufacturing market research analyst with over 18 years of semiconductor experience, including 10 years of foundry experience. He covers pure-play foundry market tracker and semiconductor manufacturing market research.

Simon started as a technology development engineer at Analog Technology (later acquired by Liton-Semi) for high-voltage process. He then went to TSMC, working as a product engineer for yield enhancement on analog chips such as PMICs. Simon then worked at design service company Alchip Technologies as a product engineer for yield enhancement and subsequently moved to Maxim Integrated to work in field foundry management. Before joining Omdia, Simon worked as a project consultant with AlphaSights/VisasQ.

Frank Xu

Principal Analyst

Frank is a member of the China semiconductor research team. He focuses on microcontroller market research. He is a veteran of the semiconductor industry with over 18 years of experience in reliability and product development engineering fields for logic and memory products.

He started his career in 2004 as a reliability engineer in a fab, then transferred internally to the product engineering team around 2007. In 2010, Frank joined an IDM company’s R&D team and focused on product development engineering for more than a decade. He is familiar with many generations of products, from new product introduction (NPI) to mass production. He has experience in product development testing and yield improvement. Frank holds a master’s degree in microelectronics from Fudan University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from East China Normal University (ECNU).

Michael (Minming) Mao

Senior Analyst, Semiconductor Components

As part of Omdia’s power semiconductor team, Michael is responsible for providing research, analyses, and forecasts for power semiconductors, including new technologies like wide bandgap (SiC and GaN). He also focuses on China’s market situation and trends.

Michael has wide experience in the electronics industry, including components and applications. Prior to joining Omdia in 2023, Michael spent two years performing supplier quality management at Continental and five years conducting customer technical support at Murata. Before that, he was a design engineer that worked on power magnetic components at Tamura for two years. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Shanghai University of Engineering Science, China. He is also a qualified VDA 6.3 auditor.

Carol Yang

Senior Analyst

Carol Yang is responsible for the CMOS image sensor market in various applications. She has years of working experience in the semiconductor industry. Her background includes market research and competitive intelligence analysis with SMIC and Broadcom.

Carol began her career as an analyst with Omdia in 2021. Before joining Omdia, Carol worked as a strategic marketing planning manager at SMIC, one of the largest foundries in China. She holds an MBA from Tongji University in Shanghai, China, and a master’s degree in finance from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. As part of the China semiconductor research team at Omdia, Carol’s research provides detailed analyses of CMOS image sensor demand and supply as well as overviews of technology trends and the competitive landscape.

Nora Houlihan

Senior Research Analyst

Dr. Nora Houlihan is a senior research analyst who focuses on MEMS and sensors as part of Omdia’s Components & Devices market pillar. She utilizes her technical knowledge to provide insight into the semiconductor industry.

Nora joined Omdia in the spring of 2022. Previously, she was an adjunct instructor at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, where she taught in the chemistry department. Nora has a PhD in nanoscale engineering from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, New York. She also has a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York.

Jawad Tariq

Senior Analyst, Industrial Semiconductors and Sensors

Jawad covers semiconductors and sensors used in an industrial environment. He has a deep understanding of electronic components, especially microprocessors and system-on-chip technology used in various industrial semiconductor applications.

Jawad joined Omdia as a full-time analyst in March 2021. He manages the semiconductor and sensor databases, improving quality of data and timely delivery to clients. His work includes analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of information from research sources, and he assists in generating market forecasts. His field of specialization is electronic design automation and integrated circuit design, focusing on system-on-chip firmware development for industrial IoT solutions. He holds a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering from COMSATS Institute of Information Technology in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and a Master of Science degree in communication engineering from Technical University of Munich.

Chang-Sheng Lim

Research Analyst

Chang-Sheng Lim specializes in covering the LED semiconductor and optoelectronic sectors. His expertise encompasses analyzing supply and demand dynamics in packaged LEDs, non-visible LEDs, and optoelectronic components. He offers insights into the global market for optocouplers, photo relays, non-optical isolators, infrared components, optical switches, LED displays, ultraviolet LEDs, and mini/micro-LEDs.

Before assuming this role, Chang-Sheng was a senior technology development engineer at Infineon Technologies, where he contributed to developing diode chips for solar and wind turbine applications. Chang Sheng holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Sang Oh

Principal Analyst

Hear Sang Oh discuss the impact of the chip shortage on the automotive supply chain in this interview from the DesignCon 2021 conference.

Sang is an automotive semiconductor analyst at Omdia, providing forecasts, market shares, and analysis of the overall automotive semiconductor market, with a special focus on automotive power semiconductors and the electric vehicle industry. Sang also applies his expertise in developing new services in the area of automotive semiconductors.

Prior to joining Omdia, Sang was a management consultant for Carlisle & Company, responsible for projects with global automotive and heavy equipment manufacturers for more than seven years. The focus of his projects extended from an upstream business at assembly to end-customer service operations. He specialized in strategic roadmap planning, network operation, performance optimization, and global data benchmarking.

Sang earned an MBA from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing, China. He also earned a Master of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering, a minor degree in system engineering, and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Cornell University.

Saloni Gankar

Senior Analyst, Industrial Semiconductor

As a part of Omdia’s semiconductor research team, Saloni is responsible for developing market sizing and forecasts, supplier shares, and analysis for the industrial semiconductor market.

Prior to joining Omdia in 2022, Saloni worked as a research lead with Global Market Insights, Inc., a market research and consulting firm, and authored several syndicated studies and consulting projects. As an analyst, she has six years of experience conducting research within the data center, entertainment & media, technology, and transportation and logistics industries. She specializes in market research, market assessment, financial forecasting, regression analysis, visualization, and consultancy. Saloni holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Coventry University, UK, and a master’s degree in marketing from Strathclyde Business School, UK, with a focus on strategy, brand, and consumer research. Saloni is based in London, UK.

Richard Eden

Principal Research Analyst, Power Semiconductors

Richard Eden is a power semiconductor market analyst whose focus includes the Power Discrete & Module Market Tracker, the Power Semiconductor Market Share Database, and the SiC & GaN Power Semiconductors Report within the power semiconductor intelligence service. He also contributes to other semiconductor reports.

Richard joined Informa (now Omdia) in 2019 after it acquired IHS Markit Technology. He started working on power semiconductor market research in 2010 at IMS Research, later bought by IHS Markit. Prior to this, Richard spent 5 years in electronics marketing management at RS Components and 15 years in various product management and sales roles at ROHM Electronics (now ROHM Semiconductor). Before that, he was a design engineer that worked on high-end microwave components and subsystems at Plessey Microwave in the 1980s. Richard has a Higher National Diploma in electronic and electrical engineering from Coventry (Lanchester) Polytechnic, now Coventry University.