United Microelectronics (UMC), a leading wafer foundry, reported June revenue of NT$17.548 billion, marking a 10.05% decrease from May and a 7.91% decline year-over-year, hitting a four-month low. Despite this dip, UMC’s second-quarter revenue for 2024 reached NT$56.799 billion, up 3.96% from the first quarter and 0.89% higher than the same period in 2023, the second-highest on record for the quarter. For the first half of 2024, cumulative revenue totaled NT$111.431 billion, a slight increase of 0.84% from the previous year.
UMC remains optimistic about the future, indicating post-shareholder meeting that the economy is recovering from its low point. The company anticipates slight growth in the second quarter and improved overall demand in the latter half of the year. While automotive and industrial semiconductors show short-term weakness, medium to long-term growth is expected. The communications and consumer markets are projected to perform better in the second half.
UMC’s expansion efforts include focusing on the Nanke P6 plant, which is expected to be fully operational in 2024. In Singapore, the P3 plant is in the installation phase, with production delayed to 2026 due to customer demand. However, the P1 and P2 plants will support production needs.
UMC aims to capture 10-20% of AI business opportunities through its technology and production capabilities, focusing on HPC mid- and back-end, power management, and high-speed transmission. The Singapore plant’s interposer production capacity is set to double from 3,000 to 6,000 pieces per month in 2024, reflecting the company’s investment in meeting market demand.
