The wars at the leading edge have begun

Semiconductors have always made for an exciting industry. The cutting-edge R&D fueling innovation at a back-breaking pace, the enormous upfront investments and the brutal competition make for a game that’s thoroughly enjoyable to watch. At the leading edge, the stakes have never been higher than they’re right now, though.

The investment and operational excellence required to implement the most advanced process technologies for logic devices has driven out all but three companies from the semiconductor’s Premier League. The multibillion-dollar question is how many players will still be left standing at the end of this decade.