Overview

• TechInsights’ 2024 tally shows Intel led R&D outlays at about $16.55 billion, followed by Nvidia at $12.5 billion and Samsung at $9.5 billion after a 71% jump that lifted it to third place.
• TSMC ranked seventh with $6.36 billion and remained the only pure-play foundry investing more than $1 billion per year in R&D.
• The top 20 semiconductor firms spent $98.68 billion on R&D in 2024, a 17% increase that accounted for roughly 96% of industry research spending.
• Intel focused spending on improving 18A process yields yet reported a $18.8 billion loss last year, highlighting ongoing profitability pressure.
• TechInsights cautioned that heavier investment may not translate into durable leadership and projected Nvidia could surpass Intel in R&D spending next year.