Group CEO Lefever 2026 New Year’s Address (Summary)

Happy New Year.

Last year, accelerating demand for AI drove our business performance beyond expectations.
As a result, we raised our full-year outlook and mid-term management plan targets to record levels. For 2026, while there are concerns about a slowdown in AI-related investment, we anticipate continued investment in leading-edge AI semiconductors, custom ASICs, and high-end memory devices. I am confident that our business environment will become even brighter in the coming year. Global IC revenue will approach $1 trillion in 2026, several years ahead of initial forecasts.

In the semiconductor test market, increasing device complexity and rising chip costs are compelling our customers to increase test time and processes, as well as test content, to ensure yield and quality. With device generations tightening their cadence, rapid delivery of test solutions is urgently needed. Semiconductor test is no longer simply a cost for our customers; it has evolved into a value-add process that is essential for improving device quality and yield in a timely manner.

Based on this, our three key challenges for 2026 are as follows:

To address the challenges brought on by device complexity, more integrated test solutions are necessary. We will continue to supplement our in-house technologies through R&D, external investments, and partnerships. By driving "Automation of Test" and "Distribution of Test," we aim to automate test tasks across processes and optimize test content for back-end test flows, enabling customers to shorten time to market, improve yields, and maximize overall efficiency.

To meet customer needs in a timely manner, we have roughly tripled our production capacity over the past few years. Supply capability is becoming a genuine competitive advantage for us. We will continue to expand our SoC and memory tester capacity, building a system that can respond flexibly and quickly to unpredictable test demand.

From R&D to operations and administration, we are committed to working smarter and more efficiently every day, utilizing the best tools for our jobs. Based on our AI Policy established last year, we will leverage AI tools to dramatically improve quality and throughput, create new innovations, and support strategy formulation and product quality enhancement through data analysis.

Finally, our corporate culture of INTEGRITY fosters trust with customers worldwide, mutual growth between employees and the company, and sustainable value creation. Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Each and every one of you is the driving force behind Advantest's future, and by creating solutions with both scale and velocity, we will continue to develop the company in 2026 and beyond. Let's make this another great year.

Advantest (TSE: 6857) is the leading manufacturer of automatic test and measurement equipment used in the design and production of semiconductors for applications including 5G communications, the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, high-performance computing (HPC), including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and more. Its leading-edge systems and products are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world. The company also conducts R&D to address emerging testing challenges and applications; develops advanced test-interface solutions for wafer sort and final test; produces scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing; and offers system-level test solutions and other test-related accessories. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest is a global company with facilities around the world and an international commitment to sustainable practices and social responsibility. More information is available at www.advantest.com/cn/.