Semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP) Market

Global Semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP) Market:

The global semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market size reached USD 5.9 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 8.9 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 4.40% during 2025-2033. The market is primarily driven by the expanding electronics sector globally, the extensive utilization of multicore technology for consumer electronics, and the continuous technological innovations.

Semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP) Market Analysis:

• Major Market Drivers: The escalating demand for cutting-edge and innovative IP solutions among the major companies to meet the requirements of emerging technologies, including AI, IoT, and 5G is catalyzing the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market growth. Besides this, the growing popularity of specialized sources, such as IP providers to access verified and pre-designed blocks of IP, is further stimulating the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market statistics.
• Key Market Trends: The elevating requirement for IP related to deep learning accelerators, neural networks, and other AI-specific hardware is propelling the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market demand. Moreover, the extensive utilization of solutions that offer high-speed data processing, wireless communication, and low-power consumption, owing to the growing popularity of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, is also bolstering the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market value.
• Competitive Landscape: Some of the major market players in the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market share include Achronix Semiconductor Corporation, ARM Ltd. (SoftBank Group Corp.), Cadence Design Systems Inc., CEVA Inc., eMemory Technology Incorporated, Fujitsu Limited (Furukawa Group), Imagination Technologies Limited (Canyon Bridge Capital Partners, Inc.), Lattice Semiconductor Corp., Mentor Graphics Corporation (Siemens Aktiengesellschaft), Open-Silicon Inc. (SiFive), Rambus Inc., and Synopsys Inc among others.
• Geographical Trends: North America, mainly the US, is the major hub for IP development and semiconductor innovation, which is augmenting the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market. Besides this, Germany, France, and the UK are focusing primarily on developing IP for the industrial, automotive, and consumer electronics sectors, which is further propelling the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market outlook. Moreover, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa regions are characterized by the emerging trend of AI and machine learning in smart cities, healthcare, and autonomous vehicles.
• Challenges and Opportunities: One of the major challenges of the market includes the rising complexity of semiconductor design, which requires specialized expertise. Developing and validating IP can be time-consuming and costly, especially for small companies and startups. However, the growing collaboration and partnerships between semiconductor companies, IP providers, and other stakeholders for the development of new, tailored, and innovative solutions present significant growth opportunities for the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market.

Semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP) Market Trends:

Increasing Shift Towards Design Services

The rising shift of several companies and organizations towards providing IP as part of a wider design services package to offer consumers solutions with end-to-end semiconductor design is primarily driving the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market statistics. Moreover, the extensive utilization of pre-designed IP subsystems that can be incorporated into larger designs is anticipated to propel the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market forecast. For instance, in March 2023, Synopsys, Inc. announced an expanded agreement with Samsung Foundry to create a broad portfolio of IP to reduce design risk for automotive, mobile, High-Performance Computing (HPC) and multi-die configurations. This agreement expanded Synopsys' collaboration with Samsung to enhance the Synopsys IP offering for Samsung's advanced 8LPU, SF5, SF4 and SF3 processes and includes USB, PCI Express, Foundation IP, 112G Ethernet, UCle, LPDDR, DDR, MIPI, etc.

Growing Focus on Security and Reliability

The escalating demand for IP related to hardware security, such as secure boot, cryptographic engines, and tamper-resistant components, on account of the increasing threats of cyberattacks, is augmenting the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market growth. Moreover, the widespread adoption of IP solutions in high-speed data processing and wireless communication is catalyzing the global market. For example, in July 2023, Rambus Inc., announced the first in a family of quantum safe security IP products with its next-generation Root of Trust for data center and communications security. Quantum computers will be able to break current asymmetric encryption rapidly. The Rambus Root of Trust IP offers customers a full Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) hardware security solution that protects useful data center and AI/ML assets and systems.

Rising Use of Electronic Components by Consumers

The rising need for semiconductor IP solutions in automotive, industrial, and consumer electronic applications is positively influencing the market growth. In addition to this, the emerging AI, 5G, and IoT technologies and the growing popularity of open-source RISC-V instruction set architecture are also propelling the market. For instance, in March 2024, Arteris, Inc., announced the immediate availability of the latest release of Ncore cache coherent network-on-chip (NoC) IP, which works with multiple processor IPs, including RISC-V and the next-generation Armv9 Cortex processor IP. Ncore boasts multi-protocol support, allowing seamless integration of IPs connected to the same NoC fabric.

Semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP) Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country levels for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on IP type, revenue source, IP core, application, and end use industry.

Breakup by IP Type:

• Processor IP
• Interface IP
• Memory IP
• Others
   

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the IP type. This includes processor IP, interface IP, memory IP, and others.

The extensive utilization of processor IP, including ARM’s Cortex series in tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, and IoT devices is propelling the market demand. Besides this, the escalating demand for Interface IP, such as PCle, USB, HDMI, and Ethernet to transfer data, connect gadgets, and enable audio/video transmission is augmenting the market globally. Moreover, the rising need for memory IP, including DRAM, SRAM, and flash memory to store instructions and data temporarily or permanently in electronic devices is also stimulating the market growth.

Breakup by Revenue Source:

• Royalty
• Licensing
• Services
   

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the revenue source. This includes royalty, licensing, and services.

According to the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market analysis, the most common method of monetizing semiconductor IP is royalty. IP providers receive royalties depending on the amount of chips manufactured or sold using their IP solutions. Additionally, licensing agreements are used for granting permission to semiconductor companies to use and access third-party IP. Furthermore, the growing popularity of customization, verification, and integration services for adding value to the IP and minimizing time-to-market and development costs is also catalyzing the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market statistics.

Breakup by IP Core:

• Soft Cores
• Hard Cores
   

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the IP core. This includes soft cores and hard cores.

The elevating requirement for soft cores in applications demanding customization and flexibility, such as rapid development, prototyping, and low-volume production is bolstering the market growth forward. Moreover, the widespread adoption of hard cores in microcontrollers, microprocessors, and memory controllers, as they enhance area, power efficiency, and performance, is positively influencing the global market.

Breakup by Application:

• IDM Firms
• Foundries
• Fabless Firms
• Others
   

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the application. This includes IDM firms, foundries, fabless firms, and others.

Semiconductor IP finds extensive usage in several applications, including IDM firms, foundries, fabless firms. IDM firms utilize these solutions to improve their in-house design capabilities and for specialized functionalities. Moreover, foundries integrate IP services to optimize their manufacturing techniques, including quality control, test and measurement, or yield enhancement. Apart from this, fabless firms may license IP for processors, memory, interfaces, or other core functions.

Breakup by End Use Industry:

• Consumer Electronics
• Telecom
• Automotive
• Healthcare
• Others
   

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the end use industry. This includes consumer electronics, telecom, automotive, healthcare, and others.

Semiconductor IP finds widespread applications in mobile devices, gaming consoles, and home entertainment for memory, processors, interfaces, and wireless connectivity. Besides this, the elevating requirement for IP solutions in switches, routers, modems, smartphones, and base stations for packet switching and high-speed data processing is augmenting the market growth. Moreover, the rising need for semiconductor IP in advanced driver assistance systems for radar and image processing and sensor fusion purposes is propelling the market forward. In addition to this, semiconductor IP is increasingly popular in the healthcare sector for patient monitoring and medical imaging applications.

Breakup by Region:

• North America
  • United States
  • Canada
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Indonesia
  • Others
• Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Russia
  • Others
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Others
• Middle East and Africa
   

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include North America (the United States and Canada); Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, and others); Europe (Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Russia, and others); Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and others); and the Middle East and Africa.

North America, mainly the US, is the major hub for IP development and semiconductor innovation. Besides this, Germany, France, and the UK are focusing largely on developing IP for the industrial, automotive, and consumer electronics sectors. Moreover, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa regions are characterized by the emerging trend of AI and machine learning in smart cities, healthcare, and autonomous vehicles. For instance, Synopsys, Inc. announced that the VMM verification methodology, represented in the ARM-Synopsys Verification Methodology Manual (VMM), has been adopted by the leading electronics companies in China for developing advanced verification environments. The VMM methodology is used by various System-on-Chip (SoC) and silicon IP verification teams across the globe to speed the development of powerful SystemVerilog-based verification environments and to achieve measurable functional coverage goals in less time with little effort.

Competitive Landscape:

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape in the market. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided. Some of the major market players in the Semiconductor intellectual property (IP) industry include:

• Achronix Semiconductor Corporation
• ARM Ltd. (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Cadence Design Systems Inc.
• CEVA Inc.
• eMemory Technology Incorporated
• Fujitsu Limited (Furukawa Group)
• Imagination Technologies Limited (Canyon Bridge Capital Partners, Inc.)
• Lattice Semiconductor Corp.
• Mentor Graphics Corporation (Siemens Aktiengesellschaft)
• Open-Silicon Inc. (SiFive)
• Rambus Inc.
• Synopsys Inc.
   

(Please note that this is only a partial list of the key players, and the complete list is provided in the report.)

Semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP) Market News:

• March 2024: Arteris, Inc., announced the immediate availability of the latest release of Ncore cache coherent network-on-chip (NoC) IP, which works with multiple processor IPs, including RISC-V and the next-generation Armv9 Cortex processor IP. Ncore boasts multi-protocol support, allowing seamless integration of IPs connected to the same NoC fabric.
• July 2023: Rambus Inc. announced the first in a family of quantum safe security IP products with its next-generation Root of Trust for data center and communications security. Quantum computers will be able to break current asymmetric encryption rapidly. The Rambus Root of Trust IP offers customers a full Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) hardware security solution that protects useful data center and AI/ML assets and systems.
• March 2023: Synopsys, Inc. announced an expanded agreement with Samsung Foundry to create a broad portfolio of IP to reduce design risk for automotive, mobile, High-Performance Computing (HPC) and multi-die configurations. This agreement expanded Synopsys' collaboration with Samsung to enhance the Synopsys IP offering for Samsung's advanced 8LPU, SF5, SF4 and SF3 processes and includes USB, PCI Express, Foundation IP, 112G Ethernet, UCle, LPDDR, DDR, MIPI, etc.

Semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP) Market Report Scope:

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the global semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market?
• What are the key regional markets?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the IP type?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the revenue source?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the IP core?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the application?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the end use industry?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?
• What is the structure of the global semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market from 2019-2033.
• The research study provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the global semiconductor intellectual property (IP) market.
• The study maps the leading, as well as the fastest-growing, regional markets. It further enables stakeholders to identify the key country-level markets within each region.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.