BRUSSELS, November 05, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — Surging demand for artificial intelligence chips is driving growth at European chemical and industrial gas companies, as semiconductor manufacturers ramp up production and invest in new capacity to meet the needs of expanding AI infrastructure.
Belgian specialty chemicals group Syensqo exceeded market expectations in the third quarter, supported by continued demand from semiconductor manufacturers for advanced materials used in chip production.
“We’ll probably see a 25% second-half improvement in our sales in semiconductors over the first half,” Chief Executive Mike Radossich told journalists on Thursday.
The strong performance reflects a broader trend across the industrial supply chain. Industrial gas producers Linde and Air Liquide also reported better-than-expected third-quarter results last week, benefiting from double-digit sales growth in their electronics businesses, which supply materials and gases to semiconductor manufacturers.
The expansion of AI computing has become a major driver of investment in the chip industry. AI servers require substantially more silicon than traditional computing infrastructure, prompting semiconductor companies to increase manufacturing capacity and adopt more advanced production technologies.
This investment cycle is creating new opportunities for suppliers of ultra-pure gases and specialty chemicals, which are essential to semiconductor manufacturing. Companies including Linde, Air Liquide, Solvay and Syensqo provide materials that must meet exceptionally high purity standards to support increasingly sophisticated chipmaking processes.
Air Liquide said its investments in electronics nearly doubled during the first nine months of 2026 compared with the whole of 2025, reflecting increased spending on projects linked to semiconductor production.
The French industrial gas group has also expanded its presence in Asia. In August, it agreed to acquire South Korea’s DIG Airgas for 2.85 billion euros. More recently, it announced plans for a new plant in Taiwan and committed nearly 200 million euros to support a semiconductor project by South Korean chipmaker SK hynix.
Linde is also committing substantial resources to the sector. In July, the German-based industrial gas company pledged $1 billion to supply a major semiconductor manufacturing facility in Arizona.
Meanwhile, Solvay, which separated its specialty chemicals business Syensqo in 2023, announced in September plans to double production capacity at its ultra-pure hydrogen peroxide plant in Taiwan’s Tainan Science Park.
The expansion is taking place as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) increases production of advanced 3-nanometre chips at the same industrial park.
The investments underline how the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is extending beyond chipmakers to the industrial suppliers underpinning semiconductor production. As manufacturers continue to expand capacity, demand for specialised chemicals and high-purity gases is emerging as an important source of growth for the European groups.