PDF Solutions CONNECT 2026: Where Semiconductor Data Meets AI

The semiconductor industry is entering a period in which manufacturing leadership will depend not simply on producing more data, but on turning that data into timely, trustworthy decisions. PDF Solutions CONNECT 2026 is designed around this challenge. Taking place October 15–16 at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, the conference will bring together semiconductor executives, engineers, customers, technology partners and software experts to examine how advanced analytics and artificial intelligence can improve manufacturing performance across an increasingly complex global supply chain.

PDF Solutions describes CONNECT as a premier semiconductor event for analytics and AI. Its agenda combines executive and technical keynotes with customer presentations, panel discussions, live demonstrations, workshops and direct access to the company’s product managers and developers. Announced speakers include PDF Solutions co-founder and CEO John Kibarian, Bloomberg Technology executive producer Emily Chang and energy and technology expert Dr. Jonathan Koomey. Speakers from Samsung, Intel, Qualcomm, POET, STMicroelectronics. Rather than presenting AI only as a future possibility, the conference is intended to show how manufacturers can apply it to real operational problems today.

A central focus will be Exensio Aurora, PDF Solutions’ new AI-first architecture for its Exensio Analytics platform. The company says Aurora is built to analyze semiconductor manufacturing data at petabyte scale and support the secure use of agentic AI throughout manufacturing operations and the supply chain. Attendees will be able to explore demonstrations involving large language model-driven analytics, StudioAI and a new user experience, while technical sessions will examine the platform architecture behind these capabilities.

That focus matters because semiconductor companies do not suffer from a shortage of information. Their difficulty lies in connecting information scattered across equipment sensors, process recipes, metrology systems, manufacturing execution systems, engineering reports and expert knowledge. As devices and fabrication processes become more sophisticated, an engineer may need to investigate several systems before understanding why yield, quality or equipment performance has changed. Every delay between detecting a problem and identifying its cause can affect production costs, delivery schedules and customer commitments.

AI can help shorten that interval, but only when it operates on reliable data with the correct manufacturing context. A generic model may recognize patterns without understanding how products, processes, tools and test results relate to one another. Semiconductor manufacturers also require explainability, repeatability, security, governance and human oversight before AI-generated recommendations can influence production. PDF Solutions argues that connected data, manufacturing-aware models and controlled workflows provide the foundation needed to move from experimental algorithms to trusted industrial applications. (PDF Solutions industry analysis)

CONNECT matters because it creates a forum in which these technical and organizational questions can be examined together. Product demonstrations can show what the technology does, while customer presentations reveal how it performs under real manufacturing conditions. Workshops allow engineers to test capabilities directly, and conversations with developers give users an opportunity to question design assumptions or influence future priorities. That exchange is especially valuable in semiconductors, where solutions must work across long equipment lifecycles, proprietary systems, different data formats and geographically dispersed partners.

The event also reflects a broader transition from isolated AI projects toward connected, governed systems capable of supporting complete engineering workflows. Predictive maintenance, anomaly detection and root-cause analysis are useful individually, but their value increases when insights flow into coordinated action. AI is therefore emerging not as a replacement for engineers or established process-control tools, but as a way to make expertise more accessible, accelerate investigations and orchestrate work across systems.

Bottom line: PDF Solutions CONNECT 2026 matters because better semiconductor analytics has consequences beyond the factory. Improvements in yield, quality, reliability and equipment productivity influence the cost and availability of chips used in vehicles, data centers, communications networks and consumer products. By bringing technology providers and practitioners together around the practical application of analytics and AI, CONNECT offers a view of how the industry can convert its enormous stores of manufacturing data into faster learning, stronger decisions and more resilient production.

Details: PDF Solutions CONNECT 2026

• October 15–16, 2026 – The Westin St. Francis on Union Square, San Francisco, CA
• You can view the full agenda and register here!

PDF Solutions® Announces PDF Solutions CONNECT 2026 Conference

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