MILPITAS, CA – Global sales of printed circuit board and multichip module (PCB/MCM) design tools rose 5.5% in the first quarter from the same time last year, reaching $399.8 million, according to the latest Electronic Design Market Data (EDMD) report from the ESD Alliance.

The four-quarters moving average for PCB and MCM, which compares the most recent four quarters to the previous four quarters, rose 8.9%.

The broader electronic system design (ESD) industry saw revenue climb 12.8% year-over-year to $5.1 billion, fueled by double-digit gains in Semiconductor IP and Services.

All regions reported growth. The Americas led with $2.2 billion in sales (up 14%), followed by Asia Pacific at $1.9 billion (up 11.6%). EMEA and Japan each posted growth above 11%.

Among design categories, Semiconductor IP revenue surged 29.6%, and Services jumped 22.3%. CAE tools rose 7.8%, while IC Physical Design and Verification declined 9.9%.

The ESD workforce expanded to 64,403 employees, a 4.5% increase from the same period last year.

Listen to ESDA spokesperson Wally Rhines discuss the latest results on the PCB Chat podcast with Mike Buetow.