The AI boom is pushing chipmakers to spend record amounts on factory gear, and Taiwan is now the world's second-biggest buyer — good news for Taiwan's tech industry.

• Worldwide sales of chipmaking equipment hit an all-time high in the second quarter, up 23% from a year earlier and rising for the ninth quarter straight.
• Demand for AI chips and memory is the driver, keeping chip companies spending heavily on new capacity.
• Taiwan bought more equipment than South Korea, taking the number two spot behind China, which has led the market for over three years.
• Growth is spread across Asia, North America and Europe, so this is not a one-region story.
• Japan was the one weak spot, with sales down from a year ago.

Outlook: As long as AI demand holds up, chip equipment spending looks set to keep climbing and Taiwan should stay near the top of the buyers' list.