Test as the Enabler of the AI Factory
As we head into 2026, it’s impossible to ignore that AI is shaping the future of the semiconductor industry. Shannon Poulin, President of Teradyne’s Semiconductor Test Group, shares his insights on the evolution in how devices are designed, assembled, and validated. Automated test equipment (ATE) plays a critical role and expanding to more points in the manufacturing flow, handling devices that pack together more die, fast I/O, networking interfaces, and multiple stacks of high-bandwidth memory. Increases in power mean test capabilities must innovate to manage heat and successfully mimic real-world operating conditions. Silicon photonics and co-packaged optics push test challenges even further.
To gain more insight about the year ahead in semiconductor test trends and challenges, read Shannon Poulin’s full executive perspective in Semiconductor Digest’s 2026 Outlook: Executive Viewpoints.
Shannon Poulin is President of the Semiconductor Test Division at Teradyne. The SemiTest Division drives over $2B in global test revenue across hardware, software, and services. Shannon has worked for over 30 years in the semiconductor industry. Prior to joining Teradyne, he spent three years as COO and GM of the Altera FPGA business, where he led the company to record revenues and profits before setting it up to be spun-out and sold. Prior to Altera, Shannon was with Intel Corporation for 22 years in various executive roles including leading the Data Center product group as well as worldwide end user and channel sales. Earlier in his career, Shannon spent time as a digital and mixed signal system designer at Microchip Technology and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. Shannon has a degree in Electrical Engineering, a MBA, and he holds multiple technology related patents.