Semiconductor groups are rushing to ramp up their production capacity to meet the global demand for chips used in products ranging from cars to computers and smartphones.

BESI, which designs and manufactures semiconductor equipment, sees revenue growth of around 15 per cent in the January-March period compared with the final quarter of 2021.

The firm, whose customers include chipmakers like Infineon, STMicroelectronics and Micron posted revenue of 171.7 million euros in the fourth quarter. While this was down 17.6 per cent rom the quarter ended September it was in line with its guidance.

The group also reported orders of 202.6 million euros in the last three months of the year, beating its own estimate of around 180-190 million euros.

 Chief Executive Officer Richard Blickman said in a statement the company achieved strong full-year results despite global supply chain disruptions, ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions and flooding at one of its production facilities, which affected the fourth-quarter results.

The Amsterdam-listed company said it plans to increase its dividend by more than 95 per cent to 3.33 euros per share.