STMicroelectronics (ST) was founded in 1987 as a new enterprise formed by the merger of SGS Semiconductor from Italy and Thomson Semiconductor from France. Since its establishment, ST's growth rate has exceeded the overall growth rate of the semiconductor industry. Since 1999, ST has consistently been one of the top ten semiconductor companies in the world.

STMicroelectronics' sales revenue is evenly distributed among the seventh fastest-growing market in the semiconductor industry (with the five major markets accounting for the percentage of sales revenue in 2007): communications (35%), consumer (17%), computers (16%), automotive (16%), and industrial (16%). According to the latest industrial statistics, STMicroelectronics is the fifth largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world and leads the world in many markets. For example, STMicroelectronics is the world's largest manufacturer of analog chips and power conversion chips for college use, the world's largest supplier of industrial semiconductors and set-top box chips, and ranks among the world's top in discrete devices, mobile phone camera modules, and automotive integrated circuits.