Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company mentioned Thursday it was planning to make investments $100 billion (roughly Rs. 7,33,620 crores) over the following three years to meet hovering demand as a worldwide scarcity of chips hits the auto and different industries.
The announcement got here after US chip titan Intel unveiled plans final week to spend $20 billion (roughly Rs. 1,46,750 crore) constructing two new crops in Arizona as a part of a plan to enhance manufacturing at house and in Europe.
Intel’s transfer comes as nations and corporations in these areas look to cut back reliance on crops in Asia for semiconductors, that are utilized in a rising array of merchandise reminiscent of vehicles.
Taiwanese high-tech chip foundries are a number of the world’s largest and most superior, and European and US automobile producers have been reaching out to Taipei for assist plugging the shortages.
TSMC, the world’s largest contract microchip maker, mentioned its new funding plans will improve capability to sustain with demand. It didn’t specify the place the brand new foundries could be constructed.
“We are entering a period of higher growth as the multiyear megatrends of 5G and High Performance Computing are expected to fuel strong demand for our semiconductor technologies in the next several years,” it mentioned in an announcement.
“In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic additionally accelerates digitalisation in each side.”
The firm has mentioned the auto trade was a high precedence however warned its factories had been already working at full capability.
Semiconductor shortages, brought on by provide chain priorities altering due to the coronavirus pandemic, have compelled some main auto producers to droop manufacturing traces.
Shortages additionally seem to be spreading to a variety of digital gadgets, together with smartphones, video games consoles, tablets, and laptops.
Most of TMSC’s factories are situated in Taiwan the place they concentrate on making a number of the world’s smallest and quickest chips.
Last 12 months, the corporate mentioned it deliberate to spend $12 billion (roughly Rs. 88,050 crore) on a state-of-the-art semiconductor foundry in Arizona, its second manufacturing web site within the United States.
Taiwan has mentioned it would attempt to ramp up manufacturing of chips however a worsening drought may hamper its plans and the federal government warned it was making ready “for the worst”.
Manufacturing semiconductors is a water-intensive trade.
The dry spell got here as no typhoons made landfall in Taiwan final 12 months for the primary time in 56 years, leaving some reservoirs at their lowest ranges in years.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
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