Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) founder Morris Chang declared that the globalization of the chip industry is over, and Taiwan is indispensable in the global chip industry for its unique work ethic.
Speaking of the future of the chip sector, many countries strive to reshore manufacturers back to their territory to ensure supply chain resilience for the sake of national security.
A Foreseeable Higher Cost
The 91-year-old chip founder said he agreed with the U.S. industrial policy to slow down China’s progress in the semiconductor industry with the sanction and entity list, although he also said, “in manufacturing technology, China is at least, at least, five or six years behind Taiwan.”He introduced the key reason for the popularity of chips and semiconductors is mainly due to the continuous reduction in costs. However, with the ongoing manufacturing base moving to the United States, they will rise.
He anticipated costs will increase at least 50 percent and even double. As a result, it will slow down or even end the popularization of the chip, and the industry will enter a completely different competition.
Chang criticized Washington’s “friendshoring” high technology manufacturing for excluding Taiwan as one of the friendshoring destinations as not making much sense.
Work Ethic Matters
In the forum, Chang explained chip manufacturing has been concentrated in a few countries because each is competitive in what they do. He said, “for example, the United States has excellent design capability because they are close to the market’s needs.”On the other hand, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea have a competitive advantage in manufacturing. Chang said he believed that it’s the people and the work cultures that create their unique advantages in chip manufacturing.
He gave an example, when the machine breaks down in the United States at 1:00 a.m., it won’t get fixed until the next morning. “In Taiwan, however, it will be fixed at 2 a.m.,” Chang said.
