Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is planning more plants in Europe with a focus on the market for artificial intelligence chips, according to a senior Taiwanese official, as the chip maker expands its global footprint.
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“They have started construction of the first fab in Dresden, they are already planning the next few fabs in the future for different market sectors as well,” Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen told Bloomberg TV in an interview aired on Monday.
Wu did not specify a timeline for the Taiwanese chipmaker’s further expansion in Europe. TSMC said in an emailed statement it remains focused on its current global expansion projects and has no new investment plans at this time.
TSMC, which is the world’s biggest chip maker and produces most of its semiconductors in Taiwan, is spending tens of billions of dollars to set up new sites in the US, Japan and Germany, partly to hedge against rising geopolitical tensions with China.
It broke ground in August on a €10 billion (US$10.9 billion) chip fabrication plant in Germany’s Dresden for what will be its first factory in the European Union. About half of the funding for that project will be covered by state subsidies, with production slated to start by the end of 2027.
Wu said the AI market, including chips for US-based Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, will be the most important segment, while other semiconductor companies with alternative designs may also offer opportunities for TSMC.
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“Maybe they can work on the European market as well, so TSMC is looking for that for planning their next few fabs,” he said, adding that the company will need to evaluate whether to expand in Dresden or build in other parts of the EU.