The USA is determined to rebuild its semiconductor supply chain. Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC is playing a key role for the realisation of these plans. The foundry has recently completed the construction of a US$12 bn plant in Arizona and might build a second fab (Bloomberg). No matter how large in size, TSMC’s investments alone will not be enough to forge a semiconductor supply chain as solid as in Taiwan.
Why not? To answer this question, let us have a look at the Taiwanese semiconductor industry.