How TSMC influential to its national economy

The demand of semiconductor has made TSMC the most precious chip-maker in the world. It is now under construction for the world's most advanced 3-nanometer chip production plant. The company says it is willing to pay lucrative premiums to the workers of construction during Lunar new year holiday. TSMC is also building research and data center in northern city.  

Construction workers across Taiwan are attracted to TSMC's sites as it pays much higher wages than elsewhere. It is strong pillar of Taiwan's economy and the center of the tech ecosystem. TSMC boosts capital expenditure by $25 billion to $28 billion, bringing workers from abroad to home amid U.S. China trade tensions. 

Taiwan's private and public sector investment is robust and economic growth beat Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, even outpacing China for first time in 30 years. (1/3 of Taiwanese stock market) Taiwan's semiconductor industry, the world's second-largest by revenue after the U.S. TSMC revenue accounts 15% of gross domestic product. 

TSMC is a chip supplier for tech giants like Apple, Google, Nvidia and so on. It makes chips for iPhone, Google's data centers, Nintendo and Sony game consoles, automakers such as Ford, Honda, Daimler and fighter jets. It supplied chips for Huawei's high-end smartphones and telecom equipment before the U.S. changed its export control rules to cut off the Chinese tech champion's supplies.

Semiconductors are no longer just components but strategic resources all major economies must secure. "Chips are really at the center of the global supply chain. But it also means it will receive all kinds of political and economic pressure from major economies."

팬더믹 확산에 따라 전 세계적으로 반도체 수요가 급증하고 있다. 각 나라의 봉쇄조치로 인하여 자택에 머무는 시간이 많아짐에 따라 데이터센터와 콘솔 게임기, 그리고 넷플릭스 등 인터넷 서비스 이용량이 많아져 반도체의 인기는 식지가 않았다. 반도체를 설계하는 기업들은 경쟁이 심화가 되는 반면, 비메모리 반도체를 생산하는 업체는 매우 한정적이라 TSMC가 현재 생산에 차질이 있는 모양이다. 이번에 증설되는 3나노 공장라인은 TSMC가 전세계 수요에 맞게 공급을 맞추기 위함으로 본다. 이에 따라 대만의 경제가 최근 몇년 사이에 아시아에서 가장 성장이 빨랐다고 닛케이에서 보도하였다. 

Nikkei Asia

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/Taiwan-s-economy-feels-heat-as-TSMC-feeds-global-chip-boom