tensions

Venture

US Continues to Invest in TSMC Amid China Tensions

Bosch Sic Wafer 2 Standard 1280x720 Img W1280

The United States Department of Commerce Monday proposed investing as much as $6.6 billion to fund a third Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) fab in Arizona. The move represents a broader push to bring more manufacturing to the U.S., but unspoken in the fanfare around today’s announcement is the potential escalation of tensions with China. TSMC Arizona — the subsidiary behind the proposed construction — has stated that it will build the facility before the end of the decade. The United States and allies would be at a massive disadvantage should China seize control of Taiwan and its manufacturing capabilities. For all the money the United States government continues to invest, Intel is simply playing catch-up to TSMC’s multiyear technological head start.

Kira Kim
April 8, 2024
1 Comment

Robotics & AI, Transportation

Kiwibot Acquires Taipei Chipmaker Amidst US-China Tensions

Bay Area/Colombia-based delivery robotics firm Kiwibot this week announced that it has acquired Auto Mobility Solutions. The Taipei firm produces chips specifically for the world of robotics and autonomous driving. Kiwi founder and CEO Felipe Chávez Cortés does, however, tell TechCrunch that rising tensions between the U.S. and China are a key motivator for the purchase. Prior to this, the U.S. government had set its sights on various Chinese tech giants, including Huawei and DJI. Taiwan’s tenuous geopolitical situation, coupled with its vastly outsized share of the semiconductor market, has placed it at the center of the conflict.