Fast progress on the new USA factory

Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC said it was making “rapid progress” in building a new factory in the US state of Arizona after delays due to a worker shortage and conflicts with local unions.

Arizona, USA – After delays due to worker shortages and a dispute with local unions, Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC says it is making “rapid progress” in building a new factory in the US state of Arizona. “We will implement the project successfully,” TSMC Chairman Mark Liu said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Semicon semiconductor trade show in Taipei. Planning for the factory in Dresden is also progressing.

“Don’t worry too much — in the new location and in the existing buildings, things won’t go as smoothly as in Taiwan,” Liu said. He thanked the authorities in Arizona for their support “in all problems, including personnel issues.”

The plant’s start-up has been postponed to 2025, according to TSMC due to a shortage of skilled workers. At the end of July, the company announced that it would send employees from Taiwan to the United States to train workers locally.

The plan was met with protest from local unions, who suspected it was a pretext for the exodus of Taiwanese workers. Liu said TSMC has since increased its communications with unions and local authorities.

The Arizona factory is one of the largest foreign investments in the United States. Against the backdrop of tense relations with China, which considers Taiwan a Chinese territory, the United States wants to boost chip manufacturing in its country.

TSMC also wants to invest 3.5 billion euros in a new factory in Dresden. “We are currently applying for funding in Germany and the European Union,” Liu said. “Things are going very well right now.” The German factory will be the chip company’s first location in Europe.

The company, headquartered in northern Taiwan, is the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer. The chips are found in smartphones and cars, among other things, and play an important role in the development of artificial intelligence. jhm/international labor organization