Thank you for following me, and I’m also glad I read this article as I am a Taiwanophile (is that a word?), and until now had only thought about TSMC in the geopolitical context with big brother PRC (or rather, the CCP) breathing down Taiwan’s neck. Having had only superficial knowledge of Taiwan’s importance in the global semiconductor business, I greatly appreciate the information and perspective you shared here. I was also ignorant of the term foundry.
>>> Foundry services are becoming an increasingly essential aspect of the semiconductor business because they enable enterprises to have access to cutting-edge manufacturing technologies without having to develop their own production facilities.
The last phrase “without having to develop their own production facilities” stuck out for me, as countries or regions that may not have the logistics and/or resources to do the manufacturing could still get into the game.
And that may be one reason the CCP has not yet invaded Taiwan. Of course, I’m not even a geopolitical expert, so don’t mind me for talking out of my bottom end. But I do look forward to learning more about this topic and reading your other articles. Xie xie!