TSMC is examining the construction of a chip factory in Germany

The world's largest contract manufacturer of chips, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), is examining the construction of a chip factory in Germany. The talks with the German government are at an early stage, writes the US finance agency Bloomberg. Decisive for a decision are the amount of government subsidies, customer demand and the availability of appropriate specialists in Germany, said the Vice President for Europe and Asia on the sidelines of a conference in Taipei. So far, financing and location have not yet been discussed. TSMC is a real heavyweight in the industry. When Apple needs ultra-fast microchips for its iPhones or VW needs semiconductors for its cars, they turn to the giant from Taiwan. If it were to fail, "it would have massive effects on all sorts of industries", says Jan-Peter Kleinhans from the think tank Foundation New Responsibility in the ntv podcast "Another thing learned". In times of massive delivery bottlenecks, the plans are a glimmer of hope that Europe will be able to ramp up its chip production significantly in the foreseeable future and thus make itself somewhat independent of supplies from Asia. For TSMC, the negotiations about a plant in Germany are also part of a new internationalization strategy. The group, whose production sites have so far been mainly in Taiwan, has been on an expansion course since last year. At the height of the supply shortage, TSMC began building a $ 12 billion facility in Arizona last year. A $ 7 billion facility in Japan is expected to follow shortly.