Taiwan Economic Daily reported that the industry rumors, TSMC because of the consideration of automotive semiconductor supply and demand is no longer seriously tight, coupled with most automotive chip customers can be transferred to Japan, the United States and other places new plant production, the new European plant therefore delayed the construction of the fastest 2025 will start, about two years later than originally expected.
TSMC revealed at a legal conference in January this year that it is in contact with customers and partners and will assess the possibility of establishing special process fabs in Europe focused on automotive technology based on customer demand and government support. For the rumor that the pace of the new European plant is delayed, TSMC said, maintaining the previous views of the law meeting, there is no updated response.
Industry sources pointed out that the previous automotive chips are hard to find, TSMC in addition to speed up the Taiwan plant capacity scheduling production, Japan, Europe and other places new plants are also locked in the field of automotive, but the situation has changed, the main foundries have more abundant capacity scheduling production of automotive chips, so that the chip shortage has been improved to a certain extent, and even reach a balance between supply and demand.
Market rumors previously, TSMC to move forward to set up factories in Europe, has sent teams twice to Germany and other places to visit once rumored that the fastest this year is expected to finalize the case. But the recent Infineon, Renesas, DEI and other automotive chip makers have been releasing news of large investments in expansion, if TSMC’s European plant schedule is delayed, to some extent, it also means that the company’s senior management to see the loosening of the market demand for automotive chips, no longer like the previous big shortage of goods, so put on the brakes.
Once TSMC’s European plant footsteps are delayed, industry analysis, its European automotive chip customers may be maintained in TSMC’s Taiwan plant, or even to Japan, the United States and other places new plant production, which will help TSMC live overseas plant capacity.
Industry analysis, if TSMC’s European layout footsteps slowed down, is not a bad thing, especially the market fluctuations, coupled with high inflationary pressure, to set up factories in Europe is estimated to cost far more than the United States and Japan, will also cause more tests on TSMC overseas stationed manpower.
