On July 28th, Friday, at the Company Venture in New York City, the North America Taiwanese Engineering & Science Association (NATEA) NY team hosted a thought-provoking startup talk event, centered around the theme of "Becoming an Entrepreneur". The entrepreneurial journey is often a daring leap from the familiar world of corporate jobs to the uncertain territory of startups. Throughout the talk, industry experts generously shared their invaluable experiences, challenges, and expert advice for those aspiring to make this transformation. Covering a wide array of topics, from finding the right co-founder to understanding the industry and securing venture capital funding, the event provided a treasure trove of insights for budding entrepreneurs.
As more and more companies participating in the RE100 initiative will use 100% green energy by 2030–2050, green hydrogen is a key option in the long-term global energy transition. In view of the strong growth potential of the global hydrogen industry, Taiwan's semiconductor companies should have long-term plans for utilizing green hydrogen as a source of green energy, said Sabrina Yu, analyst and project manager at DIGITIMES Research.
Nuclear fusion technology is gaining momentum. Alpha Ring, a startup company that has pioneered electron-catalyzed fusion, originated in the US and is now flourishing in Taiwan, working to establish an ecosystem aimed at harnessing the ultimate energy solution. Their innovative micro-fusion reactor sets them apart from conventional fusion reactors.
In April 2023, the United Nations declared that India had officially surpassed China in total population, making it the world's most populous country. This milestone has captured global attention, directing a spotlight onto India's market potential.
Having just celebrated the inauguration of its Global R&D Center building in Hsinchu, TSMC has made clear that Taiwan will remain the core hub of its innovation and advanced-node production for at least the next 20 years. However, with the geopolitical power struggle and the trend of regionalization expected to take hold, TSMC and Taiwan must justify their value to the customers who are seeking to diversify production out of Taiwan.
There is a big blind spot for Taiwan and all other countries dishing out CHIPS Act subsidies only to advanced-node semiconductor manufacturing capacities: innovations on mature nodes, which are used to produce chips in everyday applications to enable our transportation infrastructure, building temperature controls, automotive controls, and more, continue to receive huge investment in China without limitations.
Semiconductor industry is extremely capital-intensive and technology-driven. Those players who hold dominant positions define the market. To illustrate this, I'll use the analogy of "World Baseball Classic."
In 2008, the subprime mortgage crisis and the global financial crisis not only reshaped the financial industry but also had profound effects on the semiconductor sector. Since then, Taiwan and South Korea, particularly TSMC and Samsung, have pursued a proactive strategy, investing heavily to strengthen their lead over competitors. China gained more confidence since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2009, China even surpassed Japan to become the world's second-largest economy by GDP. Boosted by the demand for supercomputers and its military industry, China also accelerated the development of its semiconductor industry.
As the world grapples with mounting environmental challenges and income disparity, startups are seeking to address niche markets and deliver innovative, sustainable solutions that generate real value for end users. Takachar is focused on harnessing the power of pyrolysis to transform agricultural and forestry residues into valuable resources. With a mission to relieve the pressing waste disposal needs of rural communities, Takachar offers a valuable solution to both local farmers and the global ecosystem, thereby advancing climate justice on behalf of rural, underserved communities. By converting waste biomass into biofuels, charcoal, and other valuable organic products, Takachar not only reduces environmental pollution but also unlocks economic opportunities and promotes sustainable practices.
US former President Donald Trump, in a Fox News interview, accused Taiwan of taking away American's semiconductor business. Despite this criticism, Taiwan ought to justify its standing by drawing upon historical precedents with dignity, virtue, and confidence.
TSMC, which is under pressure from major countries to set up factories overseas, has been criticized for receiving subsidies from the US and Germany by Intel and GlobalFoundries respectively. What is noteworthy is that TSMC's investments in Kumamoto, Japan and the related subsidies received from the Japanese government have been smooth and without controversy so far, and their cooperation is pleasant.
Nvidia has given its long-term partners, including Quanta Computer, Wistron, and Supermicro, priority to receive its AI GPUs which are in great demand, according to industry sources. TSMC, the manufacturer of Nvidia's chips, has already devoted as much capacity as possible to making its AI GPUs, which nevertheless will remain in short supply this year.
Several semiconductor companies in Taiwan are among the world's top-ranking companies in various ESG ratings, but they are not immune to a potential carbon lock-in effect due to the fact that the efficiency gains on carbon reduction of the state power generation system as a whole are not sufficient enough to curb the environmental footprint at the national scale.
AMD chair and CEO Lisa Su came to Taiwan this week for business meetings, as well as to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the National Yangming Chiaotung University in Hsinchu. NYCU is the first university in Taiwan to teach the engineering of semiconductors and is the alma mater of many important tech entrepreneurs and executives in Taiwan, including Acer's Stan Shih, UMC founder Robert Tsao, Asus founder Johnny Shih, Wistron chairman Simon Lin, TSMC CEO C. C. Wei, and Phison founder K. S. Pua, etc.
The emergence of ChatGPT in late 2022 and early 2023 has promoted a new wave of AI trends. The semiconductor sector has received some of the most attention amidst this trend. This is because not only can AI bring massive business opportunities but the entire semiconductor industry, especially chip design, can also achieve further breakthroughs with the assistance of AI.
