The semiconductor industry is at the center of a heated debate in the United States, with the government trying to bring back the chip production on American soil and reduce dependence on Taiwan, considered a geopolitically unstable area. In this context, the recent meeting between Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger takes on special significance.
Intel is one of the main beneficiaries of the funds allocated by the CHIPS Acta law aimed at incentivizing the production of semiconductors in the United States: for this reason the company is reportedly pressuring the government to obtain an acceleration in the disbursement of financing. Apparently, in fact, it would like to see the funds arrive before reaching certain performance goalscurrently considered a prerequisite for delivery.
Gelsinger’s frustration, according to CNBC sources, is also linked to the close ties that many American companies, such as Apple, have with TSMC, the Taiwanese chip manufacturing giant. This privileged relationship allows Apple to have early access to TSMC’s most advanced technologies, putting it in an advantageous position compared to competitors.
Raimondo, for his part, would have asked the main American companies, including AMD, Apple and NVIDIA, to start considering the use of American foundries for the production of their chips, gradually reducing their dependence on Taiwan. The delicate geopolitical situation of the island represents an element of risk for the companies themselves, despite the OK of the “anti-China plan”.
The appeal seems to have been answered only by NVIDIA, the only one that over the years has relied not only on TSMC, but also on Samsung, for the production of chips. The company’s head Jensen Huang said he was convinced that he could easily move production if the American partner was technologically ready.
For Intel, meanwhile, attracting new customers is becoming crucial, and its future seems to depend on node 18A. Also because the company is not doing well and has recently announced cuts of 10 billion. The company’s foundry division is also currently recording significant losses, but if it manages to overtake TSMC with a more efficient and performing node, things could change quickly. However, to convince customers, Intel will have to demonstrate concrete results, and at the moment it seems that the first tests have not fully met expectations. We will have to see how the situation evolves.
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