Alphabiz - TSMC Denies Joint Venture Talks with Intel, Focuses on Core Business

Photo = Yonhap news

 

 

[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor foundry, has denied reports of a potential joint venture with U.S. chipmaker Intel. During a Q1 earnings call last Thursday, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu stated that the company is not engaged in any discussions with other firms regarding joint ventures, technology licensing, or technology sharing.



His comments refuted earlier reports by media outlets such as The Information, which claimed TSMC and Intel had reached a preliminary agreement to create a joint venture for Intel’s foundry unit, with TSMC reportedly considering a 20% stake and sharing some manufacturing technologies.



Bloomberg also previously reported that under pressure from the Trump administration, TSMC had explored acquiring a controlling stake in Intel’s foundry operations.



However, Taiwanese media have highlighted strong opposition among TSMC’s largely foreign shareholder base (over 70%) to any partnership with Intel, citing concerns over Intel’s weakening financial performance.



While TSMC recently announced a $100 billion investment plan during an event with former President Trump, bringing its total U.S. investment to $165 billion, it's unclear whether this has influenced any collaboration discussions with Intel.

 

 

 

Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)