TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A semiconductor pioneer warned on Tuesday (Dec. 16) that nations pursuing independent chip supply chains risk worsening a global talent crisis. Burn-Jeng Lin (林本堅), dean of the College of Semiconductor Research at National Tsing Hua University (清華大學) and former TSMC executive, said such fragmented efforts could severely hinder the industry's development and innovation capacity on a global scale.
Lin, a former vice president of research and development at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC, 台積電), the world's largest contract chipmaker, voiced his concerns during a donation event. TSC (崇越科技) made the donation to the university's semiconductor research college. Lin highlighted the geopolitical factors driving nations to pursue independent supply chains, warning these efforts may lead to fragmented development and potential failure.
The global semiconductor industry already faces a significant talent shortage, Lin stressed during the event. He estimated that the talent gap could expand to 15 times its current size if three or four countries attempt to build self-sufficient supply chains. Such a scenario would pose major challenges to the industry's growth and innovation, potentially stalling technological advancement across the sector for years to come.
Lin emphasized that Taiwan's success in semiconductors relies on collaboration, not on building a singular supply chain. He stated that TSMC's strength lies in its scale and confidence to invest in advanced processes and expansion. Lin's pioneering work in immersion lithography, a technology crucial for extending Moore's Law beyond the 45-nanometer era, has earned him international acclaim in the chip industry.