Mahesh Deshpande’s Post

Notes from the 2024 Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association (TSIA) Convention Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem, covering a wide spectrum of the global value chain, plays an essential role in the global push for AI. Yesterday, industry leaders from wafer fabrication to core IP, from integrated circuit (IC) design to cloud technology shared their forward looking perspectives on investments that Taiwan can make to build on its enduring competitive advantages: 1. R&D to push well beyond Moore's Law 2. Talent development to sustain manufacturing, packaging, and design leadership 3. Public-private engagements and like-minded partnerships to effectively compete and coordinate in the global marketplace As part of the agenda, a new crop of STEM post-graduates were brought on-stage with TSMC's Dr. Cliff Hou, in recognition of their contributions to essential research that will help Taiwan maintain leadership in chip technology. The promise of AI penetrates all aspects of our daily lives. In my own work at Realtek Semiconductor Corp., I successfully pioneered and enabled our firm's access into the global automotive supply chain, enabling #Audi, #BMW, #Mercedes, and #Tesla -- among other top carmakers -- with essential technologies fundamental to connected, automated, shared, and electrified driving. Post-#BoothMBA, I now pursue that vision from line of business, working with global customers and our own research and development to develop new chips that will help enrich passenger experience. The future of autonomous and multimedia-rich mobility will depend on accelerated connectivity, intuitive human-machine interfacing, and AI-integration. The 2024 TSIA Convention showed that the domestic ecosystem is powered by deeply rooted competence and growing talent that will continue to contribute to this exciting development in fundamental and powerful ways for years to come. Below: #Microsoft Kai Hua 花凱龍, #Quanta Mike Yang, #Arm CK Tseng, #Mediatek Da-Shan Shiu, #TSMC Lipen Yuan

#Asia to remain center of #chip industry despite West's push: ASML CEO Europe and U.S. must address 'costs and flexibility' to have global impact The buildup of chip production in Western countries is unlikely to shift the industry's balance of power away from Asia, according to Christophe Fouquet, president and CEO of #ASML, the #Dutch maker of highly prized #semiconductor making machinery. Fouquet spoke to Nikkei Asia in an exclusive interview at ASML's headquarters a few weeks after traveling to #Dresden, #Germany, for the groundbreaking ceremony for TSMC Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s first European plant, seen as crucial to the bloc's effort to restore its chip production prowess. ASML, the world's most valuable semiconductor equipment maker, is renowned for its advanced #lithography #technology, which is crucial for transferring and printing circuit designs onto silicon #wafers being made into #semiconductors. "If #Europe and the #USA want to be successful, the economic model of semiconductor [manufacturing] has to improve," said Fouquet, a native of #France who ascended to his current role in April after two years as ASML's chief business officer. "You cannot produce things at a higher cost for a very long time. It just doesn't work." "#Incentives should be temporary," he said, with a view toward using them to "create time and space to basically solve the more structural challenges fully." Europe's key advantages in chips lie in its access to good engineering talent and renewable energy, he added. Thanks again to Cheng Ting-Fang and Nikkei Asia for the full article with more background and insights via the link below 🙏💡👇 https://lnkd.in/es3P-W-e #semiconductormanufacturing #semiconductorindustry #chip #chips #ic #icdesign #taiwan #subisidies #geopolitics #ai #aiot #adas #it #server #pc #notebook #datacenter #cloud #computing #computer #china #foundry #tsmc #samsung #intel #smic #nvidia #amd

 ASML's latest insights reaffirm that Asia will continue to dominate the semiconductor industry despite the West’s push. For chip traders in Huaqiangbei, this means staying deeply connected with Asian suppliers and keeping an eye on innovations from China and Taiwan. While Europe and the U.S. may ramp up efforts, cost and efficiency hurdles remain significant. This reinforces the importance of understanding Asia’s growing influence and aligning with its advancements to stay ahead in the global market.

The US chip industry is facing a major challenge: reviving its semiconductor plants. While subsidies can help, they won't solve the issue of finding qualified staff to operate and improve them. The skills needed to run these plants can only be developed through training and experience in a production environment with a well-integrated software ecosystem. This process takes years, starting with developing a younger generation interested in STEM, followed by relevant education before rebating back to the industry. Let's focus on investing in the future of our industry by cultivating the next generation of skilled workers. #Futurechipindustry #semiconductorindustry #semiconductorplants #STEMeducation

🌟 Micron Singapore: Powering the Future of Technology 🌟 At Micron Technology, our Singapore team is at the heart of innovation, producing cutting-edge NAND memory that fuels the AI revolution. With almost all of Micron’s NAND memory made in Singapore, we contributed $2.1 billion to the company’s revenue last quarter, representing 30% of total revenue. 🚀 Our Impact: AI and Data Storage: Our NAND memory is essential for storing the vast amounts of data generated by AI, playing a crucial role in data centers and intelligent edge products like smart home systems. Global Leadership: Micron Singapore is a center of excellence, combining technological development, product engineering, and manufacturing. Economic Contribution: Our presence gives Singapore a 10% share in the high-end global memory market, supporting the country’s tech and AI push. 🔍 Why Singapore? Strategic Location: Since 1998, Micron has expanded its footprint in Singapore, now including four wafer fabs and more advanced automated test facilities. About 9,000 employees work in Micron’s Singapore sites. Talent Ecosystem: We collaborate with top universities and polytechnics, nurturing the next generation of STEM talent. Join us in shaping the future of technology and making a global impact. Together, we are driving advancements in memory solutions that power the world. 📢 Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gjQf7qD5 #Micron #Innovation #AI #DataStorage #Singapore #TechLeadership

Impressive! Vietnam has identified an industry and gradually built an ecosystem around it. Over the last 2 decades, they have increased the semiconductor workforce more than 25x and is now targeting 50k semicon engineers by 2030. In addition, it has also started focusing on chip design since ‘Design is the stage that creates the most value in the chip supply chain. It contributes 50-60% of the entire value with fabrication accounting for 30-40%, and packaging and testing for 10%. ‘Since entering Vietnam, Renesas has collaborated with several universities to develop courses in chip design and recruitment programs for graduating students. With over 1,000 engineers, Vietnam now boasts its largest chip design center outside Japan.’ — We really need massive upskilling in the Philippines. 🇵🇭 https://lnkd.in/gRpVCF74

Vietnam should focus on semiconductor chip design to tap into the potential of its skilled labor force and cheap labor costs. Developing a strong workforce and investing in research and development is crucial for the country to compete in the global semiconductor supply chain. Additionally, the Vietnamese government needs to support microchip research and development by defining orientations and applications for various types of chips. The focus should be on mid-end technologies, such as 14-65 nm chips, to cater to local demands and capabilities. Young people and startups in the semiconductor industry should prioritize seeking clients and developing specific advantages to grow and succeed in the market. #Semiconductors #Vietnam https://lnkd.in/dpux6GhE

It has been six months since I joined #Micron. I am grateful that colleagues here have been welcoming and open to teaching and sharing their insights, especially to someone without a STEM background. I can safely say I have never been bored with work, just because there is just so much to learn. I learnt that Micron is a big reason why #Singapore 🇸🇬 has a 10% share in the high-end global memory market, and that the #semiconductor industry alone accounts for 40% of added value in Singapore's manufacturing sector, which in turn makes up about 20% of our GDP. Working here has given me precious insights into a sector perhaps many people take for granted. The semiconductor industry is one of the world’s most crucial sectors, just because the device you’re reading this post on probably has quite a few of them. It is in every single device that you do your work on, entertains you, gets you place from place, or just makes living at home that much more comfortable. More importantly, control over where these chips are made or who they are sold to have led to either synergies, friendly competition or strategic rivalry. Many have asked me how they can begin to learn more about semiconductors. Here are a few humble suggestions: - Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology, by Tufts University professor Chris Miller, is perhaps the book that for many people first brought to their attention this vital yet low-profile sector (until COVID-19 anyways). - Two podcasts in particular have helped: the Acquired podcast has great episodes on leading chip companies like TSMC, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel and Arm (when will they do one on Micron?), and Asianometry on YouTube, podcast and Substack on https://lnkd.in/gBmMSBsu has been nothing but useful. - The Taipei Representative Office in Singapore releases bimonthly reports on the global semiconductor industry that are easy to read: https://lnkd.in/gHfkyEkF. If you have other resources that our networks can benefit from, please don’t gatekeep them! For me, this learning journey is only starting, and I cannot wait to find out more. Do read the article below to find out more about Micron in Singapore.

“Through the new research center, Intel Corporation aims to deepen relationships with these materials and equipment suppliers.” Without spilling beans ... they told us so a couple of weeks ago at the NAJAS/NAAJS Conference in panels on Workforce Optimization in High- and Emerging Tech Manufacturing. At our August 22-23 Meeting on the edge of Oregon's semiconductor cluster, we heard from Intel Corporation Policy Director/Principal Engineer Jun Takei alongside top managers of the indispensable equipment and materials leaders Tokyo Electron ( Liam Dohn ) and JSR Micro ( Joseph Ritter ) about a globally unique partnership within a framework of stiff competition. The panel was insightfully led by Daniel Dias whose Hillsboro agency was responsible for setting the infrastructure that seeded a "Silicon Forrest." Entities like hometown favorite Japan-America Society of Oregon have been supportive, as TEL's Dohn noted, by providing a hospitable community for Japanese expats, cross-cultural and language training, as well as championing the strategic and global US-Japan partnership. TEL has been helping NAJAS societies better relate this under-appreciated story, including at its base in the Silicon Hills of Austin, Texas where Tokyo Electron US led a presentation with Keidanren and the Japan-America Society of Greater Austin in February of this year. The remarkable international commercial and industrial policy evolution since the mid-80's was skillfully set out in parallel views from METI sector expert Genta Ando of JETRO San Franciso and Deputy Director Japan Chair at the Hudson Institute Dr. William Chou under conductorship of USJF's Jacob Schlesinger Speaking of Hudson-related news of U.S.-Japan synergy flows out of the Albany, NY cluster around IBM, a model for the shapers of another "bleeding edge: technology" entrant with Japan-US roots, Rapidus Corporation. This GoJ-backed enterprise is embarked on an audacious project to roll-out 2nm node chips by 2027 near Sapporo. In a "compliment-in-return" to Japan's human capital investment in Hillsboro, OR, Japanese planners are studying how the Albany complex nurtures talent. In collaboration with government and industry, and multiple universities, students use the most advanced manufacturing equipment and gain experience as interns at tenant companies, while receiving guidance from researchers. This remarkable tie-up and quest was the subject of a keynote arranged by Dr. Joshua Walker at the Japan Society's June 13 Gala. For the U.S. and Japan in the foundational chip sector and other high tech and competitiveness pursuits, what goes-round, comes round. https://lnkd.in/dUFv9vR8

This week in Semiconductor- Mar 16 1. #Revenue Surge in Top #Foundries: The top 10 foundries experienced a remarkable 7.9% revenue #increase, reaching a staggering $111.54 billion in 2023, as reported by TrendForce. 2. #SiliconBox’s Expansion in Italy: Silicon Box’s ambitious plan to establish a panel-level foundry in northern Italy, backed by a substantial investment from the Italian government amounting to €3.2 billion ($3.6B), marks a significant milestone in European semiconductor manufacturing. 3. #imec’s Venture in Spain: imec’s collaboration with the Andalusian regional government to set up a specialized 300mm chip technology pilot line in Malaga, Spain, underscores the growing importance of regional partnerships in advancing semiconductor innovation. 4. #Cadence and #Arm’s Automotive Chiplet Architecture: The introduction of a scalable automotive #chiplet architecture by Cadence and Arm aims to accelerate innovation in software-defined vehicles, offering enhanced interface interoperability and flexibility. 5. EU’s Regulatory Initiatives: The #EU Parliament’s approval of the Artificial Intelligence Act, along with the Cyber Resilience Act, demonstrates a commitment to regulating #AI applications to protect citizens’ rights and bolstering cybersecurity measures for digital products. 6. #India’s Semiconductor Industry Boost: The Indian government’s collaboration with leading firms, including #Siemens, #Synopsys, #Cadence, and #Tessolve, highlights concerted efforts to strengthen the country’s semiconductor ecosystem through investment in technology development and talent acquisition. 7. #Samsung’s Expansion Plans: Samsung’s investment in #HBM chip production equipment signifies a strategic move to enhance its competitive position in the semiconductor market, particularly in advanced chip technologies. 8. #Toppan Holdings’ Plant in Singapore: Toppan Holdings’ forthcoming semiconductor package substrate plant in Singapore reflects the region’s attractiveness for semiconductor manufacturing, with operations set to commence by the end of 2026. 9. #Semiconductor #Education Funding in #Oregon: The Oregon Legislature’s allocation of $10 million for semiconductor education at universities underscores the importance of nurturing skilled talent to support the semiconductor industry’s growth and innovation. Special thanks to Adam Kovac, Karen Heyman, and Elizabeth Allan for their invaluable contributions and insights in the development of this article. Reference: https://lnkd.in/givJSC2t