The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (SCMC) is to build its first European research, development and design centre near Munich, the Taipei Times reports.
The company said the facility would improve the way chips used in AI applications are made.
Europe has been left behind in the drive to develop large language models – a deficit the EU and the UK are presently trying to make up.
TSMC’s Europe president Paul de Bot said the centre was intended to “support European customers in designing high-density, high-performance, and energy-efficient chips with a focus on applications again in automotive, industrial, AI, and the internet of things”.
The company’s investment in Europe ramped up last year when it joined two German companies, Robert Bosch and Infineon Technologies, as well as Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors, to found the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
This entity was formed to build a €10bn fabrication plant in Dresden (see further reading). Work on that project began in August and is expected to be complete in 2027.
The chips made in Dresden will be between 28 and 16 nanometres for use in cars and household appliances. These are referred to in the industry as “legacy chips”, in contrast to the cutting edge, which is concerned with 7 nanometres or less.
At present, TSMC conducts most of its R&D in its home city of Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei. It is also planning to build one in the US to provide services for customers such as Apple, Nvidia Corp and AMD.
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