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The country of Taiwan has become Apples main partner in staying on top. Also TSM is Amat's largest customer by far and when including other Taiwanese companies it starts to become apparent that Taiwan Inc. has as a national policy determined to be the world leader in all phases and levels of chip fabrication. It looks like Taiwan has achieved the critical mass to maintain a lead that will be hard to overcome and will become a more serious threat to Intel.
Comments, thoughts and ideas on this one especially welcome and wanted
In the interest of full disclosure I have holdings in Amat and TSM
Absolutely agree. Taiwan business culture is very innovative, practical and deals are honored(IP). They work hard and are quick to adopt the best ideas. Korea its very complicated.
However, Taiwan is more than TSMC or hi-tech suppliers. A Taiwanese friend sent me the following video links, to show other aspects of the country, beyond hard-working engineers and technicians.
An extremely close friend of mine lived in Taiwan for three years and really enjoyed the people and the country. When you look at the progress they have made in the last fifty years, there is much we could learn from them. I sincerely hope Taiwan and the US can remain good friends and business partners.
Love Taiwan, great people and good place to do business. Just wish there more places to work out especially in Hsinchu and Tainan. Both cities could use a good yoga studio!
Of the 18 final assembly facilities Apple lists, 15 are operated by companies headquartered in Taiwan
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Apple also lists a series of other suppliers based in (or operating from) Taiwan, including Advanced Semiconductor Engineering; AKM Semiconductor (a subsidiary of a Japanese firm with headquarters in California); Career Technology; Catcher Technology; Compeq Manufacturing; Corning (based in Kentucky); Darfon Electronics; Flexium Interconnect; Jarllytec; Largan Precision; Micron Technology (based in Idaho); Nan Ya Plastics; Nippon Mektron (based in Japan); NXP Semiconductors (based in the Netherlands); Shin Zu Shing; Styron (based in Pennsylvania); Taiwan Powder Technologies; Tripod Technology; Unitech; Vishay Intertechnology (based in Pennsylvania); Xintec and—perhaps most famously—Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the fab producing Apple's latest A8 and A8X chips.
