As a part of its long-anticipated European expansion, TSMC is set to inaugurate its new manufacturing facility in Germany on August 20, with Chairman C.C. Wei hosting the ceremony.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced plans to hold the inauguration ceremony for its European Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (ESMC) fab in Dresden, Germany, on August 20. According to reports, the Chairman of the Taiwanese chip giant, C.C. Wei, will host the event.
TSMC’s expansion in Europe involves substantial investment, with Infineon, Bosch, and NXP each contributing €500 million for a 10% stake in the $10.8 billion venture.
The new facility, named ESMC, is set to commence operations by late 2027. According to TSMC, the project is progressing as scheduled, with construction expected to begin by the end of 2024.
ESMC will be located next to Bosch’s existing fab, and Infineon is also constructing a mature process fab in Dresden. It will be designed to handle production processes of 28nm, 22nm, 16nm, and 12nm and is expected to achieve a capacity of 40,000 wafers per month.
Earlier in May, Paul de Bot, President of TSMC Europe, announced at a seminar in the Netherlands that TSMC would commence construction of its first European chip plant in the fourth quarter of this year. The joint venture project, unveiled in August 2023, had a planned $11 billion investment with TSMC and its other three stakeholders.
According to a report by Reuters, Kevin Zhang, TSMC’s Senior Vice President of Business Development, noted that the project had garnered strong backing from the European Union and the German government, enhancing TSMC’s prospects of securing subsidies under the European Chips Act.
Zhang also highlighted the burgeoning semiconductor ecosystem in Europe, and establishing a foundry in Germany would enable TSMC to better serve its major automotive clients directly.
This inauguration event next month marks a significant milestone for TSMC and its investment partners in the European semiconductor industry, enhancing its global market position.
