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How Taiwan’s Chip Dominance Risks Its Future
In the world of global technology, Taiwan plays a crucial role — producing over 90% of the world’s most advanced computer chips. This tiny island nation has become indispensable to industries ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles, cementing its role as the backbone of modern innovation. However, behind the facade of semiconductor dominance lies a looming crisis: Taiwan is rapidly running out of electricity. This energy crunch threatens not only Taiwan’s economic prosperity but also the stability of global technology supply chains.
TSMC and Hsinchu Science Park
At the core of Taiwan’s semiconductor supremacy is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). With its cutting-edge chip production, TSMC supplies giants like Apple, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm, making it an indispensable player in the tech ecosystem. The Hsinchu Science Park, a 3,500-acre hub southwest of Taipei, amplifies this prowess. Home to over 1,100 companies, it employs more than 321,000 people and generates a staggering $127 billion annually. This concentration of talent and innovation has turned Taiwan into the world’s largest producer of advanced computer chips, commanding a 68% share of global chip production.
But this technological triumph comes with an enormous energy appetite. Taiwan relies on imported fossil fuels…
