TSMC boss frets about shortages of talent, water in Taiwan

TAIPEI — The head of Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, said on Friday (June 12) that what his company lacks most is talent, while also worrying about water shortages.

Taiwan produces most of the advanced chips powering the AI revolution, but the industry has long complained about what executives call the "five shortages" — water, power, labour, land and talent.

Speaking at a rain-drenched ceremony for a new science park in southern Taiwan's Pingtung, TSMC CEO CC Wei said he was happy about the weather.

"Just last month, I was still wondering: What should we do about water? Should we start using water trucks?" he said in comments carried live on Taiwan television networks.

Wei said Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who was present at the event, had told him of government plans to connect the island's reservoirs together.

"In that case, in the future I will no longer need to say that land, water or electricity may be in short supply," Wei said.

Reservoirs in much drier southern Taiwan generally drop over the winter, though heavy rain in the past week has helped replenish them. In 2021, Taiwan imposed widespread water controls after the worst drought in its history.

"We may face shortages, but what we still lack most is talent," Wei added, calling on efforts to train more workers and keep people in largely rural Pingtung.

Lai, speaking after Wei, said the government was close to completing its plans to link reservoirs.

"Our problem is how to retain water, how to distribute water, and how to use water efficiently," Lai added.

He also outlined how the government is trying to attract and retain foreign talent in particular to help the tech industry, including by easing work permit applications.

While TSMC, a major supplier to Nvidia, is investing US$165 billion (S$212.1 billion) to build factories in the US state of Arizona, the company has repeatedly said most of its production, along with research and development, will remain in Taiwan.

Wei said semiconductors have become "inseparable" from everything, and demand will continue to grow.

"Regarding semiconductors, Taiwan will definitely be the most important place," he said.

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