Government Labs Build Chip Champions

Updated: 2026.03.13 4H ago 1 sources
Public applied‑R&D institutes can manufacture national semiconductor leadership by combining foreign technology licensing, hands‑on training, demonstration factories, and directed spinouts. Taiwan’s ITRI used a $10M RCA license, a one‑year engineer training program and a 1977 demo fab to seed firms that became TSMC and other major players. — Shows a replicable model of industrial policy that matters for supply‑chain resilience, economic strategy, and geopolitical competition over chip capacity.

Sources

The Institute Behind Taiwan’s Chip Dominance
2026.03.13 100% relevant
ITRI founding (1973), RCA licensing deal backed by Minister Sun Yun‑suan, one‑year RCA training for Taiwanese engineers, demo factory (1977) with superior yields, and later TSMC formation.
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