All posts tagged: microchip

How the UK’s microchip industry is bouncing back after a quarter of a century

How the UK’s microchip industry is bouncing back after a quarter of a century

Published by skeptic

Silicon microchips underpin our modern lives. They are at the heart of our smartphones and laptops. They also play critical roles in electric vehicles and renewable energy technology. Today, more than three-quarters of microchips, also known as semiconductors, are produced in Asia. But in the 1990s, chip production was more widely distributed across the globe – and the UK punched above its weight. Scotland’s central belt – the area of highest population density, including Glasgow, Edinburgh and the towns surrounding them – became known as “Silicon Glen”, employing 50,000 people in the electronics industry at its peak. The region exported everything from PCs to Playstation chips. Multinational companies like NEC, Motorola and Texas Instruments operated major facilities there. In the 2000s, the dotcom crash triggered industry-wide consolidation and a shift to lower-cost manufacturing facilities in east Asia. The UK’s domestic capability was almost wiped out. But the UK semiconductor industry is quietly bouncing back. A new wave of companies is focusing on microchips designed for clean energy technology. These chips power electric vehicles and are …

Want to bring microchip fabs back to the US? Exempt them from environmental review

Want to bring microchip fabs back to the US? Exempt them from environmental review

Published by skeptic

America has been at the forefront of every major technological revolution since the 19th century. It is a major reason why we became the world’s superpower. But with China rising fast, America must act fast to preserve its technological edge. Much will depend on whether we can become, once again, a world leader in manufacturing the microchips used in everything from cellphones to cars. Advanced microchips are still designed in the U.S., but most are made in Taiwan, which China has promised to annex by force. A war over Taiwan would disrupt vital supply chains for all sorts of electronics.  What chases high-tech manufacturing abroad is not the lack of government subsidies, but excessive regulation and taxation. The CHIPS Act of 2022, in which Congress appropriated $52 billion to bring microchip factories (aka “fabs”) back to America, is a case in point. The subsidies are meant to accelerate construction of fabs, but they trigger environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, which turns the process into a years-long odyssey through the federal …

The global microchip supply chain – POLITICO

The global microchip supply chain – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

contentonly Voiced by artificial intelligence. BRUSSELS/TAIPEI — Forget Brussels, London and Washington. For the microchips industry, all eyes are on who grabs the power in Taipei this weekend.  Taiwan is gearing up for its Saturday election — and executives from chips companies are closely monitoring how millions of voters cast their ballots for both the legislature and the presidency. Over the past decade, Taiwan has become an indispensable part of the global supply chain for microchips, which are used in everything from electric cars to smartphones. In particular, Taiwan dominates manufacturing of the most advanced chips, accounting for more than 90 percent of the global production capacity. This comes with a disclaimer, however: China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually return to Beijing’s fold. In his New Year’s address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that reunification with the island was “inevitable.” Saturday’s elections are unlikely to trigger an immediate shift in the global supply of chips. But a victory for pro-independence forces is expected to increase tensions around the island, similar to what …

US plans 2 million award to Microchip Technology to boost production

US plans $162 million award to Microchip Technology to boost production

Published by skeptic

WASHINGTON : The U.S. Commerce Department said on Thursday it plans to award Microchip Technology $162 million in government grants to step up U.S. production of semiconductors and microcontroller units (MCUs) key to the consumer and defense industries. The funds will allow Microchip to triple production of mature-node semiconductor chips and microcontroller units at two U.S. factories, officials said. The components are crucial for cars, washing machines, cell phones, internet routers, airplanes, and the defense-industrial base. The award “is a meaningful step in our efforts to bolster the supply chain for legacy semiconductors that are in everything,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement. The announcement comes as the United States wants to shift production of such chips from foreign sources like China. The award, not yet finalised, is the second in a $52.7 billion program, “Chips for America”, that Congress approved in August 2022 to subsidise semiconductor manufacturing and research. The first award, of $35 million to a BAE Systems facility to produce chips for fighter planes, was announced in December. The planned …

The microchip industry would implode if China invaded Taiwan, and it would affect everyone

The microchip industry would implode if China invaded Taiwan, and it would affect everyone

Published by skeptic

A conflict between the US and China over computer chips – or semiconductors – has been escalating in recent months. In particular, the US has taken steps to limit China’s access to advanced chip technology amid heightened international competition in the area. The US recently tightened export controls to undercut China’s access to high-end chip manufacturing equipment and has banned top talent from working for Chinese semiconductor firms. Beijing retaliated by banning US chip maker Micron from operating in China. Taiwan plays a critical role in this struggle. It has a huge share of the global semiconductor industry, but is also the focus of tensions between Beijing and Washington over its political status. For all practical purposes, Taiwan has been independent since 1949, but Beijing believes it should be reunited with the rest of China – possibly by force. In April 2023, China conducted extensive military drills near Taiwan, simulating an encirclement of the island. So, what might happen to the chip industry were China to invade? A US act passed in 1979 requires Washington …