Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has hired more than 900 U.S. workers as of Q1 for its first semiconductor factory in Arizona, CEO C.C. Wei said on an earnings call last month.
Despite some issues obtaining necessary permits, Wei said the company’s fourth chip plant, which broke ground in 2021, is on track to start producing its N4 process technology in late 2024.
The chipmaker is already poised to expand in the state. TSMC announced plans for a second plant in December as the U.S. incentivizes domestic production through the CHIPS and Science Act, which VP and CFO Wendell Huang said the company is applying for funding from.
TSMC’s moves in the U.S. are only one part of its global expansion plan to support its broad customer base. The company is expanding a factory in China, building a specialty technology chip factory in Japan and constructing a new factory in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
As TSMC works to grow its operations, recruiting and developing talent is top of mind. Its two Arizona facilities alone are expected to create 4,500 jobs.
“In both the U.S. and Japan, we [are] recruiting from top local colleges and universities and our progress is well on track,” Wei said. “We also plan to hire more than 6,000 employees in Taiwan in 2023. All of our hirings are to support future growth potential.”
Schools like Arizona State University are adjusting their course offerings to accommodate the incoming industry. The university launched a school for manufacturing last fall.
TSMC also brings many new employees to its facilities in Taiwan to further their technical skills and be immersed in the company’s operations and culture, the CEO said.
“As we expand our global footprint, our priority work continues to be [to] identify, attract and hire talent whose core values and principles are aligned with TSMC, so that we can establish TSMC culture in all our employees, no matter where we operate,” Wei said.
