[사설] Global semiconductor war, governments and companies must cooperate to protect the semiconductor powerhouse

As the global demand for semiconductors is soaring, competition for supremacy in semiconductor production is also fierce. In a report submitted to Congress earlier this month, the Joe Biden administration of the United States suggested spending $35 billion on domestic semiconductor production. They also suggested that export controls for semiconductor equipment should be strengthened. It intends to check China’s technological prowess and bring semiconductor production concentrated in Korea and Taiwan to the United States. In this context, Intel, the world’s number one semiconductor company, decided to invest 20 billion dollars to build a non-memory semiconductor foundry (consignment production) factory in Arizona on the 23rd. Intel is keeping pace with the Biden administration’s policy direction, saying, “We will collaborate with other US companies such as Microsoft (MS) and IBM.”

The European Union (EU) also joined the semiconductor war. The EU recently announced a digital industry transition and set a goal to increase its global semiconductor production share in the EU to 20% by 2030. It is going to increase it to more than twice as much as it is now. The Japanese government also decided to join hands with companies to establish a state-of-the-art semiconductor development and mass production system by 2025. To this end, it is promoting close cooperation with the United States, which is advanced in semiconductor technology. China has set a goal of raising the semiconductor self-sufficiency rate to 70% by 2025, despite the intensive US checks. Large-scale investments from Taiwan’s TSMC, the No. 1 foundry company, are also threatening. Foundry products are in short supply due to demand for automobile semiconductors. Thanks to this, TSMC, which has increased its operating profit, plans to invest more than 30 trillion won in next-generation chip development and mass production within this year.

Intel and TSMC, which have entered the foundry market, are heavy opponents to Korean companies that are latecomers of non-memory semiconductors. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong suggested an ambitious vision that “by 2030, we will invest 133 trillion won to take the top spot in the non-memory market.” Above all, since the CEO is unable to participate in management, it can be difficult to acquire new customers and set the timing of investment. In order for Korea to maintain its status as a semiconductor powerhouse in the global war for semiconductor supremacy, the role of the government as well as companies is important. Like the U.S. and Taiwan, it should provide unprecedented incentives for the construction of semiconductor factories and spare no support for the development of next-generation chips.
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