asia.nikkei.com, Jul. 05, 2020 –
TAIPEI/SEOUL -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is the heavyweight champion of contract chipmaking. But the company, which controls half of the business worldwide, is now facing a serious challenge from Samsung Electronics, its archrival in South Korea.
Samsung is using its huge war chest to catch up on the next battleground: 5G, the next-generation mobile communication standard. But TSMC's lead may be insurmountable, given the stellar finance and business strategy of founder Morris Chang.
The southern Taiwanese city of Tainan is full of economic vitality. It is where in 2018, TSMC broke ground on a cutting-edge plant worth nearly $40 billion. The city has since become a magnet for people and money from around the world.