TSMC to increase 2011 R&D spend by 39%
TSMC has planned to raise its spending on R&D by nearly 39% to $1.63billion next year, according to ceo Morris Chang. In a statement made yesterday, Chang said the investment was necessary to advance technology and fend off competition from the likes of Intel and Samsung.
"Intel is the semiconductor industry's Mercedes Benz, while TSMC is a Toyota," he said, adding that although the companies are not currently rivals, over the next 20 years they will be. In recent years, Samsung and Intel have presented themselves as more of a threat as they move into the foundry business, but Chang is hopeful that the burgeoning market for netbooks and smartphones will go in the company's favour.
In his statement yesterday, Chang maintained that development in technology is still the company's primary focus, reiterating the firm's mission to become a major chip technology and capacity provider to the global chip industry in the years to come.
