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TSMC's Kevin Zhang: AI Demand Doubled in Six Months, Supply Chain Collaboration Must Evolve

Electronic Technology · Semiconductors · cnyes · 2026-09-02

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TSMC Senior VP Kevin Zhang warns that the rapid surge in AI demand requires a fundamental shift in supply chain collaboration and ecosystem integration.

What Happened

Surging Demand: TSMC Senior Vice President Kevin Zhang noted that AI demand is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with equipment requirements nearly doubling in just six months. The industry must urgently rethink how to manage such rapid scaling of capacity and resources.

Collaborative Shift: Zhang emphasized that traditional, sequential supply chain models are no longer sufficient for the AI era. A new, more integrated approach is required to ensure that every stage—from manufacturing and packaging to testing—is optimized for system-level performance.

Capacity Expansion: To keep up with customer demand, TSMC is aggressively expanding its global footprint with nearly 20 fabs under construction simultaneously. However, this expansion requires the entire ecosystem, including equipment, materials, and engineering services, to scale at a similar velocity.

Technical Challenges: While AI can be leveraged to improve production efficiency, companies must also address intellectual property protection and supply chain resilience amidst geopolitical tensions. Long-term success will depend on building new international ecosystems to maintain Taiwan's semiconductor leadership.

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