Technology Advances in Taiwan

Taiwan is an island off the coast of China that has gone through tremendous changes over the last century specifically in this report technology-based. This vast change in technology can be seen all over the world as Taiwan has assisted in many aspects of this high-technology world we live in today. Taiwan's embarkment on this technology journey is something that only a few places have done and it is remarkable how they have systemized their strategy of going about this.

The Industrial Revolution made its way through Taiwan toward the end of the 19th century and machinery exponentially grew. After World War II Taiwan, like most of the world went through a large industrial boom, the Taiwanese government realized how important research and development was to increase technology in all fields. The government soon funded large amounts of money for these research operations to be able to expand development and technology in things such as electronics, telecommunications, and biotechnology. Taiwan then made it a point to educate the next generation on entrepreneurship and the key aspects of running an enterprise with the ins and outs of business. This created a large population of people who had the resources and education necessary to thrive in technology and business. This can be seen as a strategy for future generations which is related to some things we have talked about in class before. For example, when talking about the climbers of Mount Everest who work as guides for the mountain their skills are passed down from generation to generation which keeps the cycle for success.

As time moved on Taiwan's industrial plan changed when the world became digital. Taiwan wanted to stay ahead by making new advancements in digitizing everyday things such as health care, transportation, and many other things. This culture change was a large step for most of the world but for Taiwan especially. They have made access and convenience a large part of their technology. They made this change with the fast and strong advancements of computers. Thinking back to class when talking about Korea and the Korean wave that spread through the world is a very similar thing that Taiwan did with its technology. The roots of Taiwan's semiconductor history can be traced back to the 1970s when the government recognized the importance of the semiconductor and microchip industry. Specifically, TSMC gained the lead over all the other companies by having such a skilled market, a key workforce, and a robust supply chain.

Morris Chang, the CEO of TSMC has created a company that can dominate the microchip industry where he has made his business to tend for anyone's needs. With this being the case Taiwan and TSMC have been significantly put on the map for exports of technology goods because microchips go into anything and everything. This evolution of TSMC has been so large that the Taiwan company can now expand and there is one under construction in Phoenix Arizona. Since TSMC has decided to make this factory in Arizona they have moved hundreds of Taiwanese people over to assist and guide the new building project where they have the exact way that Morris Chang wants his brand new forty billion dollar factory to look. The displacement of hundreds of lives is something we have talked about in class before with the Three Gorges Dam. In this instance, these people have to move across the country where they are away from their families and away from the land they are familiar with. Also thinking about the geographical differences between Taiwan and Phoenix Arizona, that's quite a difference in climate and land which people from Taiwan may need some adjusting to. This can be attributed to the location portion of things when thinking of the five themes of geography.

Although Taiwan has ultimately dominated the semiconductor and microchip industry many risks are associated with the success of the trade. First of all, Taiwan has an unstable relationship with China and there are many threats of China taking over Taiwan. Secondly, the amount of manufacturing that occurs on the island poses a large risk of natural disasters. Recently there was an earthquake that hit Taiwan and some are saying that large manufacturers such as TSMC are making the island unstable with the amount of machinery they own. This has a large effect on the human environment interaction portion of geography which we have covered in class. This is another large reason that TSMC is expanding and building factories in the states because in Arizona there is a much less risk for these natural disasters to occur. In addition to the geographical complications, there can also be a demographic change where other popular companies may have better benefits for their employees which may drive away the great minds that run TSMC today.

Taiwan's technology boom after World War II will be a statement in history for quite some time, it all happened through resilience, innovation, and strategic processes. As they have moved forward they have grown to be a technologic dependent country which could have negative effects in the future. With natural disasters becoming more frequent and more powerful this will affect the future of factories. For now, Taiwan will continue to dominate the technology game and stay the powerhouse of the industry.

Peter Dizikes  |  MIT News. (n.d.). Morris Chang ’52, SM ’53 describes the secrets of semiconductor success. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://news.mit.edu/2023/morris-chang-describes-secrets-semiconductor-success-1025 

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Manufacturing of Taiwan. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Taiwan/Manufacturing 

Zhou, V., Viola Zhou is a Rest of World reporter based in New York City., Rest of World, Adeleke, D. I., & Bhattacharya, D. D. and A. (2024, April 23). Inside TSMC’s struggle to build a chip factory in the U.S. suburbs. Rest of World. https://restofworld.org/2024/tsmc-arizona-expansion/