TSMC-Intel tie-up: forget about it

There aren’t many scenarios in which TSMC would consider running or acquiring Intel’s fabs, but a US president who flouts every economic and diplomatic convention has just delivered one, if we’re to believe multiple media reports. At the behest of the Trump administration, the Taiwanese foundry is said to be contemplating taking a controlling stake in Intel’s foundry operations alongside a consortium of other investors. Separately, Broadcom is looking into acquiring Intel’s design arm.

TSMC previously turned down requests from the Biden administration to work with Intel. The firm is said to be more receptive this time, to avert the tariffs floated by the Trump administration. Still, fully absorbing Intel into the TSMC organization seems a nearly unsurmountable obstacle in terms of corporate culture, differing process technologies and antitrust regulations, among other things.