However TSMC is a direct creation of the Taiwanese government.
In 1985 Morris Chang was recruited by
the Taiwanese government to help develop
the emerging semiconductor industry. In
1986 Morris joined the Hsinchu based non
profit research institute ITRI as Chairman
and President and launched what would be
TSMC’s first semiconductor wafer
fabrication plant on the ITRI campus.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
Ltd. was officially formed in 1987 as a
joint venture between the Taiwan government
(21%), Dutch multinational electronics
giant Philips (28%), and other private investors.
