➀ TSMC CEO Dr. C.C. Wei confirmed no plans to acquire Intel's US semiconductor facilities despite rumors.

➁ Wei emphasized that Intel is a good customer and sends significant business to TSMC.

➂ The Trump administration's stance on foreign ownership of US chip factories and potential support for a foreign company operating Intel's facilities remain unclear.

➀ The first KickStart team at Hochschule Koblenz has achieved a significant milestone by successfully filing a patent for an innovative payment solution called BEZLAD.

➁ Developed by Daniel Funk, Micha Bär, Marcel Klee, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Udo Gnasa and patent attorney Hans-Peter Müller, BEZLAD enables easy management and billing of private charging processes for electric vehicles.

➂ The university supported the project in various ways, including covering the costs of the patent application and providing access to expertise from the startup office and the StartUpLab.

The IDA Institute strengthens its further development in the research and development sector.

The research institute, as a successful part of the regional innovation system, achieves this through various cooperations.

The IDA ends its fiscal year 2024 with record third-party funding, patents, and invention notifications. The institute has raised more than 5.7 million euros in third-party funding since 2019 and currently employs thirteen staff. The IDA cooperates closely with universities, universities, and industry. These collaborations enable mutual exchange of ideas between IDA, business, and society. The Institute achieves a regional reputation with its expertise and provides effective research and development support for large companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Research partners benefit from well-equipped laboratories, participation in in-house training, and the opportunity to obtain a guest researcher status, as well as the granting and supervision of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral theses. There is also the possibility of completing a doctorate in collaboration with universities. Doctoral students can remain in the IDA or in the regional industry. "This has the advantage that the region is supplied with scientifically trained personnel and this personnel does not have to migrate to urban areas," says Professor Jürgen Ulm, director of the IDA Institute.

➀ The reliability of AI-based image recognition is ensured through a smart validation environment, even under adverse conditions such as strong vibrations.

➁ Components and sub-systems can be efficiently characterized under various mechanical boundary conditions, for example, to easily generate AI training data.

➂ The transfer of developed technologies into the economy is demonstrated through various development steps along the Technology Readiness Levels (TRL).

➀ The expansion of TSMC's fabs in Arizona raises concerns in Taiwan about the potential loss of its 'Silicon Shield';

➁ TSMC has assured Taiwan that it will maintain the most advanced technology in Taiwan and that the foreign fabs are not the most advanced;

➂ The Taiwan government's approval is required for TSMC's foreign investments above $45.5 million.

➀ The increasing share of electric vehicles (EVs) necessitates a growing need for skilled professionals in the field.

➁ Vocational school teachers from across Bavaria are being trained at the Hochschule Coburg to keep up with the latest technology in EVs.

➂ The training focuses on various aspects such as motor types, cooling systems, and energy management, with hands-on experience and guest lectures from industry experts.

➀ The Fraunhofer Society's Saxony microelectronics institutes are expanding their technological capabilities in the field of chiplet innovation and significantly contributing to the APECS Pilot Line under the European Chips Act. Saxony is investing 38 million euros in support.

➁ The total funding amounts to 730 million euros, provided by Chips Joint Undertaking, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and other national funding. APECS is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Society and implemented by the Research Factory Microelectronics Germany (FMD).

➂ The APECS Pilot Line is a key component of the EU Chips Act to promote chiplet innovations and increase research and manufacturing capacities for semiconductors in Europe.

➀ Wang Hong Wu Min-Qiu states that the US will undoubtedly demand TSMC to replicate and produce 5nm and even 2nm processes in the US, which is the true meaning of protectionist policy, and TSMC may not have the capital to say no.

➁ Wu Min-Qiu points out that although Taiwan has strict regulations on semiconductor technology exports, including restrictions from N-2 to N-1, under the dual considerations of the US' full-fledged development of AI and the tense situation across the Taiwan Strait, the best protection for the US is to require TSMC to replicate and produce its most advanced processes in the US.

➂ Regarding TSMC's technological advantages, Wu Min-Qiu analyzes that the key to TSMC's ability to achieve much higher yields than US manufacturers at the same process node lies in its powerful mathematical team, which uses AI big data analysis to produce and manufacture processes, quickly shortening the learning curve.

➀ TSMC announced the launch of its 12-inch wafer factory in India, a joint venture with Tata Group.

➁ The factory, located in Gujarat, is set to receive $11 billion in investments and aims to create over 20,000 high-tech jobs.

➂ TSMC will provide technology transfer and training, while Tata Group and the Indian government will fund the investment.