It looks like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is going a step further when it comes to servicing its clients and partners. TSMC now wants to teach its suppliers and partners how to better manage their trade secrets to foster innovation.
Reuters reports that the company, the world’s largest chip foundry that makes chips for the likes of Nvidia and Apple, plans to market a system it has built to manage and leverage its treasure trove of trade secrets to companies in Europe and the United States, its associate general counsel told Reuters.
Fortune Hsieh, who also chairs the Taiwan Association for Trade Secrets Protection, said the trade secrets registry system which TSMC began building in 2013, has been adopted so far by 20 local firms, including ASE Technology Holding Co.
“If our suppliers also adopt this trade secret registration and management system… it can help them build a stronger innovation culture and more systematic management…and in turn, we benefit from that as well,” Hsieh said in an interview.
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The registry system stemmed from an idea that companies should not only look to protect their trade secrets but catalogue them in a way that they can encourage innovation, he said.
When asked whether building such a large database could make TSMC a more attractive target for hackers, Hsieh said: “At the very beginning of establishing the trade secret registration system, cybersecurity was already a fundamental and necessary consideration.”
TSMC is the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, TSMC produces chips for companies like Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm but does not design its own. TSMC leads the industry in advanced chip production, having pioneered 7nm, 5nm, and 3nm process nodes, and is now developing 2nm technology. It plays a vital role in powering devices across mobile, AI, automotive, and high-performance computing sectors. As of 2025, it produces over 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors.
Despite its dominance, TSMC faces challenges such as geopolitical tensions involving China and Taiwan, global supply chain risks, and increasing competition from Samsung and Intel. Nevertheless, its technological leadership and customer trust make it a critical pillar of the modern digital economy.
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TSMC continues to drive innovation in the semiconductor industry by investing heavily in R&D, advanced packaging technologies (such as CoWoS and InFO), and next-generation nodes like 2nm and beyond. To diversify risk and meet increasing global demand, TSMC is expanding internationally, with major projects in Arizona (N4/N3 nodes), Japan (JASM joint venture), and Germany (automotive chips).
The move to introduce a formal trade secrets management framework underscores the chipmaker’s effort to extend its influence beyond manufacturing, positioning itself as a leader in IP protection and innovation governance.
By offering its system to industry partners, TSMC seeks to improve intellectual asset management, bolster supply chain resilience, and foster closer collaboration. The initiative comes amid heightened concerns over cybersecurity and geopolitical risks, adding an extra layer of protection to the company’s global ecosystem.