Data Science & Society (DSS) Colloquium Talk with Honghong Tinn, University of Minnesota on Wednesday April 1 at 3PM in Rocky 310.

Title: Taiwan Semiconductor and the New Geopolitics of the 21st Century

Abstract: Taiwan rose to global prominence in high tech manufacturing since the 1990s. From computer maker to the world’s leading chip manufacturer, Taiwan boasts the likes of Acer, Foxconn, Asus, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). In this talk, I will present a history of the fabrication of semiconductor chips in Taiwan. First, I will review Morris C. M. Chang’s founding of TSMC, and the multiple origins of the “dedicated foundry model” in the 1980s. The model was independently created by Morris Chang, and Robert H. C. Tsao at United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC). I argue that the model originated from Chang’s and Tsao’s similar understandings of Taiwan’s successful computer manufacturing industry. Second, I will discuss how various parties in the United States and Taiwan deemed TSMC’s high-end chips valuable resources in 2022 to cultivate international support to assist Taiwan in deterring a potential Chinese incursion. This talk draws on chapter 10 of my book Island Tinkerers: Innovation and Transformation in the Making of Taiwan’s Computing Industry (MIT Press, 2025).

Poster Link:
http://pages.vassar.edu/dss/files/2026/03/20260401_TinnHonghong.pdf