Taiwan chip industry sails overseas amid supply chain shift

TAIPEI -- TSMC and Foxconn are not the only Taiwanese tech companies feeling compelled to expand abroad. Suppliers of chip and electronics tools, materials and plant builders are also venturing beyond the island as top clients undertake their biggest overseas expansion in decades.

Lai Ming-Kuen, general manager of facility builder Acter, said his company's Southeast Asian business surged 50% last year, outperforming its core markets of Taiwan and China. "This growth is expected to continue in 2024," Lai told Nikkei Asia.