Apple supplier Foxconn hires chip veteran formerly at TSMC and SMIC

Macronix International

22/11/2022 07:53

By Sarah Wu and Yimou Lee
       TAIPEI, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Major Apple Inc  AAPL.O 
supplier and iPhone assembler Foxconn  2317.TW  said on Tuesday
it had hired Chiang Shang-yi, a former top executive at
Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC  2330.TW  and Chinese chipmaker SMIC,
to lead its growing push in the chip business. 
    Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, is
best known for assembling iPhones and other Apple products,
though in recent years it has been expanding into chips to
diversify its business.
    It bought a chip plant from Taiwan chipmaker Macronix
International  2337.TW  last year and in September announced a
joint venture with India's Vedanta Ltd  VDAN.NS  to set up
semiconductor and display production plants there.
    Foxconn said in a statement that Chiang had been appointed
its semiconductor strategy officer, a newly created role.
    The company said his deep experience in the industry would
provide "invaluable support" and technical guidance for the
group's global semiconductor deployment strategy.
    "We are grateful to have such a seasoned semiconductor
veteran join us at this important juncture in the group's
development," Foxconn Chairman Liu Young-way added in the
statement.  
    Chiang previously worked as vice president of research and
development at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC),
the world's largest contract chipmaker. 
    He was more recently the vice chairman of Semiconductor
Manufacturing International Corp  0981.HK  (SMIC), the largest
and most advanced chipmaker in China.
    Chiang resigned from his position at SMIC last November,
roughly a year after joining the company for the second time.
    His move to China was controversial given Taiwan's concern
about losing chip talent to its giant neighbour, which has
struggled to recreate the island's success at making
semiconductors.
 (Reporting by Sarah Wu and Yimou Lee; Editing by Jamie Freed)
 ((S.Wu@thomsonreuters.com;))