TSMC's demand for chip manufacturing equipment nearly doubles in 2026 amid AI expansion.

ME News reports that on September 2 (UTC+8), co-CEO Hou Yongqing of TSMC (TSM.N) stated that, as the company expands capacity to meet artificial intelligence demand, its need for chip manufacturing equipment has nearly doubled compared to the end of last year. Hou noted that TSMC has raised its quarterly equipment procurement forecast to approximately 1.9 times the level predicted in December last year, underscoring the latest signs of surging demand from AI developers and large-scale global data center expansions driving up chip demand. TSMC is also currently facing a shortage of experienced construction workers as it seeks to build and equip around 20 factories across Taiwan and overseas—an expansion scale unprecedented in the company’s history. In the past, TSMC typically advanced the construction of four to five new facilities simultaneously. “We are now trying to catch up at nearly four to five times the previous pace, yet still cannot meet demand,” said Hou Yongqing. (Jinshi) (Source: ODAILY)