Why Trump’s tech dreams are quietly crumbling
Tariffs, immigration restrictions and skilled labour shortages make it hard for the US to boost production.
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Since returning to power, US President Donald Trump has pledged to bring chip production “back” to America.
PHOTO: DOUG MILLS/NYTIMES
Gillian Tett
Last week, Philip Wong, formerly chief scientist of the mighty Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, now a Stanford professor, looked at where his former PhD students now work.
He found that a mere 17% have jobs at companies that actually make microchips (like Intel, Micron, Samsung, SK Hynix or TSMC); the rest are at entities designing or using them (such as Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Google and Pinterest) or elsewhere (like McKinsey).