Cartel office approves participation in chip factory
The German Federal Cartel Office has approved the participation of the three companies Bosch, Infineon and NXP in the planned chip factory of the Taiwanese group TSMC in Dresden. The shareholdings of ten percent each are "fully compliant with merger control regulations", the authority stated. The Cartel Office did not examine the state aid for the plant.
"The geopolitical upheavals of the recent past have shown how important secure access to semiconductors is, especially for German industry," explained Andreas Mundt, Head of the Cartel Office. "Both the European Union and Germany are therefore very committed to bringing more semiconductor production back to Europe and Germany."
TSMC is by far the largest company in the world that, as a pure contract manufacturer, transfers predetermined chip designs onto wafers made of semiconductor material. It is one of the technological leaders in this field, as the Cartel Office explained. Although Infineon and the Dutch company NXP produce semiconductor chips themselves, they also rely on contract manufacturers such as TSMC.
The Cartel Office examined whether the participation of the three companies could close off access to semiconductor chips for other customers and whether other contract manufacturers could no longer find customers due to the participation. However, the authority stated that there were no concerns on either point.
TSMC announced in August that it would build the factory in Dresden. According to media reports, the federal government is providing five billion euros in funding for the relocation. Construction of the factory is set to begin in the second half of 2024, with production scheduled to start by the end of 2027.
Bosch, Infineon, and NXP, being significant players in the semiconductor industry, aim to strengthen their positions by participating in TSMC's chip factory in Dresden. Despite Antitrust law scrutiny, the German Federal Cartel Office has approved their ten percent shareholdings, recognizing their compliance with merger control regulations.
The semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Dresden, spearheaded by TSMC, have attracted significant attention due to their potential to bolster Europe's semiconductor industry, with Bosch and Infineon, both based in Dresden, set to benefit from this development.
Source: www.ntv.de
