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It has been an unbelievable year for the chief executive of TSMC. Four years after CC Wei took over as the sole chief, the Taiwanese chipmaker has broken record after record. The share price has also doubled during that time. But Wei will need some bold New Year resolutions as he heads into a tough 2023.
對於臺積電(TSMC)首席執行長來說，今年是令人難以置信的一年。在魏哲家(CC Wei)出任首席執行長四年後，這家臺灣晶片製造商打破了一個又一個紀錄。在此期間，股價也翻了一番。但面對艱難的2023年，魏哲家需要一些大膽的新年決心。
Sales have been strong this year. August’s $7.1bn total was yet another monthly record high. US export bans imposed on China have just bought TSMC more than a decade of time against Chinese peers that had been catching up fast and undercutting prices.
今年的銷售一直很強勁。8月份的總額爲71億美元，再創月度新高。美國對中國大陸實施的出口禁令，剛剛爲臺積電贏得了10多年的時間，而中國大陸同行一直在快速追趕，並壓低價格。
Yet chip demand and prices are highly sensitive to a downturn in the semiconductor cycle or the global economy. Wei cannot expect a repeat in 2023.
然而，晶片需求和價格對半導體週期或全球經濟的低迷高度敏感。魏不能指望2022年的成功在2023年重演。
Competition poses a bigger challenge than the semiconductor cycle or an economic downturn. Samsung and Intel are both going all in on 2nm technology. TSMC has just started mass production of its 3nm chips, while Samsung already started shipping in July. That could mean a delay for Apple, TSMC’s key client. There is little brand loyalty in the chip industry. Staying at the top of the list of customers comes down to one thing: who can ship the most advanced chips.
競爭帶來的挑戰比半導體週期或經濟衰退更大。三星和英特爾都將全力投入2nm技術。臺積電剛剛開始量產3nm晶片，而三星已經在7月份開始出貨。這可能意味著臺積電的主要客戶蘋果公司(Apple)相關產品要推遲。晶片行業幾乎沒有品牌忠誠度。能穩居客戶榜首的關鍵在於一件事：誰能提供最先進的晶片。
Another problem comes from inside. The current talent shortage at global chipmakers has never been more serious. Competitors, especially Chinese companies, have been poaching engineering talent from TSMC for years. Now, the talent war is local. Taiwan’s MediaTek and United Microelectronics are both planning to hire thousands of employees at home. US-based Micron, Intel and Nvidia as well as global chip gear makers ASML and Applied Materials are also hiring heavily in Taiwan. Wei will have to pay up to keep talent from leaving.
另一個問題來自內部。全球晶片製造商目前的人才短缺從未像現在這樣嚴重。多年來，臺積電的競爭對手，尤其是中國大陸企業，一直在挖走臺積電的工程人才。現在，人才爭奪戰是地方性的。臺灣聯發科(MediaTek)和聯華電子(United Microelectronics)都計劃在本土招聘數千名員工。總部位於美國的美光(Micron)、英特爾(Intel)和輝達(Nvidia)，以及全球晶片設備製造商阿斯麥(ASML)和應用材料(Applied Materials)也在臺灣大舉招聘。魏將不得不付出代價來留住人才。
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has chosen TSMC as one of its biggest ever Asian tech investments. The stake has given the stock a boost. But as a 20 per cent drop in BYD shares after Berkshire Hathaway cut its stake shows, that could prove to be a double-edged sword.
沃倫•巴菲特(Warren Buffett)旗下的波克夏哈薩威公司(Berkshire Hathaway)選擇臺積電作爲其有史以來最大的亞洲科技投資之一。他的持股提振了該公司的股價。但正如波克夏哈薩威減持比亞迪股份後比亞迪股價下跌20%所顯示的那樣，這可能是一把雙刃劍。