Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is set to visit Taiwan in mid-May to meet with local suppliers.

His trip coincides with the opening of Computex Taipei 2025 on May 20, 2025, according to sources in the supply chain.

It will be Tan’s first visit to Taiwan since becoming CEO in March 2025, aimed at strengthening ties with local partners amid operational hurdles.

Before Computex, Tan will host a banquet marking Intel’s 40 years in Taiwan, inviting suppliers to discuss the semiconductor industry, though he won’t speak at the event.

During his visit, Tan is also anticipated to meet with Intel’s suppliers, though his full itinerary has yet to be finalized.

🔗 Source: Focus Taiwan

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Intel’s historic manufacturing decline drives new leadership strategy

Lip-Bu Tan’s visit to Taiwan represents Intel’s acknowledgment of a profound shift in semiconductor manufacturing dynamics that began years ago.

Intel has lost its manufacturing edge to TSMC, a decline that started becoming evident as early as 2018 when AMD began outsourcing production of its 7nm chips to TSMC while Intel struggled with 10nm technology1.

This manufacturing gap has had severe financial consequences, culminating in an $18.8 billion net loss for Intel in 20242, creating the urgency behind Tan’s supplier outreach in Taiwan.

Intel’s integrated design-and-manufacturing model, once its competitive advantage, has become a liability in an industry increasingly dominated by specialized manufacturing experts like TSMC who now lead in advanced process technologies3.

The selection of Tan, “a longtime technology investor” with deep ecosystem ties, signals Intel’s recognition that rebuilding its competitive position requires stronger partnerships with the Taiwanese supply chain that has powered TSMC’s rise.

2️⃣ Taiwan’s semiconductor ecosystem now holds leverage over Intel

The symbolism of Intel’s CEO traveling to Taiwan to strengthen supplier relationships reflects a dramatic power shift in the semiconductor landscape over the past decade.

TSMC’s market capitalization surpassed Intel’s for the first time in 20181, and by 2025, the top semiconductor companies collectively saw their market value increase by 93% to $6.5 trillion4, fundamentally altering negotiating dynamics.

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