Taiwan’s chip journey from struggle to global power
· Citizen
The sad yet inspiring tale of Taiwan’s perseverance and resilience in becoming the world’s leading producer and exporter of semiconductors is vividly told in the documentary, A Chip Odyssey.
The film premiered at Ster-Kinekor Cinema at Mall of Africa on Sunday, coinciding with International Women’s Day.
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Addressing the film opening, Taiwan’s representative to South Africa Oliver Liao said: “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are vital to global security and prosperity.
Documentary explores Taiwan’s semiconductor success
“Today about 90% of the world’s most advanced chips are produced in Taiwan and roughly 50% of global commercial shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait. Any disruption would not be a regional issue but it would be a global one.”
Danica Chin, president of Global Federation of Chinese Business Women, South Africa Chapter, described the documentary as profoundly touching.
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She emphasised the pivotal contributions of Taiwanese women workers in dramatically enhancing the yield of the initial chip batches in 1980s, which even surprised American specialists at the time.
The film explores the origins of the semiconductor concept and the visionary leadership of Taiwan’s then minister of economic affairs, Sun Yun-suan, who defied resistance at home and abroad to turn the project into reality.
A Chip Odyssey recounts the role of the industrial technology research institute, the vision of Morris Chang and his founding of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which today dominates the global supply chain.
Semiconductors flashpoint in geopolitics
The film highlights how semiconductors became not only the backbone of modern technology, but also a flashpoint in geopolitics, with the US and China vying for influence over Taiwan’s strategic industry.
What makes A Chip Odyssey compelling is not only its chronicle of technological achievement, but also its deeply human dimension.
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Elderly engineers, frail yet proud, were moved to tears as they remembered colleagues lost and sacrifices made while celebrating the enduring legacy they helped create.
The film highlighted that half-a-century ago Taiwan was not known for advanced technology, had limited natural resources and faced significant diplomatic and security challenges, without those pioneering efforts of the group of engineers, policymakers and visionaries who made a bold and conventional decision – understanding that Taiwan’s future “could not be built only on what lay beneath our soil but on what we could cultivate in our minds”.
“They invested in education, scientific research and international cooperation, they placed their faith in integrated circuits at a time when the semiconductor industry was still young and uncertain,” Liao said.
Long-term strategy
“But this was also a long-term strategy grounded in discipline, patience and belief in human talent. That decision transformed Taiwan’s destiny.
“Taiwan’s journey has never been easy as it faced diplomatic isolation, natural disasters, constant external pressure. But time and again our people had chosen perseverance over despair, innovation over stagnation and cooperation over isolation.
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“Taiwan has always been important, not only because of geopolitics but also because of values and democracy, even before we achieved success in the semiconductor industry.”
Taiwanese chips “power the technologies we rely on everyday” – smartphones, medical equipment, vehicles, data centres and AI systems. They may be small in size but enormous in impact.
Hardships, sacrifices, struggles
Coming out of the cinema after watching the documentary, the young Chantelle Ndala, who wants to study in Taiwan, said: “This documentary really opened my eyes to all the hardships, sacrifices and struggles the country went through before becoming the powerhouse they are today.
“Although the country suffered a lot from the conflict between them and China, to see how they rose from that conflict and done what seemed impossible is amazing.”