Huawei, once a considerable threat to Samsung and Apple in Western regions, lost all of its market share in that region of the world after U.S. sanctions. But, despite these restrictions for national security, the company still continues to grow exponentially. And it turns out that it’s really interested in getting its hands on engineers from TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company).
The biggest reason for this is almost assuredly to work with talent that is familiar with modern chipset design. After the U.S. sanctions Huawei was forced to work with outdated technology: limiting its chipsets to only 7 nm of thickness. Compared to the 3 nm chips being used by other phone manufacturers this was unacceptable.
So Huawei put its head down and got to work: coming up with a locally-produced 5G chip and even threatening to manufacture 5 nm chipsets despite the outdated processes it’s working with. But to break past that barrier the company needs people who have been on the outside and know how modern chips are made.
TSMC chipsets power a ton of modern phones. | Image credit — PhoneArena
Recruiting agencies working on behalf of Huawei are apparently reaching out to TSMC engineers on an average of every three months. The engineers receive emails about how they are the perfect fit for roles Huawei is looking to fill and how their experience perfectly aligns with the company’s needs.
These offers often boast very attractive salary packages: sometimes up to three times what they are currently being paid. But there are two main reasons TSMC engineers are not taking up Huawei on its offer.
TSMC counter offers to keep its employees around
Employees are scared of hurting future job prospects
Understandably, engineers at TSMC are worried about not being able to find jobs in the future if they work with a company that is deemed a threat to U.S. national security. If Huawei ever decides it doesn’t need these people anymore they will be left jobless as U.S.-aligned companies like TSMC will likely refuse to consider them.
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These complications have led to Huawei having to resort to other means to acquire modern chips. Though it would never admit it outright, Huawei got its hands on TSMC chips through other clients of the manufacturer, leaving U.S. lawmakers pulling their hair out in frustration.
One thing’s for certain: no matter how much the U.S. tries it doesn’t look like Huawei is going anywhere anytime soon.
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Abdullah is an ardent believer in the future of VR, and can't wait to see what more it brings to the table as technology improves. He enjoys covering new software releases in the XR industry, as well as major news about hardware and companies focused on VR.
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