Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., and MediaTek Inc. are the three biggest research and development spenders among the manufacturers listed on Taiwan’s main board and the over-the-counter (OTC) market in the second quarter of this year.
According to the economics ministry, statistics show that TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker, spent NT$13.6 billion (US$453 million) in R&D expenses during the April-June period. TSMC tops the R&D spending rankings in Taiwan. Its R&D spending hit a new quarterly high, up 14% from a year earlier.
Hon Hai, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, which assembles iPad and iPhone for Apple, came in second. The company spent NT$11.4 billion (US$380.2 million) in the second quarter, up 5.9% from a year earlier.
MediaTek, one of the world's leading smartphone chip designers, came in third, spending NT$10.4 billion (US$346.8 million) on R&D in the second quarter, up 59.6 % from a year earlier. This is the first time that MediaTek’s R&D spending has exceeded the NT$10 billion mark.