According to a Nikkei report, Wayne Yang, general manager of IV Technologies, a Taiwanese emerging chip materials manufacturer, stated that the biggest headache isn't finding new business—after all, demand is surging at an unprecedented rate—but rather finding enough engineers and technicians to keep up with the company's rapid expansion. "We are currently expanding a new factory in central Taiwan and actively recruiting to support this expansion," Yang said. "However, we've found that our customers, peers, and supply chain partners are also hiring aggressively." IV Technologies operates in a niche market, manufacturing high-quality chemical mechanical polishing pads for chip manufacturing and advanced chip packaging, but its recruitment challenges are not unique. The global AI infrastructure boom is stimulating demand across everything from memory chips and printed circuit boards to lasers and assembly services, and chip manufacturers and suppliers across Asia are launching the largest expansions ever to keep pace. These expansion plans require hundreds or even thousands of workers. Taiwan and the rest of Asia are at the heart of the AI hardware supply chain, and this talent war has global implications. Shortages of new engineers, construction workers, sales representatives, and other positions could slow the chip industry's booming expansion, which is essential to meeting AI demands. As a relatively small niche company, IV Technologies faces fierce competition for talent from larger rivals, including Qnity (formerly part of DuPont), Fujishoku of Japan, and even its clients TSMC and UMC. Even these and other global giants are struggling to recruit.
