Chip factories: the most concentrated map in the world economy
Advanced semiconductors are made in a handful of buildings. Here's where — and what that concentration means.
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The most advanced logic chips — the kind in phones, AI servers and missiles — are manufactured in a small number of fabs, concentrated in Taiwan, South Korea and a few sites in the US, Japan and Europe.
This map shows leading-edge fab locations against seismic risk, water stress and geopolitical exposure. Taiwan alone produces the majority of the world's most advanced chips, in facilities that consume enormous amounts of ultrapure water.
Export controls have turned fab geography into statecraft. New fabs are being built in Arizona, Saxony and Kumamoto — but each takes years and tens of billions of dollars to reach yield.
Why it matters
A single earthquake, blockade or export-rule change in one strait can halt industries on the other side of the planet.
What to watch next
Ramp timelines for new US and EU fabs, and the next round of export-control expansion.