April 28, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan revealed during a recent earnings call that he had met with TSMC Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei to explore potential areas for collaboration aimed at achieving a "win-win" strategy. His remarks hint at the possibility of closer cooperation between Intel and TSMC in wafer foundry services.

Industry insiders believe that while Intel aggressively develops its foundry business, it is also maintaining close ties with TSMC, adopting a dual-track strategy. The two companies are seen to have growing opportunities for collaboration in the future.

When asked whether Intel might reconsider its Integrated Device Manufacturing (IDM) model, Tan emphasized, "We clearly view TSMC as a partner. They have always been excellent partners. I have been friends with TSMC founder Morris Chang and C.C. Wei for many years. We recently met to identify areas where we can coordinate and create win-win opportunities."

According to sources, Tan also attended TSMC’s North America Technology Symposium held this week in California. Although C.C. Wei previously denied discussing joint ventures or technology licensing with other companies, Tan's latest comments have reignited speculation about expanded cooperation. Intel has not provided further comment on the matter.

Analysts note that Intel’s former CEO Patrick Gelsinger had introduced the IDM 2.0 strategy, combining in-house manufacturing with external foundry capacity from partners like TSMC, without conflict between the two. Several compute tiles for Intel’s new laptop and desktop processors are already manufactured using TSMC’s N3B process. Recent reports suggest that Intel plans to continue its collaboration with TSMC for its upcoming 2nm node products.

Meanwhile, Intel is advancing the yield and reliability of its Intel 18A process, with plans to launch Panther Lake laptop processors based on Intel 18A in the second half of this year. Intel has reportedly started sampling Intel 18A-based products to customers such as Nvidia and Broadcom. The next-generation Nova Lake PC processors are expected to be produced using both TSMC’s manufacturing and Intel’s own 18A process.

Tan recently stated that the first third-party tape-outs using Intel’s 18A node are nearly complete, and Intel is already developing its next-generation 14A process, which promises improvements in performance, power efficiency, and density.

This year also marks Intel’s 40th anniversary in Taiwan. Industry sources indicate that Tan will soon make his first visit to Taiwan since taking office, hosting a banquet to strengthen relationships with key local suppliers. Observers expect that Tan will provide partners with clearer insights into Intel’s upcoming strategic directions.