Chris Miller
Modern military and economic power does not depend on land or oil, but on the microscopic silicon chips that run everything from smartphones to precision-guided missiles.
The semiconductor industry began with military funding during the Cold War, but its rapid growth was ultimately sustained by the scaling of consumer electronics and commercial markets.
The Soviet Union failed to build a competitive chip industry because its copycat strategy and reliance on espionage isolated it from the collaborative, global innovation networks of the West.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company pioneered the dedicated foundry model, allowing tech giants to design chips without the high cost of building their own fabrication facilities.