According to press reports, the US government is putting pressure on chip makers TSMC and Intel to work together on a joint venture within the United States. This partnership, according to speculation, will combine joint ownership of the two companies, but operational management will be in the hands of Taiwanese giant TSMC.

Why is this step important? According to a report published by the Wall Street Journal, the US administration seeks to make Intel benefit from the long-standing expertise that TSMC has in manufacturing in large quantities using UV (an important technology in the manufacture of chips). A separate report from the Financial Times also suggested that the expansion of TSMC's manufacturing facility in Arizona could accelerate to support this potential plan.

Analyst Tristan Gera, of financial advisory firm Baird, described the idea as "strange," but noted that there are leaks from supply chains in Asia that speak of direct U.S. intervention to facilitate cooperation.

The basic idea is to send TSMC engineers to Intel factories specializing in 3nm and 2nm technologies to ensure successful manufacturing operations there. According to the analyst, the joint venture that may arise between the two parties could receive financial support from the US CHIPS Act.

And what are the obstacles? While the idea may seem tempting in theory, there are technological concerns.....