The Geopolitics of Silicon: Chips as the Foundation of Power and the Economy

Contemporary geopolitics is based on silicon, which has become a strategic resource surpassing the former role of coal or oil. Chips, at the heart of billions of transistors, determine not only economic growth but, above all, the military capabilities and technological sovereignty of states. This article explores the unique role of Taiwan's TSMC and the Netherlands' ASML, whose dominance in EUV production and lithography creates bottlenecks in the global supply chain. Through the lens of weaponized interdependence and the concept of the entrepreneurial state, the text analyzes how control over computing power is becoming a tool of political pressure. This comprehensive look at the production architecture, risk logistics, and barriers to entry that define the new political economy of the 21st century, where national security is inextricably linked to innovation in the semiconductor sector.