MediaTek just took a huge investment from Nvidia and is already locking in chip production capacity through 2029 — good news for Taiwan's chip supply chain, and a sign AI demand is far outrunning supply.

• MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai used a public panel to ask TSMC, ASE and Unimicron for more capacity in 2027, 2028 and 2029.
• The request follows Nvidia's investment of more than NT$100 billion in MediaTek, leaving it flush with cash to buy capacity early.
• Booking three years ahead signals that AI chip demand is expected to stay tight for a long time.
• Taiwan's edge is its full stack — chipmaking, packaging, electronics and supply chain — which lets it scale new technology fast.
• The soft spot is software: Taiwan leads in hardware but will need global partners for system-level work in data centers and humanoid robots.

Outlook: Expect more early, long-dated capacity deals as AI chip customers scramble to lock in supply before rivals do.