從臺灣DRAM廠商經營績效兼論政府DRAM產業政策

Abstract

DRAM產業為我國半導體產業中極為重要的一環，也一直受到政府極力之扶植。然而受到全球景氣影響，近年來國內DRAM廠商普遍產生大幅虧損並面臨財務上沉重之壓力。本研究希望透過對DRAM產業與市場的瞭解，個別廠商之經營績效、財務狀況以及營運模式之分析來探討臺灣DRAM廠商目前所面臨的問題。本研究同時探討我國政府針對DRAM產業危機中所推動之產業政策與方案，以及政府未來在DRAM產業政策上應如何協助廠商提升競爭力。 從本研究我們可以發現，國內DRAM廠商在營運績效之表現不如國外DRAM大廠，而且其主要關鍵因素在於廠商之營運模式。我國DRAM廠商大都採取與國外DRAM廠商結盟並取得技術移轉與產品授權之營運模式，無法建立自主技術以開發適合的製程與利基產品，因而當製程技術推進至更先進世代時，既有產能便無法有效運用，甚且造成營運上之負擔。

臺灣DRAM產業若無法生存，將嚴重影響我國電子產業鏈之完整性，甚且失去國際競爭力，也可能引發金融機構巨額呆帳及嚴重的失業問題。現階段政府 DRAM產業政策應從廠商財務壓力之紓解、現有產能之有效運用以及自主技術之建立以及營運模式之變革來構思適當之協助方案。惟有讓DRAM廠商能持續營運方能延續我國DRAM產業之命脈，也惟有擁有自主之關鍵技術及自我維持的營運模式方能提升產業競爭力並永續發展。

The DRAM industry is a key part of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and has long received the strong support of our government. Nevertheless, the global economic downturn has caused Taiwan’s DRAM manufacturers to suffer significant losses and experience great financial pressure in recent years. Through an understanding of the DRAM industry and market as well as individual company’s performance, finances, and operations, this study aims to analyze the current challenges that confront Taiwan’s DRAM manufacturers. This study also explores the Taiwan government’s policies and programs aimed at reviving the endangered DRAM industry, as well as government policies that are necessary to boost the Taiwan DRAM industry’s overall competitiveness. This study reveals that Taiwan’s DRAM manufacturers’ operating performance is below that of the global major DRAM suppliers, and the key factor is the companies’ business models. Taiwan’s DRAM manufacturers tend to acquire technology transfers and product licenses through alliances with global major DRAM suppliers and do not possess their own independent technology with which to develop up-to-date processes and products. When process technologies advance to the next generation, Taiwanese manufacturers are thus saddled with existing capacity they are unable to utilize that become operational burdens. A failure of Taiwan’s DRAM industry would seriously impact Taiwan’s electronics industry as a whole and undermine its international competitiveness; even a bad debt crisis and mass unemployment could result. At the current phase, the government’s DRAM policy should relieve the manufacturers’ financial pressures, enable effective utilization of existing capacity, establish independent technologies and reform business models as a basis for an appropriate support scheme. Only the continued operation of Taiwan’s DRAM manufacturers will sustain Taiwan’s DRAM industry, and only the establishment of independent key technologies and business models will boost the industry’s competitiveness and sustainability.