TSMC is dedicated to strengthening intellectual property protection, and manages trade secrets with the four visions of “IP Strategy, Competitive Advantage, Innovative Culture, and Sustainable Operations.” In light of the Company’s global expansion and development efforts and its desire for continuous improvement of competitive advantage and realization of sustainable innovations, TSMC introduced four new systems: the Intelligent Trade Secret Monitoring & Matching System, Trade Secret Registration Innovation Index Analytics System, Trade Secret Registration Intelligent Reminder System, and the Trade Secret Intelligent Management App. By synergistically integrating them with seven existing systems, TSMC established the “Trade Secret Sustainable Intelligent Management Center” in 2024. The Center’s scope focuses on six main services: Intelligent Registration Integration, Intelligent Misappropriation Prevention & Monitoring, Intelligent Automated Services, Artificial Intelligence Utility, Green Trade Secret, and Charitable Sharing & Public Benefit, as well as 15 self-evaluation metrics categorized into three main indices: Synergy, Optimization, and Sustainability. The Center made its debut at the first “Trade Secret Intelligent Management Alumni Association” held in September with 20 other companies. Through comprehensive enhancement and promotion of intelligent trade secret management, TSMC continues to bring fresh momentum for co-prosperity in sustainable operations.

Setting Self-evaluation Metrics and Paving the Way for Optimized Management

TSMC’s “Trade Secret Sustainable Intelligent Management Center” revolves around six main services and, aside from strengthening the Company’s technology innovation and competitive advantage, aims to equip the industry with more developed trade secret management capabilities by setting self-evaluation metrics in each of the six main services. This was shared to 20 companies of the “Trade Secret Intelligent Management Alumni Association” who have established their own trade secret registration systems to encourage companies to evaluate their own progress with these metrics so they may identify and adopt additional resources to enhance their own trade secret management. TSMC will continue to promote trade secret sustainable and intelligent management values and aims to facilitate three companies each year to adopt these self-evaluation metrics with the goal of institutionalizing intelligent management for themselves and proliferating company cultures of sustainable innovation together.