TSMC recently announced that the application that it submitted to Hsinchu Park Bureau for land use in the Park has been approved, the United Daily News reported on February 27. According to the application, TSMC will launch a new R&D center in within the Park that will begin construction at the end of 2018 or the beginning of 2019. Taking up nearly 30 hectares of land area, the new center will be dedicated to the development of 5nm process technology and is estimated to open as early as 2021 to help TSMC sustain its competitiveness. In addition, TSMC recently launched its Fab 18 phase-one production fab in Tainan which will be dedicated to producing wafers using 5nm process technology at the beginning of 2020 at the earliest. Upon the completion of the three phases of the Fab 18 fab, TSMC reportedly can produce one million 300 mm wafers per year. Coupled with this R&D center, TSMC will invest more than NT$1 trillion (USD34 billion, USD1= NT$29.3) in high-end process technology development in the future, including 3nm.