Output / Discussion Paper
Rethinking the ethics and sustainability of semiconductors
Semiconductors power technologies from AI and 5G to medical devices and renewable energy, but their global, resource-heavy supply chain is increasingly fragile. This paper distills insights from a two-day interdisciplinary workshop hosted by the Civic Machines Lab at the TUM Think Tank, where experts examined the ethical, environmental, and geopolitical pressures shaping the sector.
What the paper explores
The workshop identified a wide range of systemic issues, including:
- Environmental impacts of high energy and water consumption, pollution, and e-waste.
- Challenges of facility migration, where economic incentives can overshadow ethical and environmental safeguards.
- Lack of transparency in tracing materials across a global and opaque supply chain.
- Industrial espionage and IP risks, complicating efforts to ensure safety and ethical compliance.
- Workforce and education gaps, driven by shortages of expertise and outdated training pipelines.
- Competitive and geopolitical pressures that limit fair access to markets and technologies.
- Human rights concerns in regions where raw materials are extracted under hazardous conditions.
- Vulnerabilities to external shocks, including natural disasters, pandemics, and political tensions.
Key recommendations
The paper outlines actionable pathways to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem.
- Clear targets for reducing emissions, water use, and energy consumption; increased use of renewable energy; and lifecycle-wide environmental impact transparency.
- More stable and transparent policy frameworks that enable innovation while safeguarding sustainability, labor rights, and technological sovereignty.
- Greater international cooperation to reduce dependencies, strengthen European market positioning, and ensure fair access to critical technologies.
- Investment in education, talent mobility, and local innovation to close knowledge gaps and support startup growth.
- Improved global labor standards and safer working conditions through targeted funding and harmonized regulations.
- Enhanced supply-chain resilience through diversification, risk-management networks, and buffer strategies.
Looking ahead
Participants developed future scenarios for 2030 and beyond, ranging from fragmented protectionism to globally coordinated sustainability. Two visions emerged:
- Climate-driven global collaboration, focused on circular economies, transparency, and innovation.
- Regulation-led sustainability and resilience, where strong governance—especially in Europe—drives fairness, circularity, and long-term competitiveness.
Achieving these futures will require coordinated action across industry, government, academia, and civil society.
Project partners
This project was carried out in collaboration with partners from Sony AI and Infineon, whose expertise helped shape its insights and direction.
The content and views expressed in this paper represent solely those of the authors and should not be attributed to the TUM Think Tank as an institution, to its affiliated members, or project partners.
