Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), best known for making advanced chips, is branching into honey. The company has worked with local beekeepers and Tunghai University to install hives around its fabs in Taiwan, restoring local ecosystems and giving rise to a branded honey called Ji Mi, tells Tom’s Hardware.
The initiative isn’t just symbolic. After conducting environmental surveys, TSMC planted plant species suited to support pollinators around its facilities. As native flora returned, so did bees and with them the possibility of producing honey that reflects the local biodiversity near each fab. Different fab locations yield different honey flavors, depending on the floral variety nearby.
Beyond honey, the project signals broader environmental gains. TSMC reports that water recycling at its newer fabs now exceeds 90%. Waste recycling is at about 97%, with less than 1% of waste going to landfills in Taiwan. There are also signs of wildlife returning, i.e., the return of species such as the silver goby fish, plus fireflies, which are sensitive to environmental change.
TSMC’s sustainability vice president, Ho Li-mei, presented these results at the 2025 Asia Pacific Sustainability Expo. She described the bee program as an unexpected but welcome outcome of TSMC’s ecological integration: efforts to manage water, reduce waste, and restore natural habitat have had fruit, or rather, honey.
What began as resource management and environmental compliance has turned into a biodiversity effort with tangible products and ecological restoration. The honey project signals how high-tech manufacturing and nature can co-exist when companies commit to more than just production.