Intel’s foundry operations continue to be a hot topic as various ex-executives engage in public discussions about possibly separating it from the main company, especially following its financial downturn. Recently, during a tech conference, John Pitzer, Intel’s VP of Corporate Planning, disclosed that despite previous intentions to minimize outside sourcing, 30% of the company’s wafer requirements remain supplied by TSMC.

“We were talking about trying to get that to zero as quickly as possible; that’s no longer the strategy,” stated Pitzer (via Tom’s Hardware).

“We believe maintaining a portion of our wafers with TSMC fosters healthy competition between TSMC and Intel Foundry.”

This continuing partnership with TSMC raises questions about Intel’s independence; a year earlier, former CEO Pat Gelsinger expressed hope to reduce this figure to 20%. Given Intel’s ongoing internal leadership transitions under interim CEOs Dave Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, it’s unclear how this dependency might evolve.

Rumors also swirl regarding TSMC’s potential future involvement with Intel’s fabs, intensifying the speculation surrounding the semiconductor industry.