Intel has poured billions of dollars into advanced chipmaking under CEO Pat Gelsinger, yet progress remains slow compared with rivals. According to a TechInsights report cited by South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo, Intel spent roughly $16.55 billion on semiconductor R&D last year—more than three times TSMC's $6.36 billion and ahead of Nvidia's $12.5 billion. Intel stands out as one of the few companies investing heavily in both chip design and manufacturing.

Much of Intel's R&D spending has been directed toward its 18A process node, which has faced yield instability and capacity constraints. As a key U.S. semiconductor asset, the company is under pressure to sustain aggressive investment, though its foundry division has posted operating losses for several consecutive quarters.

Samsung has also sharply increased its R&D outlays, spending $9.5 billion last year—a 71% surge from 2023—driven by competition in next-generation nodes such as 2nm and its adoption of gate-all-around (GAA) technology. However, like Intel, Samsung has yet to deliver market-ready results.

The figures highlight the soaring cost of leading-edge innovation, with top chipmakers forced to spend tens of billions of dollars in pursuit of breakthroughs at 2nm and beyond.