TOKYO -- Taiwanese companies have stepped up overseas investment as they rush to build out supply chains that can handle surging demand for artificial intelligence computing infrastructure, with spending concentrated in the U.S. and Southeast Asia.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is leading the push into the U.S. In July, the company announced an additional $100 billion in investment, bringing its announced U.S. investments to $265 billion. It plans to add four advanced semiconductor fabs, bringing its number of U.S. facilities to 12.

Electronics manufacturing services providers that assemble servers have also increased investment. Last month, Quanta Computer received regulatory approval for a $973 million capital injection into its U.S. unit. The company assembles servers and peripheral equipment through a subsidiary in Tennessee.

Wistron last month received regulatory approval to pump $150 million into a U.S. subsidiary that assembles printed circuit boards. It will also inject funds into another U.S. unit, spending up to $146 million to renovate a plant in Texas and install equipment. Inventec also received approval for a $110 million capital injection to support server assembly in the U.S.

Major Taiwanese companies had announced a combined $55 billion in investment plans in the U.S., the island's Ministry of Economic Affairs said last month. As of May, about 20 semiconductor, server and other companies, excluding TSMC, had announced cumulative investments of $35 billion, meaning businesses added another $20 billion in less than six months.

Taiwan's Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) projected in April that the U.S. would account for 40% of Taiwanese companies' AI server production capacity in 2030, up from 23% this year. Taiwan's share is expected to fall to 30% from 47%, placing it behind the U.S., while Mexico's share is forecast to decline to 15% from 30%.

In Southeast Asia, Taiwanese companies are also expanding production capacity for mass-produced components for AI servers, including circuit boards and cooling components. Cooling component maker Asia Vital Components said last month that it would invest 7.78 billion New Taiwan dollars ($245 million) to build a factory in Vietnam.

Copper-clad laminate maker Taiwan Union Technology is spending 7.79 billion baht ($231.8 million) to expand its Thai subsidiary, including the construction of a factory and installation of new equipment. Printed circuit board makers Compeq Manufacturing and Zhen Ding Technology are among others that have announced investments.

Southeast Asia has long attracted Taiwanese electronics assemblers and parts makers, drawing companies looking to diversify production that was once concentrated in China. Taiwanese companies involved in back-end semiconductor processes such as assembly and testing are also investing in Southeast Asia.

ASE Technology Holding said last month that its Singapore subsidiary had acquired production equipment for about NT$1.26 billion. It also decided to buy a factory for roughly NT$2.15 billion. Shunsin Technology Holding, a Foxconn affiliate, said in August that it would invest up to $65 million to set up a semiconductor production line in Vietnam for processes including wiring formation.

Trade in components between Taiwan and Southeast Asia is also growing. Taiwan's imports from ASEAN members reached $70.4 billion in the January-August period, up 75.4% on the year. Taiwan's Finance Ministry attributes the growth to rising demand for components as the AI supply chain becomes increasingly divided geographically.