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By Meryl Kao / Staff reporter
The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday broke ground on the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s advanced semiconductor research and development (R&D) base in Hsinchu County’s Jhudong Township (竹東).
The NT$3.772 billion (US$119.56 million) base is a joint project with the National Development Council and the National Science and Technology Council as part of the government’s Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program, the ministry said.
The base would house pilot production lines for advanced semiconductor processes, submicron sensing chips and advanced packaging, as well as laboratories for inspection, measurement and verification, it said.
Photo: CNA
It is scheduled for completion by the end of next year, with phased operations beginning in the first quarter of 2028, the ministry said.
Once operational, the base would offer three core services — pilot verification for innovative integrated circuit (IC) designs, development of advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, and localized verification of equipment and materials, it said.
The ministry expects the new facility to lower validation barriers for small and medium-sized IC design firms and start-ups, helping them bring their products to market.
The base could shorten product development time for firms by about 30 percent, it said.
It would also strengthen the competitiveness of domestic materials and equipment suppliers, and enable early deployment of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) chips, silicon photonics, quantum computing and next-generation memory chips, reinforcing Taiwan’s critical position in the global semiconductor industry, the ministry said.
Amid shifting geopolitics and global supply-chain restructuring, the key for Taiwan to stay ahead globally is strengthening R&D resilience and maintaining technological autonomy, which the new base would greatly support, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Kung said the new base would primarily serve small and medium-sized firms, start-ups, and domestic equipment and materials suppliers. It would allow small-batch, customized testing of new materials, equipment and processes, shortening R&D cycles and accelerating commercialization to make the industrial ecosystem more complete and resilient, he said.
The base would provide R&D and pilot production services for 28-nanomater to 90-nanometer nodes, and integrate chip design, manufacturing, packaging and testing into a one-stop service. It aims to help local firms achieve breakthroughs and support AI applications across industries, Kung said.
The ministry expects the base to provide more forward-looking research on AI chips, silicon photonics and quantum technologies, serving as a core engine for digital transformation in areas such as smart healthcare, autonomous vehicles and factory automation.
Kung especially thanked Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) for supporting the establishment of the R&D base.
Yesterday’s ceremony was attended by Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文), as well as representatives from major semiconductor firms.
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