News: Suppliers
20 June 2023
ITRI to strengthen Taiwan–UK collaboration
During an initial exchange with the UK’s newly established Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Dr Shih-Chieh Chang, general director of Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories at Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), suggested that Taiwan can become a trustable partner for the UK and that the partnership can leverage collective strengths to create mutually beneficial developments.
In mid-May, the DSIT released the UK’s National Semiconductor Strategy, according to which the UK government plans to invest £1bn over the next decade to support the semiconductor industry. This funding aims to improve access to infrastructure, power more R&D and facilitate greater international cooperation.
Chang says that ITRI looks forward to more collaboration with the UK on semiconductors to enhance the resilience of the supply chain. While the UK possesses capabilities in semiconductor IP design and compound semiconductor technology, ITRI has extensive expertise in semiconductor technology R&D and trial production. As a result, ITRI is well positioned to offer consultation services for advanced packaging pilot lines, facilitate pre-production evaluation, and link UK semiconductor IP design companies with Taiwan’s semiconductor industry chain. “The expansion of British manufacturers’ service capacity in Taiwan would create a mutually beneficial outcome for both Taiwan and the UK,” says Chang.
The British Office Taipei stated that, over the last few years, the UK has been increasing collaboration with Taiwan on semiconductors. In 2020, the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult (CSA Catapult) signed a memorandum of understanding with ITRI, paving the way for a long-lasting collaborative partnership. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is also focusing the Digital Trade Network in Taiwan to increase the UK’s capability to support semiconductor trade and investment. Recognizing ITRI as a crucial driving force for Taiwan’s semiconductor industry development, the British Office Taipei looks forward to more cooperation with ITRI for technological innovation, supply chain collaboration and stronger partnership.
Chang indicated possible collaboration that can be forged to align the goals of the UK’s National Semiconductor Strategy and the positive impact to be expected. He suggested that ITRI can assist in establishing relevant pilot lines by introducing necessary resources to address existing gaps or offering consultation services covering design, packaging and testing prior to mass production. This would help to reduce the UK’s reliance on external suppliers and thus create job opportunities. To minimize the risk of supply chain disruptions, the linkage of Taiwan’s complete semiconductor industry chain can significantly enhance the UK’s resilience in the global market as more comprehensive solutions can shorten time-to-market for innovative products and accelerate overall industrial development.
Other than the collaboration with CSA Catapult on gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technologies, ITRI partnered with a British semiconductor equipment manufacturer in 2021, resulting in achievements in areas such as high-brightness light-emitting diodes (HB-LEDs), micro-electro-mechanical systems MEMS), micro-LEDs, silicon photonics, and nanoscale analysis. In the same year, ITRI worked with a British semiconductor IP manufacturer to jointly build a platform that assists startup companies in leveraging key patents to develop competitive new products. Based on the results, ITRI is set to expand its collaborative efforts with the UK in 2023.
UK unveils National Semiconductor Strategy, with £1bn government funding
Opportunities for UK companies to collaborate with Taiwan
ITRI and UK’s CSA Catapult sign MoU
www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-semiconductor-strategy
