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ITRI to Strengthen Taiwan-UK Semiconductor Collaborations
ITRI looks to offer consultation services for advanced packaging pilot lines and pre-production evaluations to strengthen supply chain resilience.
The newly established Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in the UK recently released its National Semiconductor Strategy. According to the Strategy, the British government plans to invest 1 billion pounds over the next decade to support the semiconductor industry. This funding will improve access to infrastructure, power more research and development, and facilitate greater international cooperation.
Dr. Shih-Chieh Chang, General Director of Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories at ITRI had an initial exchange with DSIT. During the exchange, Dr. Chang suggested that Taiwan could become a trustable partner for the UK and that the partnership might leverage collective strengths to create mutually beneficial developments. Dr. Chang stressed that ITRI looked forward to more collaboration with the UK on semiconductors to enhance supply chain resilience. While the UK possesses cutting-edge 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 British 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,” said Dr. Chang.
The UK has increased collaboration with Taiwan on semiconductors over the last few years. In 2020, the Compound Semiconductor Applications (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.
Dr. Chang indicated that possible collaboration can be forged to align the goals of the UK’s National Semiconductor Strategy and the expected positive impact. ITRI, he suggested, could 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 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 might 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 GaN semiconductor technologies, ITRI partnered with a renowned British semiconductor equipment manufacturer in 2021, resulting in achievements in areas such as HBLED, MEMS, Micro LED, silicon photonics, and nanoscale analysis. In the same year, ITRI worked with a leading British semiconductor IP manufacturer to jointly build a platform that assists startup companies in leveraging key patents to develop competitive new products. Based on these fruitful results, ITRI hopes to expand its collaborative efforts with the UK in 2023, creating win-win opportunities for both sides.