Taiwan, Czech Republic to open advanced chip research center soon

Taipei, May 14 (CNA) Taiwan and the Czech Republic are expected to finalize a deal within two weeks to open an advanced center for chip design and strengthen semiconductor capabilities in the European country, a Taiwanese diplomat said Tuesday.

Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Department of European Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), said the two sides have reached agreement on almost all aspects of the project, to be called the "Czech-Taiwanese Advanced Chip Design Research Center."

Among the terms are that the two sides will form a supervisory committee to regularly check on the center's latest developments to make sure it is on the right track, Huang said in Taipei.

After the deal is signed, the center's opening ceremony will be held in the Czech Republic, Huang said, expecting the process could take two weeks.

MOFA has not said how much Taiwan will contribute to the project financially or what kind of technology it will provide.

According to a MOFA press release issued last month, the project is covered by a five-year agreement to build an advanced center for chip design and semiconductor capabilities. Negotiations between the two governments began at the end of 2022.

The initiative is aimed at helping Czechia, which already has an advanced industrial base, establish semiconductor industry capacity based on Taiwanese technology, according to MOFA.

It will also help Taiwanese semiconductor companies connect with supply chains in Europe, further securing business opportunities for Taiwan in the European market, MOFA said.