National tech adviser to lead largest-ever U.K. delegation to SEMICON

Taipei, Sept. 4 (CNA) The United Kingdom's National Technology Adviser Dave Smith will lead 34 British semiconductor business representatives to SEMICON Taiwan 2025, scheduled for Sept. 10-12 in Taipei, the U.K. representative office to Taiwan said Thursday.

"I am delighted to be returning to Taiwan to lead the U.K. delegation, to continue our semiconductor discussions based on the relationships built and trust," Smith was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the British Office Taipei.

Smith also led a U.K. business delegation to Taiwan for SEMICON 2024.

"The U.K.'s robust R&D capabilities and commercial innovation are a natural match for Taiwan's excellence in semiconductor manufacturing. Together, we can shape the future of global technology," Smith added.

Meanwhile, U.K. representative to Taiwan Ruth Bradley-Jones said she looks forward to attending SEMICON, Taiwan's annual semiconductor trade show and conference.

It will be her first time attending the event since taking office in February.

She said the U.K. and Taiwan "are aligned in our values, goals and ambitions, and we have highly complementary strengths, with the U.K. offering innovation, R&D and scalable ideas, and Taiwan providing large-scale manufacturing and global supply chain capabilities."

"We are committed to building partnerships with Taiwan that are robust, productive and enduring," she said.

The U.K. business delegation includes companies specializing in photonics, quantum, memory, chip design, compound semiconductors and advanced packaging, among other areas. The group is larger than its delegations in 2023 and 2024, the office said.

While in Taiwan, the delegation will also visit Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's largest contract chipmaker, United Microelectronics Corp. and Powertech Technology Inc.

The British Office Taipei will also sign an MOU with Taiwan's representative office in the U.K. on joint semiconductor development and take part in the third U.K.-Taiwan Semiconductor Dialogue in Taipei during the visit, it added.

The British Office Taipei represents U.K. interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.

SEMICON Taiwan 2025 will take place at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

"This year's exhibition will bring together more than 1,200 semiconductor and technology companies, with over 4,100 booths and an expected attendance of more than 100,000 industry professionals, making it one of the world's most influential semiconductor events," organizers said.