To implement “Semiconductor Equipment Component Industry Development Project,” sponsored by Industrial Development Bureau, MOEA, the Optoelectronic and Semiconductor Equipment/Components Localization Office (OSEC) of MIRDC joined with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council to organize the 2016 SEMICON Europa Western Europe Digital Equipment and Smart Manufacturing Industry Delegation. With assistance from the Economic Division, Taipei Representative Office in France, the delegation was able to visit industrial and academic institutes in France related to the fields of semiconductor equipment and components, providing an exchange and technology cooperation platform for Taiwan’s semiconductor equipment, material and component businesses and their European counterparts. The delegation comprises 17 individuals from 11 Taiwanese companies and research institutions in the field of semiconductors, including: Contrel Technology, LUCEMITEK, FairTech, Ares Green Technology, MFC Sealing Technology, KING LAI, and Chien Hsin University of Science and Technology. The delegation attended the 2016 SEMICON Europa in France from October 25th through the 27th. The event is one of the most important electronic equipment showcases in Europe. Participants of the exhibition include major European companies and research institutions, such as STMicroelectronics, Cea-Leti of France, Fraunhofer of Germany, and Corial. The 2016 Europe-Taiwan Semiconductor Smart Manufacturing and Equipment Technology Forum and Matchmaking Event took place concurrently during the exhibition.
The event comprised two major sessions. One session is the “Europe-Taiwan Semiconductor Smart Manufacturing and Equipment Technology Forum,” which invited CEO Isabelle Guillaume of Minalogic, a well-known Silicon Valley cluster in France, to speak on topics spanning the current status of semiconductor development in France, the direction of overseas collaboration, and technology strategies, providing references for promoting the semiconductor equipment industry in Taiwan. For Taiwan’s part, Dr. Johnny J.S. Lin from OSEC of MIRDC gave a speech on the topic of “The Strategy of Taiwan’s Semiconductor Equipment Industry,” sharing with the audience the current status of Taiwan’s semiconductor equipment industry and its strategies for international cooperation. During the Europe- Taiwan Semiconductor Smart Manufacturing and Equipment Matchmaking Event following the forum, over 40 rounds of one-to-one meetings were arranged with international firms, allowing both sides to learn more about each other and to explore the possibilities of cooperation.
During the exhibition period of 2016 SEMICON Europa, MIRDC signed a MOU with the Minalogic industry cluster of France on October 26th. MIRDC Vice President Chih-lung Lin noted that this was the first time Taiwan formed a delegation to attend SEMICON Europa. He hopes that interactions among Taiwanese firms, European industrial clusters, and European companies can be strengthened through the visit, and that the concrete channels for government and industrial associations on the local level can be built. Furthermore, Minalogic is a major member of Silicon Europe. It is an industrial cluster in France consisting of over 300 cluster members focusing primarily on technologies in the fields of micro/nano science, optics, and software engineering. MIRDC hopes that the signing of the MOU will facilitate the development of semiconductor application markets for both Taiwan and Europe.