Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has broken ground for the Advanced Semiconductor R&D Center at its headquarters in Hsinchu, marking a new step in Taiwan’s semiconductor development strategy.

The center is jointly developed by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the National Development Council (NDC) and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). It aims to lower verification barriers for small and mid-sized IC design firms and startups, helping bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial commercialization. It will also provide a platform for materials and equipment suppliers to validate emerging technologies.

Scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, the facility will focus on three core functions: innovative IC design verification, advanced process development, and localized equipment and material validation. It will house Taiwan’s first 12-inch advanced pilot production line established by a research institution, alongside upgraded 8-inch facilities. The setup is intended to create an integrated environment linking chip design, manufacturing, packaging and testing.

Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin said Taiwan recorded 8.36% economic growth last year, driven largely by the semiconductor and AI industries, with growth forecasts continuing to trend upward. He said the ministry supports SMEs through small-scale, diversified and specialized chip prototyping, and described the new center as a one-stop service platform spanning design through testing. He added that on-site demonstration and validation services would help equipment and materials suppliers integrate more quickly into global supply chains.

The center will provide 28–90nm back-end-of-line process R&D and pilot production services, with a goal of shortening product development cycles by about 30%. It will support technologies including quantum computing, silicon photonics, ASICs, 3D integration and next-generation memory.

By: DocMemory
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