Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has begun construction of an Advanced Semiconductor R&D Center at its headquarters in Hsinchu, marking a major expansion of Taiwan’s semiconductor research infrastructure. The project, developed with support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, the National Development Council, and the National Science and Technology Council, aims to reduce verification and prototyping barriers for small and mid-sized IC design firms and startups.
The new center will house Taiwan’s first 12-inch advanced pilot line established by a research institution, alongside upgraded 8-inch facilities. Scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, the facility will integrate IC design verification, advanced process development, and localized equipment and materials validation. The integrated environment will link chip design, manufacturing, packaging, and testing to accelerate the transition from laboratory research to commercial production.
ITRI said the center will support 28–90 nm back-end-of-line process R&D and pilot production, targeting a 30% reduction in product development cycles. It will also enable validation of AI chips, silicon photonics, quantum technologies, ASICs, 3D integration, and next-generation memory. The facility will allow equipment and materials suppliers to conduct on-site demonstrations and technology validation to speed integration into global supply chains.
- 12-inch advanced pilot line for research-driven semiconductor prototyping
- Upgraded 8-inch facilities integrated into a unified R&D environment
- 28–90 nm back-end-of-line process R&D and pilot production services
- Targeted 30% reduction in product development cycles
- Support for AI chips, silicon photonics, quantum technologies, ASICs, 3D integration, and advanced memory
- One-stop platform spanning design, manufacturing, packaging, and testing
“By providing a one-stop service platform spanning design, manufacturing, packaging, and testing, we aim to support SMEs and startups while accelerating integration of equipment and materials suppliers into global supply chains,” said Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin.
🌐 Analysis: The new R&D center reinforces Taiwan’s strategy to extend its semiconductor leadership beyond high-volume manufacturing into advanced prototyping and ecosystem enablement. As global governments expand domestic semiconductor capabilities, facilities like ITRI’s 12-inch pilot line create a bridge between academic research, startup innovation, and production-scale fabs operated by companies such as TSMC and UMC, strengthening supply chain resilience and accelerating commercialization of emerging technologies.
The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), founded in 1973 and headquartered in Hsinchu, serves as one of Taiwan’s primary applied R&D organizations and has played a central role in building the island’s semiconductor industry. ITRI helped incubate and spin off companies such as TSMC and UMC, laying the foundation for Taiwan’s foundry model. In semiconductors, ITRI conducts research spanning advanced process technologies, compound semiconductors, heterogeneous integration, advanced packaging, and equipment and materials localization. In photonics, the institute focuses on silicon photonics, optical interconnects, integrated photonic devices, and sensing technologies, supporting applications in AI data centers, telecom networks, LiDAR, and quantum systems. Through pilot lines, technology transfer programs, and industry consortia, ITRI acts as a bridge between academic research and commercial-scale manufacturing, strengthening Taiwan’s position across the global semiconductor and photonics supply chains.
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