The German state of Saxony is expanding scientific cooperation with Taiwan.
Sebastian Gemkow, Saxony's Science Minister, is on a three-day visit to Taiwan, and has signed a cooperation agreement with the managing director of the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs). Both sides agree to further intensify the scientific exchange between universities and research institutes. Gemkow also met with Tsung-Tsong Wu, head of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
As a result of the visit, the state of Saxony has decided to establish an office in Taipei to coordinate joint activities in the field.
Another part of the joint declaration with NARLabs is mutual support in the development of technical solutions for industrial applications and production processes. Joint funding applications within the framework of European technology funding programs, such as "Horizon Europe", are being considered.
Gemkow emphasizes the strategic importance of the agreement for both sides:
"With the joint declaration, we are supporting the further development of two high-technology centers that complement each other perfectly in terms of content and focus. The industrial clusters in our two countries also benefit from the even closer networking in the field of microelectronics research and training. In my opinion, the cooperation is proof of mutual trust and high esteem in a sensitive technological area."
The first concrete steps have already been taken in the new chapter of Saxon-Taiwanese cooperation: the TU Dresden will deepen its relationships with three Taiwanese universities, while the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS), which operates a research factory in Dresden for the production of future semiconductor components, among other things, will enter into a cooperation with Taiwan's National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.
Saxony will likely host one of TSMC's overseas fabs, with evaluation still ongoing. According to sources, TSMC is to partner with Bosch as well as two other European players connected to the auto industry to jointly finance the fab, reportedly targeting special process technology at 28nm.
