Imec Taiwan today signed
the co-funding contract with the Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA)
for its R+D activity Imec Taiwan Innovation Centre (ITIC). ITIC’s
goal is to expedite applied research projects with industry and academia that
will result in electronic designs, components and technology solutions. The
new R+D centre will focus on a variety of innovative applications in bioelectronics,
MEMS and “green” electronics that are enabled through 3D system-package
co-design and system-level evaluation.
The worldwide impact of the Taiwanese semiconductor and consumer electronics
industry is unequivocal, and there is an increasing intention of the stakeholders
to move up the value chain by entering key innovation areas. Consequently, Taiwan
is an important market for a nanoelectronics R+D centre such as imec. ITIC,
being imec’s local R+D centre in Taiwan, will facilitate and intensify
the collaboration between imec and the Taiwanese industry and academia. The
business plan for ITIC forecasts a growth of its research staff to 40+ over
3 years. ITIC is launched with the signing today of an agreement between imec
Taiwan and the Institute for Information Industry (III) on behalf of the Taiwanese
MOEA. ITIC is financed by imec Taiwan and will be co-funded by the Taiwanese
MOEA as a “Multinational Innovative R+D Centre” under MOEA subsidy
for the Project of Encouraging Foreign Enterprise Establishing Research and
Development Center in Taiwan.
“The creation of ITIC, two years after having established a representation
office in Hsinchu, Taiwan, is essential in our continued efforts to create value
for our current and future partners in Taiwan, to leverage our global partnerships,
and to actively interact with the Taiwanese ecosystem,” said Luc Van den
hove, CEO and President of imec and member of the Board of imec Taiwan. “An
R+D initiative such as ITIC will intensify imec’s interaction with
the local semiconductor and system-level companies and academia.”
“As a semiconductor innovative applications centre, ITIC will support
the upward shift in Taiwan’s technology value chain and contribute to
the realization of Taiwan’s strategic Innovation Plan. It will accelerate
open innovation that will result in locally owned IP in the area of intelligent
electronics,” says Jung-Chiou Hwang, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs.
“The presence of ITIC - the local branch of the world-famous R+D centre
imec - will improve Taiwan’s position against its peers in Asia, and result
in attracting more European companies to invest in Taiwan. “
Imec performs world-leading research in nanoelectronics. Imec leverages its
scientific knowledge with the innovative power of its global partnerships in
ICT, healthcare and energy. Imec delivers industry-relevant technology solutions.
In a unique high-tech environment, its international top talent is committed
to providing the building blocks for a better life in a sustainable society.
Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in Belgium, the Netherlands,
Taiwan, US, China and Japan. Its staff of more than 1,750 people includes over
550 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2009, imec's revenue (P+L)
was 275 million euro