Spearheading semiconductor research through a Taiwanese partnership
Confirming Taiwan as a key international partner for the UK’s semiconductor industry, the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult formed a long term partnership with the Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI) aimed at boosting bilateral collaboration.
We are delighted to see CSA Catapult sign this MoU with ITRI. ITRI is one of the world-leading research institutes in semiconductors and was a case study back in 2010 when Hermann Hauser made his recommendations for technology and innovation centres which became the Catapult Network. It is important for our Network to collaborate with the best in the world and we look forward to seeing the exciting collaborations between the Catapult and ITRI and wish them all the best in their partnership.
Developing advanced electronics to meet future demands
As part of its mission, the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult develops international partnerships with leading research and technology organisations in countries which have complementary technologies, opening up opportunities for UK businesses to access these markets.
In October 2020, the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult established its first strategic partnership with the Industrial Research Technology Institute (ITRI) of Taiwan, sealing it with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU followed initial engagements in 2018 when ITRI hosted the Catapult, arranging a tour of some 40 companies.
The virtual signing of the MoU (due to COVID restrictions) saw the UK Trade Minister, Rt Hon Greg Hands launch the UK-Taiwan International Showcase for Compound Semiconductor Technology with nine UK companies and nine Taiwanese companies pitching to a virtual audience of 200 potential collaborators and investors.
The Catapult-ITRI partnership has already started to foster long-term research and supplier relationships, with programmes of work being designed to support collaboration between companies and researchers to develop advanced electronic modules for energy conversion, as part of the commitment to address Net Zero. For instance, Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult and ITRI are submitting a joint proposal to Eureka 2021.
UK-Taiwan bilateral trade rose to £7.1 billion in 2019, making Taiwan the UK’s 7th largest trading partner in the Asia Pacific region. In 2019, Taiwan invested £64.2m in the UK, making the UK Taiwan’s most popular investment destination in Europe. More than 300 UK firms are present in Taiwan and there are over 180 Taiwanese firms in the UK, with TCY Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd recently investing £6.5 million in its facilities in Yorkshire, UK to bolster its machine sales and after-sales services.
Following early success with the UK-Taiwan partnership, the Catapult launched a UK-India Future Telecom Programme, exploring opportunities for UK and Indian companies to collaborate on joint projects to meet the needs of future telecom networks.
I was delighted to co-chair for the third time the 23rd annual UK-Taiwan trade talks today. Taiwan offers huge opportunities for UK businesses to offer their products, services and expertise in a number of fields including offshore wind and financial services. This year’s trade talks underlined the growing importance of the UK – Taiwan trade and investment relationship in areas including education, science and innovation.