The National Science Council (NSC) announced yesterday that it will soon launch a new five-year system-on-chip program that should substantially increase the production value of Taiwan’s integrated circuit (IC) sector.
Under the plan, the council will inject NT$12.4 billion (US$385.16 million) into the IC design industry between next year and 2015.
The program will target applications for medical and green energy electronics as well as “4C” — electronics for car use, computer technology, communications and consumer electronics, council officials said.
“The new five-year program aims to strengthen the sector, which is already the world’s second largest after the US,” an official said.
The council said the initiative would boost production value to an estimated NT$480 billion in 2012 and NT$640 billion (US$20.1 billion) in 2015, from NT$384.9 billion last year.
The council has invested NT$14 billion in its current five-year system-on-chip program, which expires at the end of this year.
That program focused on the development of seamless networking for mobile devices and the production of entertainment and educational tools through digital applications.
The system-on-chip concept refers to the integration of all the components on a computer or other electronic devices into a single IC.
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