Lithuanian Minister of the Economy and Innovation Ausrine Armonaite yesterday recommended jointly establishing a semiconductor fabrication facility as she welcomed a Taiwanese trade delegation.
Lithuania has the technological capability and know-how to develop a semiconductor industry, but it is important that Lithuania learn from Taiwan’s experiences in the sector, Armonaite said.
Taipei and Vilnius last month collaborated on establishing the Taiwan and Lithuania Center for Semiconductors and Materials Science, and the next step would be to construct a fabrication facility, Armonaite said.
Photo: Screen grab from Facebook
“We are in the process of assessing investment opportunities for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) and other firms,” she added.
Representative to Lithuania Eric Huang (黃鈞耀) told reporters that the two nations are still exploring different models of collaboration, but Taiwan is sincere in pursuing industrial and academic collaborations with Lithuania.
Taiwan and Lithuania have been steadily increasing collaboration.
In January, Taiwan unveiled the Taiwanese Investment Foundation for Middle and Eastern Europe, which would have access to US$200 million.
The government also created a foundation with access to US$1 billion to help in financing collaborations between Taiwan and Lithuania.
The delegation is to visit Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, after a Taiwanese delegation visited the same countries in October last year, led by National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫).
The delegation is to tour the Lithuanian Center for Physical Sciences and Technology — under which the Taiwan and Lithuania Center for Semiconductors and Materials was founded — local universities and the Santaka Valley, the council said.
The Santaka Valley is an association uniting and integrating the activities of research, technology and academic institutions in Kaunas, Lithuania.
The delegation is to meet with industry representatives in the laser technology, Internet of Things and manufacturing sectors, the council said, adding that the delegation would also be interacting with Lithuanian senators.
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