Four Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mayoral and county commissioner candidates in northern Taiwan yesterday unveiled a joint semiconductor development platform to improve the country’s tech sector.
Taoyuan mayoral candidate Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬), Hsinchu mayoral candidate Shen Hui-hung (沈慧虹), Hsinchu County commissioner candidate Chou Chiang-chieh (周江杰) and Miaoli County commissioner candidate Hsu Ting-chen (徐定禎) promised to solve problems related to water and electricity supply that have long affected the local semiconductor industry.
The joint platform also aims to streamline the process to review investment applications by semiconductor suppliers, and improve the transportation network to strengthen the local semiconductor cluster and build a stronger “silicon shield” for Taiwan, the four candidates said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Hsinchu is renowned for the Hsinchu Science Park, which houses Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, and many other tech heavyweights such as smartphone integrated circuit (IC) designer MediaTek Inc.
Hsinchu has become a global semiconductor production hub, Shen said, adding that she has faith that she would be able to work with the central government to provide the necessary assistance to semiconductor companies regarding their water and power supplies.
Shen said she is determined to help Hsinchu provide better infrastructure to allow the local semiconductor industry to grow and compete in the global market.
TSMC is developing an advanced 2-nanometer process in Hsinchu, and is scheduled to start mass production in 2025 to maintain its technology lead over its peers such as US-based Intel Corp and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co.
A Commercial Times report cited an unnamed source as saying that TSMC would set up a factory using the more sophisticated 1-nanometer process in the Longtan Science Park in Taoyuan — a part of the Hsinchu Science Park — but the semiconductor giant refused to confirm that any decision had been made.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taoyuan mayoral candidate Simon Chang (張善政) expressed doubt about the report, saying there was no space for TSMC to expand in the Longtan Science Park.
However, the Longtan Science Park is planning its third expansion, Chang said, adding that he expects the most advanced technology to be developed in Taoyuan.
Taoyuan and Hsinchu cities, and Hsinchu and Miaoli counties, accommodate a competitive semiconductor cluster, and after the 1-nanometer process is implemented in Taoyuan, Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain is expected to become more comprehensive through the integration of upstream, middle-stream and downstream segments, he said.
Companies based in Taoyuan manufacture production equipment and chemical materials used by semiconductor suppliers, and also provide downstream IC packaging and testing services, while the city has built a significant logistics network and a strong waste treatment facility, Cheng said.
If Chang wins the Nov. 26 election for the KMT, chip firms are likely to have concerns about the party’s semiconductor development policy, Cheng said.
However, Cheng said that if he were to win, Taiwan would work more closely with the US, which has imposed sanctions on chip exports to China, to encourage “democracy chips” to flourish.
Meanwhile, Chou said Hsinchu County would try its best to improve education, transportation and social housing to persuade tech talent to stay there to support development.
The four DPP candidates also signed a joint policy platform to push for bilingual education, and pledged to work with the central government to build more social housing to reduce living costs.
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