Taiwan and the Czech Republic are expected to finalize a deal within two weeks to open an advanced center for chip design and bolster semiconductor capabilities in the European country, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Department of European Affairs, said that the two sides have reached an agreement on almost all aspects of the project, to be called the Czech-Taiwanese Advanced Chip Design Research Center.
Among the terms is that the two sides would form a supervisory committee to regularly check on the center’s development to make sure it is on the right track, Huang said in Taipei.
Photo: Yang Yao-ju, Taipei Times
After the deal is signed, the center’s opening ceremony would be held in the Czech Republic, Huang said, adding that the process could take two weeks.
The ministry has not said how much Taiwan would contribute to the project financially or what kind of technology it would provide.
A ministry press release issued last month said that the project is covered by a five-year agreement to build an advanced center for chip design and semiconductor capabilities.
Negotiations between the two governments began at the end of 2022.
The initiative is aimed at helping the Czech Republic, which already has an advanced industrial base, establish a semiconductor industry based on Taiwanese technology, the ministry said.
It would also help Taiwanese semiconductor companies connect with supply chains in Europe, further securing business opportunities for Taiwan in the European market, it added.
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