The government will continue to drive growth in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, including encouraging investment, tax breaks, relaxing regulations, and helping firms attract and retain foreign professionals, according to Premier Lai Ching-te Sept. 5.
At the opening of Semicon Taiwan 2018—the nation’s largest integrated circuits trade show, Lai said the country has become a global hub for IC design, manufacturing, packaging and testing, with the sector at the core of Taiwan’s economic development.
Fostering the recruitment of overseas professionals was the focus of two government initiatives taken earlier this year, he said. In February, the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals took effect, making it easier to hire specialized staff. An amendment to the Statute for Industrial Innovation in June encourages personnel retention through the relaxation of tax regulations on employees’ stockholdings.
Government and industry efforts have promoted a flourishing investment environment in the semiconductor sector, the premier said. As an example, he cited a recent decision by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd—headquartered in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu County—to establish an advanced 3-nanometer wafer fab in the southern city of Tainan.
According to the Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center—under the state-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute based in Hsinchu—the production value of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry totaled NT$2.46 trillion (US$80.09 million) in 2017, making it the third largest in the world after the U.S. and South Korea.
The annual trade show, now in its 23rd year, has attracted a record 650-plus exhibitors showcasing the latest technologies and products at 2,000 booths. It runs through Sept. 7 at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. (CPY-E)
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