In response to the rapid global evolution of chip technologies and with a view to deepening long-term semiconductor research and talent collaboration between Taiwan and Europe, the National Institutes of Applied Research (NIAR), together with Belgium-headquartered Interuniversity Microelectronic Centre (imec), Europractice, and the Technical University of Dresden (TU Dresden), jointly hosted the “Taiwan-Europe Chip Innovation Forum 2025” (TECIF 2025) in Dresden on November 27-28. The forum, centering on the themes of “technological innovation, talent cultivation, and cross-regional collaboration,” brought together key stakeholders from the industry, the government, and academia across Taiwan and Europe to explore the latest trends in semiconductor technology and to formulate future directions for cooperation.
The opening ceremony of the TECIF 2025 was co-hosted by Chien-Nan (Jimmy) Liu, Director General of NIAR’s Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI), Romano Hoofman, Strategic Development Director at imec and General Manager of Europractice, and Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of TU Dresden. NIAR President Hung-Yin Tsai also recorded a special video message to greet the participants, underscoring the strong priority placed on Taiwan-Europe semiconductor collaboration. Ambassador Remus Li-Kuo Chen, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague, and Deputy Representative Li-Ling Chu, Taipei Representative Office in Germany, together with numerous distinguished Taiwanese and European delegates, attended the event. Their presence underscored the strong governmental commitment to deepening bilateral academic communication in the semiconductor field.
On the industry front, senior executives from major global companies also gathered in Dresden as featured keynote speakers, including Christian Koitzsch, President of the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC), Sander Roosendaal, Engineering Director at Synopsys Photonic Solutions, and Charles Lin, Senior Application & Business Development Manager at ZEISS. Their presentations covered topics ranging from manufacturing strategies shaped by the EU Chips Act (ECA), to the critical role of photonic integrated circuits (Photonic ICs) in AI and next-generation data centers, as well as groundbreaking applications of 3D X-ray microscopy in advanced packaging and AI chip reliability verification, collectively outlining the next wave of development in semiconductor technology showcased at the forum.
The forum spotlighted several forward-looking topics such as advanced packaging, silicon photonics, smart sensing, and advanced devices & emerging memory, bringing together leading research teams from Taiwan and Europe to share their latest achievements. Moreover, TSRI, the National Center of Instrumentation Research (NCIR), and the National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) also engaged in in-depth exchanges with Taiwanese and European research teams on semiconductor manufacturing and design platforms, as well as frontier technologies, exploring potential models for future collaboration. Furthermore, the forum emphasized advanced semiconductor talent cultivation, cross-border training mechanisms, and frameworks for research cooperation. Based on the achievements of the “Taiwan-Europe Semiconductor Short-term Training Program” jointly promoted by NIAR and several Central European partners, the event further expanded talent connections and deepened research collaboration at the international level.
The two-day TECIF 2025 drew more than 280 participants from the industry, the government, and academia across Taiwan and multiple European countries, underscoring NIAR’s pivotal role in global semiconductor technology, talent cultivation, and research collaboration. The forum not only deepened Taiwan-Europe communication but also successfully connected research organizations and enterprises from various countries, facilitating substantive alignment on cross-border R&D issues and demonstrating strong momentum for international cooperation. The Taiwan-Europe Chip Innovation Forum has upgraded from a regional initiative into a platform with global vision in both technology and talent cultivation. NIAR will continue to link international partners, integrate frontier technologies, and strengthen talent cultivation efforts, contributing to a more interconnected, resilient, and innovation-driven semiconductor ecosystem in the international community.
Source: NIAR