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Researchers set to focus on IC design
BACK TO THE FUTURE:
The government plans to train 25,000 integrated-circuit engineers over the next four years in an effort to move the sector forward
STAFF WRITER, WITH AFP
Monday, Oct 01, 2001, Page 17
| Renewed ambitions |
| * The government wants to spend at least NT$10 billion over the next four years training engineers.
* The goal of the project will be to develop at least five "key products" whose combined output would total NT$500 billion over the next 15 years. |
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Taiwan is to launch an ambitious plan aimed at turning the nation into a world leader in the profitable integrated circuits (IC) design industry, reports said yesterday.
The country's science technology development designers hope to build on its success in the semiconductor industry over the past 10 years, the Chinese language media said.
The project, dubbed the Si-Soft Project (矽導計劃), involves developing at least five "key products" whose combined output would total NT$500 billion (US$14.47 billion) over the next 15 years, Chang Chun-yen (張俊彥), president of National Chiao Tung University, was quoted as saying.
At least 25,000 IC engineers will have to be trained in the next four years at a cost to the government of at least NT$10 billion (US$289.4 million), said Minister Without Portfolio Tsai Tsing-yen (蔡清彥) on Saturday during a preliminary meeting for the project.
The Central Personnel Administration has agreed to add 85 openings for lecturers in domestic universities and colleges, particularly in the fields of system design, opto-electronics and communications to train the engineers, Tsai said.
The project is expected to be housed at one of the three locations -- the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (新竹科學園區), the Acer Group's (宏電) Espire Industrial Park (渴望園區), and the Nankang Software Park (南港軟體園區) in Taipei, he said.
"With the implementation of the project, Taiwan's IC industry would be enhanced to a new level," said John Hsuan (宣明智), vice chairman of United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) which is the nation's second biggest microchip maker.
According to government statistics, there were 135 IC design houses in Taiwan as of the end of last year, producing some NT$100 billion (US$289.44 million) worth of output.
It is estimated that the Si-Soft Project will increase the total production value of silicon-related industries in Taiwan to NT$10 trillion (US$286 billion) in 10 years, Tsai said.
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