A new agreement between Taiwan and Slovakia would serve as a “starting point” for bilateral semiconductor cooperation, Visiting Slovak Deputy Minister of Economy Peter Svec told a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
Svec was referring to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan and the Slovak Academy of Sciences, along with the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava on Tuesday.
Under the agreement, both sides would embark on research-and-development projects in the area of semiconductors, Svec said, adding that he cannot provide further details at the moment.
He said the agreement was “important,” as Slovakia seeks to develop its semiconductor industry.
Slovakia hopes to cooperate with Taiwan not only in the field of semiconductors, but also in other areas, such as electric vehicles, he added.
“We see a lot of space [for collaboration],” he said, adding that both sides could work together on projects, such as developing battery-charging stations or e-mobility services.
The agreement on semiconductor cooperation is one of eight MOUs that Svec’s delegation signed with Taiwanese government agencies and institutes.
The delegation comprising 26 senior Slovak officials and business representatives arrived in Taiwan on Sunday, mainly for talks on bilateral economic cooperation at the Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation.
Apart from cooperating in trade, economics, and science and technology, Slovakia is also looking forward to working with Taiwan to provide aid to war-torn Ukraine, Svec said.
“We should not wait for the end of the war... We should act and prepare ourselves now,” he said, adding that both sides could provide assistance in rebuilding housing and infrastructure in Ukraine.
Taiwan could also provide humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians who have fled to Slovakia to seek refuge, said Manuel Korcek, head of the Department of Global Economic Policies.
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