Lithuanian Minister of the Economy and Innovation Ausrine Armonaite yesterday recommended jointly establishing a semiconductor fabrication facility as she welcomed a Taiwanese trade delegation.
Lithuania has the technological capability and know-how to develop a semiconductor industry, but it is important that Lithuania learn from Taiwan’s experiences in the sector, Armonaite said.
Taipei and Vilnius last month collaborated on establishing the Taiwan and Lithuania Center for Semiconductors and Materials Science, and the next step would be to construct a fabrication facility, Armonaite said.
Photo: Screen grab from Facebook
“We are in the process of assessing investment opportunities for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) and other firms,” she added.
Representative to Lithuania Eric Huang (黃鈞耀) told reporters that the two nations are still exploring different models of collaboration, but Taiwan is sincere in pursuing industrial and academic collaborations with Lithuania.
Taiwan and Lithuania have been steadily increasing collaboration.
In January, Taiwan unveiled the Taiwanese Investment Foundation for Middle and Eastern Europe, which would have access to US$200 million.
The government also created a foundation with access to US$1 billion to help in financing collaborations between Taiwan and Lithuania.
The delegation is to visit Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, after a Taiwanese delegation visited the same countries in October last year, led by National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫).
The delegation is to tour the Lithuanian Center for Physical Sciences and Technology — under which the Taiwan and Lithuania Center for Semiconductors and Materials was founded — local universities and the Santaka Valley, the council said.
The Santaka Valley is an association uniting and integrating the activities of research, technology and academic institutions in Kaunas, Lithuania.
The delegation is to meet with industry representatives in the laser technology, Internet of Things and manufacturing sectors, the council said, adding that the delegation would also be interacting with Lithuanian senators.
AIR DEFENSE: The Norwegian missile system has proved highly effective in Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the US has recommended it for Taiwan, an expert said The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) Taiwan ordered from the US would be installed in strategically important positions in Taipei and New Taipei City to guard the region, the Ministry of National Defense said in statement yesterday. The air defense system would be deployed in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), the ministry said, adding that the systems could be delivered as soon as the end of this year. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has previously said that three NASAMS would be sold to Taiwan. The weapons are part of the 17th US arms sale to
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
BREAKTHROUGH: The US is making chips on par in yield and quality with Taiwan, despite people saying that it could not happen, the official said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has begun producing advanced 4-nanometer (nm) chips for US customers in Arizona, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, a milestone in the semiconductor efforts of the administration of US President Joe Biden. In November last year, the commerce department finalized a US$6.6 billion grant to TSMC’s US unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. “For the first time ever in our country’s history, we are making leading edge 4-nanometer chips on American soil, American workers — on par in yield and quality with Taiwan,” Raimondo said, adding that production had begun in recent