Czech Senate Vice President Jiri Drahos in an interview with Taiwanese media said that he hopes to promote semiconductor cooperation during a visit to Taiwan next week.
Drahos, who visited Taiwan three times before, is slated to arrive in Taiwan on Monday for a week-long visit.
Drahos in the interview expressed his desire to gain insights and experience from Taiwan, welcoming companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to establish research centers in the Czech Republic.
Photo: CNA
Drahos said he planned to meet key representatives from Taiwan’s Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan, as well as engage with universities, Academia Sinica and businesspeople.
While political meetings are a priority, he had a broader range of interests, said Drahos, who trained as a scientist.
Leading a delegation of about 20 members, including representatives from top Czech universities and academies, Drahos would be accompanied by Czech Deputy Minister of Science, Research and Innovation Jana Havlikova.
The delegation is expected to discuss semiconductor cooperation details with institutions like the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute and the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs).
Drahos, who last visited Taiwan in 2022, would aim to improve advance chip collaboration, highlight Czech plans to develop chip design and supply chain resilience centers and foster talent.
With TSMC setting up a plant in Dresden, Germany, Drahos said he viewed Prague — which is a two-hour drive away from Dresden with direct flights to and from Taiwan — as an “ideal hub” for Taiwanese semiconductor activities.
He said the region between Prague and Dresden, named Usti nad Labem, has a great potential as a semiconductor supply chain site.
In addition, Prague’s Charles University, in collaboration with Taipei’s National Chengchi University (NCCU), established a supply chain resilience center in November last year, while Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic, would also host a chip research and design center, Drahos said.
Drahos and his delegation would discuss cooperation details with experts from NCCU and NARLabs during the visit.
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