Taiwan is a hub for global semiconductor manufacturing, including Integrated Circuit (IC) manufacturing. Taiwan has been able to distinguish itself from its competitors in this industry and dominate the global marketplace.
To promote the local IC design startups, the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is supporting the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and a world leader in semiconductor IP design, in providing critical resources to make innovative IC design accessible to startups in the region through a new initiative called the IC Design Platform for startups.
The combination of services and support from ITRI and access to the company’s technology through its highly successful startups program will assist startups in accessing critical IP and accelerating the launch of competitive products for the global market.
IC design startups often suffer from insufficient capital or resources, inhibiting their ability to access critical IP and preventing innovative designs from progressing to the commercialisation stage due to challenges around things like technology, patents, legal issues and capital.
This new initiative will enable startups to better navigate these challenges by providing a platform through which they can access chip design support from ITRI, including system design and optimisation, chip integration solutions, and advanced manufacturing processes.
– IDB Director General
The collaboration between ITRI and the semiconductor company is expected to achieve three objectives. First, it invites global IC design innovators to come to Taiwan. The company’s global network and resources could assist foreign startups anchoring in Taiwan to speed up chip development. Second, ITRI will contribute extensive industrial resources and experience to engage in IP conversion through its Nankang IC Design Incubation Center.
This joint effort will provide startups with inclusive chip design and wafer roll-off-services, quickly deploying niche chips to fulfil market demand. This arrangement should greatly improve the cash flow of startups and accelerate their time-to-market.
Lastly, by connecting the company’s global ecosystem of more than 1,000 technology partners with Taiwan’s unique semiconductor cluster, this initiative will be critical to further positioning Taiwan at the centre of the Asia-Pacific semiconductor ecosystem.
Helping startup teams to innovate and go to market quickly and successfully is fundamental to promoting continued technological advancement. More than forty partners worldwide, covering the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, terminal device AI and wearable medical devices, have taken advantage of the company’s programme for Startups since its launch.
Any startup with less than $5 million in capital can join this program; by gaining no-cost access to a wide portfolio of more than 80 products. These startups have the freedom to experiment, evaluate and innovate in chip design, as well as access to the global resources and ecosystem of other chip designers, software developers, technical support, training and tools.
With no fees for prototyping or test tape-outs, the company then only pays a licensing fee at commercial rollout for the IP it uses. This allows startups to make better use of their funds while shortening their product development cycle by an average of 6-12 months.
ITRI offered extensive expertise in IP management and multi-disciplinary innovative technology, and the semiconductor company provided broad access to leading. Both are committed to helping IC startups take root in Taiwan. The cooperation is expected to combine enormous resources, providing global startup companies with comprehensive services from product development to worldwide marketing.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, Taiwan has long been a crucial partner in the global supply chain of semiconductor design and fabrication, typically assembling products for other companies to sell under their own brand. But alongside this industry are a host of homegrown Taiwanese companies manufacturing and marketing their own products globally.
