ITRI Breaks Ground on NT$3.77 Billion Advanced Chip R&D Base

Why It Matters

The base accelerates Taiwan’s chip‑design-to‑fab cycle, enhancing supply‑chain resilience and preserving the island’s competitive edge in advanced semiconductor technologies.

Key Takeaways

• ITRI invests NT$3.77B in advanced chip R&D base
• TSMC donates three 12‑inch advanced process tools
• Facility aims to cut development cycles by 30%
• Clean‑room construction accounts for majority of budget
• Base targets pilot production, packaging, and equipment verification

Pulse Analysis

Taiwan’s semiconductor dominance rests on a tightly knit innovation pipeline that blends government funding, research institutes, and foundry expertise. The Industrial Technology Research Institute’s new Advanced Semiconductor R&D Base, a NT$3.77 billion public‑investment project, exemplifies this model by providing a dedicated clean‑room campus for next‑generation chip trials. Scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, the facility’s high‑bay structure and seismic‑resistant design are tailored to accommodate heavy pilot lines and advanced packaging equipment, positioning it as a national hub for silicon‑based breakthroughs. The investment also reflects Taiwan’s strategic push to diversify beyond mass production, targeting high‑value nodes such as 3‑nm and beyond, where design‑centric services become critical.

The groundbreaking ceremony highlighted a rare level of private‑sector participation, with TSMC contributing three 12‑inch advanced‑process tools and offering plant‑design guidance. Such contributions accelerate the base’s ability to deliver trial production and process verification services that can shave roughly 30 percent off typical product‑development timelines. By consolidating design‑for‑manufacturing validation, equipment calibration, and material testing under one roof, the center reduces reliance on overseas facilities and shortens feedback loops for Taiwan’s fab ecosystem. Early collaborations with United Microelectronics and Vanguard International are slated to pilot 5‑nm and 7‑nm process modules, providing real‑world feedback for fab scaling.

Beyond immediate R&D gains, the base strengthens Taiwan’s supply‑chain resilience amid global chip shortages and geopolitical tensions. Its focus on submicron sensing chips, advanced packaging, and localized equipment verification aligns with industry moves toward heterogeneous integration and edge‑computing applications. In the longer term, the facility could serve as a testbed for emerging materials like silicon‑carbide and gallium‑nitride, further broadening Taiwan’s technology portfolio. As other regions race to build similar ecosystems, ITRI’s initiative signals that Taiwan will maintain a competitive edge by coupling state‑backed capital with the technical depth of its leading foundries.

ITRI breaks ground on NT$3.77 billion advanced chip R&D base

02/10/2026 04:48 PM

Premier Cho Jung‑tai (eighth right) attends the groundbreaking ceremony of the Industrial Technology Research Institute's Advanced Semiconductor R&D Base, along with officials and industrial representatives in Hsinchu on Tuesday. CNA photo Feb. 10, 2026

Taipei, Feb. 10 (CNA) – The Hsinchu County‑based Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) on Tuesday broke ground on its Advanced Semiconductor R&D Base, a NT$3.772 billion (US$119.57 million) publicly funded project slated for completion in December 2027, with phased operations beginning in the first quarter of 2028.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Premier Cho Jung‑tai (卓榮泰) said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has actively supported the establishment of the R&D base, including donating three 12‑inch advanced‑process semiconductor development tools and providing extensive assistance and guidance on plant design and construction.

Premier Cho Jung‑tai (left) breaks ground for the Industrial Technology Research Institute's Advanced Semiconductor R&D Base in Hsinchu on Tuesday. CNA photo Feb. 10, 2026

In addition to Cho, the ceremony was attended by Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming‑hsin (龔明鑫) and National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng‑wen (吳誠文).

Representatives from major semiconductor firms, including TSMC, United Microelectronics Corp., Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp., Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., Nanya Technology Corp. and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc., were also present, along with several equipment suppliers.

Once completed, the facility will carry out three key missions—innovation trial production and verification for integrated‑circuit (IC) design, development of advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, and localized verification of semiconductor equipment and materials—said Kuo Chao‑chung (郭肇中), director‑general of the Department of Industrial Technology under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Kuo said the new facility is expected to help semiconductor companies shorten product‑development timelines by around 30 percent, strengthening Taiwan's semiconductor innovation ecosystem and supply‑chain resilience.

According to Kuo, the project underwent two years of planning and will feature a building with an eight‑meter ceiling height, a floor‑load capacity of two metric tons per square meter, and an independent seismic‑resistant structure.

Construction of the building itself will cost NT$688 million, while clean‑room facilities will account for NT$3.084 billion, bringing total investment to NT$3.772 billion, Kuo said.

The base will house pilot production lines for advanced semiconductor processes, submicron sensing chips and advanced packaging, as well as laboratories for inspection, measurement and verification.