Premier Chen Chien-jen on Friday received Bertrand Loy, president and chief executive officer of U.S. semiconductor materials supplier Entegris. The premier said that Taiwan's semiconductor industry has evolved into a vital partner and support force for global high-tech innovation research and development. The government will work with businesses to keep abreast of global trends in applied science and technology, and capitalize on the nation's existing advantage as the home of high-quality semiconductor industrial clusters to ensure that Taiwan continues to develop the most advanced semiconductor technologies, while simultaneously welcoming and encouraging collaboration with major international manufacturers.
Premier Chen said that Entegris occupies a unique position within the global semiconductor ecosystem and it views Taiwan as its most important link within the global semiconductor supply chain. This motivated the company to in 2020 commit to a five-year, US$500 million program of investment to establish a new manufacturing facility in Kaohsiung. The premier thanked the company for its long-term support for Taiwan, which he said has driven forward the development of the nation's domestic semiconductor industry and helped Taiwanese businesses develop the most up-to-date and advanced fabrication processes. Additionally, with countries around the world attaching increasing importance to green industrial transformation, the premier said he looks forward to increased collaboration with Entegris to achieve the shared goal of net-zero carbon emissions.
In his remarks, President Loy said it has been a privilege for Entegris to have been associated with the vibrant development of Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem during the last three decades. With the opening earlier this week of the company's new manufacturing facility in Kaohsiung, Entegris's advanced products and solutions will enable Taiwan's national champions to further develop their semiconductor technology, he said.
President Loy emphasized that a major reason Entegris chose to invest in Taiwan is the quality of Taiwan's workforce and said the company will look to cooperate with more Taiwanese engineers and scientists in the future as it seeks to leverage the strengths of its existing team. President Loy also applauded the government for its strong commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which he said is shared by Entegris, and pointed out that the company has committed to recycling most of the water used at its new Kaohsiung plant, as well as using renewable energy to meet all of the facility's energy needs. President Loy ended his remarks by thanking Taiwan's government for its continued support, which he said will bring great success and mutual benefits to both sides.