IMEC invites Taiwanese companies and organizations to join collaboration programs based on shared cost, risk and talent

Hsinchu, Taiwan  –  November 8, 2001  ---  IMEC, Europe’s leading independent research and development center in microelectronics and information and communication technologies (ICT), announced its first seminar in Taiwan aimed at introducing its research activities and collaborative programs. The objective is to explore the expectations and mutual areas of interest for cooperation with Taiwan-based companies.

Taiwanese semiconductor companies have always been at the forefront of state-of-the-art semiconductor technologies. More and more, they also play a dominant role as integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), making their strategic development synergistic with the goals of IMEC’s R&D programs.

About ten years ago, IMEC has set up a business model (called IMEC Industrial Affiliation Programs or IIAPs) for joint R&D that is based on a sharing of cost, risk, talent and ideas. This concept is already recognized by European and US companies as one of the most successful international partnership models for joint development of next-generation technologies. Especially in a period that the global semiconductor business suffers from a serious downturn and that the technological challenges are tougher than ever before, such collaboration is the way to go. Joint R&D assures that companies are ready with new technologies and new products by the time the market takes up again.

After first initial contacts, IMEC now wants to further profile itself towards Taiwanese companies and organizations by presenting its research activities and collaboration programs. A major objective of this first seminar is to explore the expectations of Taiwanese companies and to investigate mutual areas of interest for cooperation where both IMEC and the Taiwanese companies can come to a win-win situation.

“We applaud the technological strengths of the Taiwanese semiconductor companies and believe that there are possibilities for cooperation in several fields that could be beneficial for both IMEC and the Taiwanese companies,” says Prof. Gilbert Declerck, President and CEO of IMEC. “Global alliances with also Taiwanese companies allow to develop new technologies and products faster than one organization can achieve alone.”

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Notes to editors

About IMEC

IMEC was founded in 1984 and today is Europe's leading independent research center for the development and licensing of microelectronics, and information and communication technologies (ICT). IMEC is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has a staff of more than 1100 people including 350 industrial residents and guest researchers. Its revenue of more than 120MEURO comes from agreements and contracts with the Flemish government and companies, the EC, MEDEA, the European Space Agency, equipment and material suppliers and semiconductor companies worldwide. IMEC's activities concentrate on the design of integrated information and communication systems; silicon process technology; silicon technology and device integration; microsystems, components and packaging; solar cells; advanced training in microelectronics. IMEC has a sub-0.25µm 200mm pilot line and is ISO9001 certified. News from IMEC is located at www.imec.be.

For more information:

Katrien Marent

Communication Manager

Public Relations and Marketing Communications

IMEC, Kapeldreef 75

B- 3001 Leuven, Belgium

Tel +32 16 28 18 80 Fax +32 16 28 16 37

Email: Katrien.Marent@imec.be