Taiwan Investment Surpasses NT$10 Billion Again: GlobalWafers and 3 Other Companies Expand

(Central News Agency, reporter Zeng Yunting, Taipei, June 5) The Invest Taiwan Office today approved expansion investments from four companies—GlobalWafers, Sigurd Microelectronics Testing, Jianhao Printing, and Huacheng Heavy Electric—adding over NT$13.8 billion in new investment. Among them, GlobalWafers will invest NT$3.25 billion to deepen its advanced silicon wafer and third-generation semiconductor layout. Huacheng Heavy Electric will invest NT$3.5 billion to build a smart factory at Taichung Port, responding to the demand for power equipment driven by global grid upgrades and AI data centers.

The Investment Promotion Department of the Ministry of Economic Affairs stated in a press release today that GlobalWafers, one of the world's top three semiconductor wafer suppliers, will invest approximately NT$3.25 billion through the "Welcome Home Taiwanese Businesses Program." Over the next three years, it will continue to optimize special chip manufacturing processes for 12-inch silicon carbide wafers, square silicon chips, and gallium nitride (GaN) wafers. It will also refine 12-inch advanced silicon wafer technology and introduce smart equipment and data analysis tools to enhance production line monitoring, predictive maintenance, and quality management capabilities.

The Ministry stated that GlobalWafers will also simultaneously promote energy conservation, carbon reduction, and the use of renewable energy, thereby strengthening its layout in third-generation semiconductors and advanced materials, and enhancing supply chain resilience and product competitiveness.

Under the "Roots Stay in Taiwan Program," semiconductor testing company Sigurd Microelectronics Testing plans to expand investment by NT$4 billion at the Hsinchu Science Park. It will introduce advanced testing equipment and upgrade clean rooms, combining smart manufacturing and artificial intelligence technologies, including automated scheduling, optical inspection, and equipment predictive maintenance, to improve testing capacity and product quality.

The Ministry noted that Sigurd Microelectronics Testing focuses on IC and wafer testing services, with product applications covering 5G, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and automotive electronics. This is its second application under the "Roots Stay in Taiwan Program" for expansion investment, which is expected to drive demand for high-end semiconductor talent.

Also under the "Roots Stay in Taiwan Program," printing company Jianhao Printing plans to build a new factory in Dadu District, Taichung City, investing NT$3.1 billion to expand production lines. It is expected to create 87 new local jobs. The new factory will introduce AI image recognition, automated warehousing, and smart scheduling systems, combined with renewable energy and energy-saving equipment, to improve production efficiency and energy utilization.

Huacheng Heavy Electric also passed the "Roots Stay in Taiwan Program" this time, planning to invest approximately NT$3.5 billion to build a smart factory with advanced manufacturing and inspection capabilities at Taichung Port, creating 178 new local jobs. The Ministry stated that benefiting from the global energy transition, grid upgrades, and increased electricity demand from AI data centers, after the new factory is completed, the production capacity of the existing Taichung plant is expected to double, further enhancing its international market competitiveness.

The Ministry pointed out that the new Huacheng Heavy Electric factory will introduce IoT sensing, a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and an energy management system. Through AI analysis, production data integration, and smart inspection technologies, it will improve process stability and capacity scheduling efficiency, promote low-carbon manufacturing and resource recycling, and strengthen the global power infrastructure supply chain layout.

According to Ministry statistics, to date, the "Three Major Investment Taiwan Programs" have attracted 1,762 companies with investments of approximately NT$2.6837 trillion, projected to create 166,558 local jobs.

Among these, the "Welcome Home Taiwanese Businesses Program" has seen 352 companies invest approximately NT$1.4585 trillion, creating 95,747 jobs. The "Roots Stay in Taiwan Program" has seen 220 companies invest approximately NT$616 billion, creating 29,038 jobs. Another 29 companies are waiting for review. (Editor: Zhang Liangzhi) 1150605