Taiwan plans SoC initiative

Taiwan plans SoC initiative
By Mike Pan, EE Times
January 8, 2002 (4:15 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20020108S0065

TAIWAN, Taipei — Taiwan's Industrial Development Bureau plans to launch a system-on-chip design initiative at the Nankang software park on the outskirts of the Taipei, the government said.

Along with the SoC initiative, industry groups here said they also intend to form an IC design alliance this year. That alliance will include a design company that will oversee cooperation with companies in mainland China manufacturing CD players, DVD players and telecommunications gear.

"Currently Taiwan is the second largest IC design center next to the U.S., but we need to upgrade to a more integrated, value-added orientation," said Hwang Tai-yang, director of the Office of the Committee for Information Industry Development, a part of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs. "Taiwan is moving beyond manufacturing operations and fulfilling OEM orders to building up independent IC designing capabilities to ride the major trend of developing SoCs for Int ernet and consumer-related products."

Despite a global downturn in the semiconductor industry, the production value of Taiwan's IC design industry was expected to reach $3.41 billion in 2001, up from $3.29 billion in 2000, according to the Industrial Technology Information Service. The service also predicted that revenues from 2002 production are expected to reach $4.23 billion, a 24 percent increase. SoC developments of leading design houses would contribute to the increase, it said.

Mike Pan is bureau chief for sister publication EE Times-Taiwan.