The National Development Council of Taiwan invests in start-up companies and will provide scholarships for master’s and doctoral students in the field of chips in Central and Eastern Europe to study in Taiwan
Taiwan is making good on its promise to invest in Lithuania and other Central and Eastern European countries to improve cooperation in the semiconductor, electric vehicle and laser industries.
Ming-Hsin Kong, Minister of the National Development Council (NDC) – the Taiwanese government agency responsible for technology investments – confirmed to the Taiwanese newspaper “United Daily News” that the investment of 10 million Euros is to be made in three companies through the 200 million Euro Central and Eastern European Investment Fund which Taiwan established earlier in 2022.
The first company in which the fund will invest is Littlelit – a Lithuanian start-up in the field of ultra-fast laser technology. The investments in two other companies are in the final stage of audits and evaluations by the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Economy (MOEA).
Taiwan’s mission in Vilnius also said that the Industrial Technology and Research Institute (ITRI) will cooperate with Teletonika, an electronics manufacturer in Lithuania, to develop semiconductor manufacturing capabilities there. Kong noted that semiconductors will be the main area, but the cooperation between Taiwan and Lithuania will also include electric vehicle and laser technology.
According to Kong, this investment is just the beginning and that the Authority will distribute scholarships to master’s and doctoral students from Central and Eastern European countries who will study in Taiwan and receive technical training. Scholarship recipients will benefit not only from tuition reimbursement, but also from monthly allowances and round-trip plane tickets, according to the official website.
A Taiwanese delegation from five leading academic institutions recently completed a tour of the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia to inform local students about the Taiwan Chip Scholarship Program.
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