Purdue extends partnership with Taiwan semiconductor company
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Purdue University said Thursday it has renewed its partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The partners teamed up in 2019 to establish the Center for Secure Microelectronics Ecosystem, or CSME, to advance research and workforce development in designing secure microelectronics.
The partners this week signed a memorandum of understanding to continue and expand the collaboration through 2031.
Purdue said through the extension, the partners will focus on additional educational and research projects, as well as new workforce development activities, graduate fellowships, and research assistantships.
Founded in 1987, TSMC is one of the world’s largest semiconductor contract manufacturers.
“At TSMC, we firmly believe that investing in talent is the key to sustainable growth and innovation in the semiconductor industry,” Rick Cassidy, chairman of TSMC Arizona, said in written remarks. “Through this collaboration, we aim to cultivate the next generation of innovators and leaders by fostering an environment where academia and industry converge.”
The agreement is the fourth global partnership Purdue has signed since the beginning of May, including agreements with Belgium-based Imec and the government of India, as well as an international agreement involving companies and educational institutions in the U.S. and Japan, all with a focus on semiconductors.
The extension with TSMC also comes nearly a year to the day after Purdue announced plans for Taiwan-based chipmaker MediaTek to build a chip design center on the West Lafayette campus and create 30 jobs.
Last July, Minnesota-based SkyWater Technology said it would build a $1.8 billion semiconductor R&D and production facility in West Lafayette and create 750 jobs over five years.
Also, on Thursday, Purdue announced the university and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy had signed MOUs with two research universities in Taiwan.
The agreement with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu aims to bolster academic research and workforce development efforts in semiconductor-related areas, including joint research projects, student exchange and internship opportunities, and dual-degree programs.
The MOU with National Chengchi University in Taipei, Purdue said, seeks “to promote international cooperation between the two organizations to underpin their shared values and mission to advance freedom by driving the innovation and adoption of trusted technology.”
The agreements were announced as part of a daylong visit to Purdue by Ambassador Bi-khim Hsiao, Taiwan’s representative to the U.S.
Mickey Shuey from the Indianapolis Business Journal attended the event, and spoke with Hsiao, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University President Chi-hung Lin, and Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy co-founder and Chairman Keith Krach.
You can read the full Q&A by clicking here.