In response to the rapid iteration of advanced packaging technologies driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), semiconductor equipment and materials R&D are facing higher standards and shorter development timelines. Taiwan Tech is closely aligned with industry trends and has officially signed a five-year, NT$50 million industry–academia collaboration agreement with Grand Process Technology, a leading domestic manufacturer of semiconductor wet process equipment. The partnership focuses on semiconductor equipment and key materials R&D, while simultaneously advancing the cultivation of high-level technology talent, creating a strong alliance between academia and industry to co-create value.
Taiwan Tech and Grand Process Technology have formally signed a five-year, NT$50 million industry–academia collaboration agreement, focusing on semiconductor equipment and key materials R&D while promoting the development of advanced technological talent. The agreement was signed by Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen (left) and Honsu Group CEO Hung-Tai Chang (right).
With the rapid development of technologies such as 2.5D/3D, CoWoS, HBM, and fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP), advanced packaging has evolved from single-process optimization toward system engineering that integrates equipment and materials co-innovation. This shift has significantly increased requirements for process stability, material interface reliability, overall yield control, as well as equipment precision and material design.
This collaboration adopts a long-term project-based model. Both parties will jointly establish project teams and a technology exchange platform, investing NT$10 million annually to conduct systematic research in equipment validation, process optimization, and key material development. The initiative aims to accelerate the development and verification of equipment and materials, further localize the development of precision components and critical materials for advanced equipment, strengthen supply chain autonomy and technological control, and expedite the translation of academic research into industrial applications through real-world process validation and data analysis.
In terms of talent cultivation, Grand Process Technology will offer exclusive scholarships and pre-employment opportunities to participating master’s and doctoral students. Students will also be arranged to enter enterprise settings to engage in advanced equipment operation and process practice, participating in forward-looking R&D projects. Through a dual-track training model combining “industry–academia R&D + enterprise practice”, students will accumulate production-line experience and project results during their studies, bridging the gap between academia and industry, and cultivating high-level engineering talent with capabilities in R&D innovation, process integration, and patent strategy.
Taiwan Tech has long been deeply engaged in key semiconductor technology fields, including silicon photonics, integrated circuit design and electronic design automation (EDA), advanced process and packaging technologies, and compound semiconductor materials. The university possesses comprehensive research capabilities and extensive industry–academia collaboration achievements, with accumulated expertise in key process development and material modification. Its Industry–Academia Innovation College integrates faculty and research teams across advanced semiconductors, smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and sustainable energy, establishing cross-department collaboration mechanisms to strengthen integration from design, materials, to equipment, thereby enhancing system engineering R&D efficiency.
In addition, both parties plan to develop patent portfolios from their R&D result, transforming key technologies into commercially valuable intellectual property (IP) to strengthen technological barriers and market competitiveness. Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen stated that the university is actively positioning semiconductor equipment and materials as a key development focus. In addition to encouraging faculty to expand semiconductor-related research and promote interdisciplinary collaboration, Taiwan Tech is also recruiting faculty with industry experience and expertise in key technologies. “Taiwan Tech has always valued substantive collaboration with industry partners. Through faculty with diverse expertise and outstanding students, we help enterprises overcome technological bottlenecks and create win–win outcomes.”
Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen (center) emphasized that the university consistently values substantive collaboration with industry partners, leveraging diverse faculty expertise and outstanding students to help enterprises overcome technological bottlenecks and achieve mutual success. From left: Honsu Group CEO Hung-Tai Chang, Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen, and Grand Process Technology Chairman Tai-Shan Chang.
Grand Process Technology, a subsidiary of Honsu Group, operates across wet process equipment, chemical materials, metrology and inspection, and intelligent manufacturing software systems, forming a comprehensive one-stop solution. The company has installed over 1,200 systems, holds 149 patents, and consistently maintains an R&D investment ratio of 7% to 10%, demonstrating strong capabilities and experience in advanced packaging process integration.
Honsu Group CEO Hung-Tai Chang noted that the AI wave is accelerating the development of packaging technologies toward high density and heterogeneous integration, with competition shifting from individual equipment to system integration and material co-innovation. Grand Process Technology aims to extend its existing equipment and materials foundation into more advanced packaging applications, including the development of electroplating equipment and X-ray metrology technologies. Through complementary resources and technological integration with Taiwan Tech, both parties will move forward steadily, strengthen Taiwan’s independent R&D capabilities, build a sustainable talent and technology ecosystem, establish an R&D platform integrating academic research and industrial practice, and enhance global competitiveness.
Honsu Group CEO Hung-Tai Chang expressed expectations for resource complementarity and technological integration with National Taiwan University of Science and Technology to jointly strengthen Taiwan’s independent R&D capabilities, build a sustainable talent and technology ecosystem, establish an R&D platform integrating academic research and industrial practice, and enhance global competitiveness.
Amid intensifying global competition in high-tech industries, the focus has shifted from breakthroughs in individual technologies to competition in system integration and collaborative innovation capabilities. Taiwan Tech will continue to center on cross-disciplinary integration and practical application, building long-term partnerships with industry to establish a stable and sustainable talent development base for R&D, serving as a strong backbone for Taiwan’s industrial development.
Group photo from the signing ceremony of the industry–academia collaboration between Taiwan Tech and Grand Process Technology.
Acting Dean Yih-Lin Cheng, Associate Dean Hao-Yeh Lee, and Executive Director Konrad Young of Taiwan Tech’s Industry–Academia Innovation College attended the signing ceremony, engaging in discussions with executives from Honsu Group subsidiaries, including Chemleader Corporation, Challentech International Corporation, and Tynesys, to explore future collaboration directions.