dc.description.abstract | Since Taiwan’s government-led Industrial Technology Research Institute introduced RCA manufacturing technology in the 1970s and established its first semiconductor manufacturing line, Taiwan has successfully developed a completely vertical disintegration industry chain that combined IC design, manufacturing, packaging, and testing, and has played an extremely important role of the global semiconductor supply chain. However, the semiconductor front-end process equipment with the largest capital investment has long relied on semiconductor equipment suppliers in the United States, Japan, and Netherlands. In recent years, due to the U.S.-China trade and technology competition, national protectionism in high technology has risen. In Taiwan, the government and related industries are aiming to increase the autonomy ratio of semiconductor front-end process equipment to develop the domestic semiconductor equipment industry.
This study used a case study method suitable for the study of industrial structure and development. First, it proposed the theoretical hypothesis that the framework of the national innovation system and co-opetition strategy can successfully develop the semiconductor industry. Secondly, collected data on the required research knowledge and the development status of related industries, such as the national innovation system, co-opetition strategies, and the status of the industry. Then used data analysis, induction, model comparison, and other methods to study the development history of major semiconductor equipment suppliers, as well as the development models of the United States, Japan, and Taiwan in the semiconductor equipment industry, and then cross-validated theoretical hypothesis. Used SWOT to analyze the development of Taiwan’s semiconductor equipment industry to identify conditions and challenges of developing industry, and based on this, put forward suggestions for the industry. The National Innovation System is a framework for the development of a knowledge economy, emphasizing the network interaction between industry, government, and academia. In the past, the U.S. and Japanese governments have cooperated with enterprises and academia to propose and implement semiconductor industry revitalization plans, establish and subsidize joint research and development consortiums for manufacturing technologies and semiconductor equipment to enhance the national competitiveness of the semiconductor industry. Under the strategy of co-opetition, the enterprise-based joint R&D consortiums continue to strengthen semiconductor and equipment technologies in an inter-industry cooperation model to create value together and successfully dominate the global semiconductor equipment market. Since semiconductor equipment and semiconductor process technologies are closely interdependent, Taiwan has a successful semiconductor industry and, in conjunction with various related industrial chains, it has the advantage of developing semiconductor equipment industry. Faced with the weaknesses and threats of semiconductor equipment industrial development, cooperation between the government and industry is required to establish suitable industrial development plans and strategies to improve industrial development difficulties.
The semiconductor industry has a great impact on Taiwan’s economy. With reference to successful industrial development cases in the U.S. and Japan, Taiwan needs to strengthen capabilities of the autonomous semiconductor equipment industry through appropriately industrial development plans and cooperation within industries, thus could reduce risks of disconnection of related technologies and increase bargaining power in the international trade in semiconductor industry while drastic changes in the international situation. | en_US |