TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The United States and Taiwan on Monday (Aug. 31) launched new semiconductor workforce initiatives at a Taipei summit. Officials announced a US$20 million (around NT$634 million) university donation and a formal partnership between industry and educational foundations aimed at addressing critical talent shortages in the global chip sector.
The Freedom 250 Workforce First Summit (自由250人才優先峰會), co-hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan (美國在台協會) and Taiwan's Ministry of Education (教育部), convened approximately 150 leaders from government, academia, and industry. The event was held ahead of SEMICON Taiwan, the island's largest semiconductor trade show opening Wednesday (Sept. 2).
AIT Director Raymond Greene announced two funding initiatives during his opening remarks. The University of Arizona has received a US$20 million donation to support students pursuing study abroad opportunities, Greene said. Efforts are underway to encourage more American students to choose Taiwan as a destination.
"Our ties with Taiwan have never been stronger, especially as our cooperation deepens across high-tech and advanced manufacturing sectors," Greene said. "We are paving the way for hundreds of billions more in future investment and collaboration."
The summit's centerpiece was the signing of a letter of intent between the SEMI Foundation and Taiwan's Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET, 財團法人高等教育國際合作基金會). The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration on semiconductor talent cultivation in both countries.
Taiwan's Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) emphasized the island's decades of investment in semiconductor education and research. "Our success in semiconductors and microelectronics did not happen overnight," Cheng said. "It reflects decades of investment in education and research."
"Technology shifts what we can do, but talent determines what we can achieve," Cheng said. Taiwan is one of the world's most reliable partners in the semiconductor field, he added.
"Workforce development is one of the most critical needs in our industry right now," said Dr. Shari Liss, SEMI's vice president for global workforce development and initiatives. "We've surpassed over US$800 billion (around NT$25.3 trillion) in investment globally in this industry right now, and we're going to reach a trillion dollars by the end of 2026 in terms of sales."
Bill Frauenhofer, executive director of semiconductor investment and innovation at the U.S. Department of Commerce, outlined the CHIPS Act's workforce development model during a keynote address. The program has invested approximately US$300 million in training, providing education to tens of thousands of Americans.
"Not a single CHIPS project has been delayed due to a lack of available skilled workers," Frauenhofer said.
The CHIPS and Science Act authorized US$52 billion in incentive funding and up to US$75 billion in debt authority to expand U.S. semiconductor manufacturing capacity, Frauenhofer said. To date, the program has invested US$35 billion across 49 projects in 23 states, attracting over US$750 billion in total semiconductor commitments to the United States.
Frauenhofer described the CHIPS workforce strategy as industry-driven. Companies select local partners to build customized training programs designed to meet specific business needs, he said.
"The companies know what their workforce needs are, and the local intermediaries know how to use local assets to meet those needs," Frauenhofer said.
The Trump administration has committed to creating 1 million apprenticeships, Frauenhofer said. The CHIPS model will help drive that goal, he added.
American delegates will visit partner universities in Hsinchu on Tuesday, Cheng said, to experience Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem firsthand.
Greene framed the summit as part of a broader U.S.-Taiwan effort to deepen ties. "This summit represents the latest milestone in an expanding web of relationships between our two peoples," he said. The "Freedom 250" name refers to the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$31.68)