Mr. Denny McGuirk, President and CEO of SEMI Global;
Mr. Terry Tsao, President of SEMI Taiwan;
Mr. Nicky Lu, Chairperson of the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association;
Mr. Wu Tien-yu, Chief Operating Officer of ASE Group;
Mr. Archie Hwang, Chairperson of Hermes-Epitek;
Ms. Sue Lin, Vice Chairperson of the Hermes-Epitek;
Dr. Tong Ho-ming, General Manager of Cyntec;
Leaders of the electronics revolution in industry, academia, and research;
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good Evening!
I’m very happy to be here for this evening’s SEMICON Taiwan 2015 Leadership Gala Dinner. And I’m especially proud, and honored, to present the Special Contribution Awards to companies that have made outstanding contributions to the semiconductor industry.
Over the last 30 years, the development of the domestic semiconductor industry has brought Taiwan’s information and electronics industries to international prominence, where they now play a pivotal role in global supply chains. In 2014, Taiwan’s semiconductor output value was a little over NT$2.14 trillion, which is about US$73 billion, surpassing NT$2 trillion for the first time. This year, that figure is projected to reach NT$2.26 trillion, which is about US$75 billion, for an annual growth rate of 5.5%, outpacing the approximately 3.8% growth rate of the global semiconductor market.
Looking at individual industry sectors, in the semiconductor foundry industry, Taiwan sits at Number 1, accounting for almost 70% of global output value. In the global IC packaging and testing industry, Taiwan accounts for roughly 50% of global output value, also Number 1 in the world. In the IC design sector, Taiwan ranks Number 2, behind only the United States. But as you know, the competition never rests. So the Republic of China government and domestic semiconductor industry continue to invest extensive resources to develop emerging fields and applications, and incentivize R&D and innovation. That’s how we can help the domestic semiconductor industry create new business opportunities, and help drive growth in related domestic industries.
I want to take this opportunity today to extend my special thanks to our host, Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, or SEMI. Since it was founded as a non-profit international organization 45 years ago, SEMI has been devoted to promoting overall industry development. It has facilitated cooperation and technical exchanges within the industry and internationally, while also exercising considerable influence in setting technical standards for the global semiconductor industry. In the first 8 months of this year alone, SEMI has held 30 forums and training courses in Taiwan, facilitating communication between domestic companies and the international industry.
As you all know, SEMICON Taiwan is our country’s premier world-class semiconductor exhibition, and we’re happy to see so many international and domestic heavyweights gather here for this year’s event. We hope to see greater local procurement, which I’m sure will have a positive impact on the domestic economy, and spur industry upgrades, helping to localize semiconductor industry equipment and foster autonomy.
So here, on behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China, I want to thank all of the industry leaders for their efforts and contributions to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.
I trust that this exhibition, and this evening’s Leadership Gala Dinner, will be a great success, and hope that the various industry sectors will work together with the government to forge ahead, and create a new era for Taiwan’s economy.
I wish you all the best of health, and continued success in facing the challenges of the future.
Last but not least, for those of you who have come to Taiwan for the first time, or just a few times, I certainly urge you to squeeze some time out of your very busy schedule to see the very rich cultural life of this country. In Taipei, I would suggest two places. One, of course, is the National Palace Museum, which is one of the top 10 museums in the world, and which houses the art treasures of the last 3,500 years. There, you can see the past of this country. In addition to that, you might also want to go to the night market, where you will have a variety of exotic foods, and which will help you understand what the present day real life is in Taiwan. Well, during your stay, please do as much shopping as possible to help our economy. Thank you very much!