Czechia strengthens partnership with Taiwan
Taiwan is a world leader in the production of advanced chips, and its know-how is key to the future development of the European semiconductor industry. The visit of Minister of Science, Research and Innovation Marek Ženíšek in September 2025 brought concrete results: new investments, interest in building an AI gigafactory in Czechia, and expanded cooperation in laser technologies and biotechnologies. Taiwanese companies such as Foxconn and Advantech already employ thousands of people in Czechia, and new companies are planning to open their European headquarters here. At the same time, the academic dimension of the partnership is also developing, with significant involvement from the Czech Technical University (ČVUT).
CTU at the Semicon Taiwan trade fair and Taiwanese universities
The Czech delegation, organized by the CzechInvest business support agency and the Czech Economic and Cultural Office (ČEKK) in Taipei, included representatives of Czech technical universities in addition to companies. The activities of CTU at the Semicon Taiwan 2025 trade fair, the largest Asian event in the semiconductor industry, were presented by Ing. Mgr. Radovan Suk, head of the external relations department at FEL CTU, who subsequently participated in a series of meetings with leading Taiwanese universities as part of the Czech delegation. The presentation highlighted CTU's position in the fields of electrical engineering, computer science, and chip design, as well as its developing cooperation with Taiwanese institutions. The visits included the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), National Chengchi University (NCCU), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).
The most advanced cooperation is with NTUST, where research and student exchanges are already underway and Taiwanese experts are involved in teaching. This academic year, four students from CTU's Faculty of Electrical Engineering are studying at the NTUS campus as part of a double-degree program. Cooperation with NTHU in Hsinchu is also very promising. NTHU has long-standing positive experience with students from CTU and is planning further joint activities – this autumn, talks will be held with Yu-Chen Hu, Dean of the Faculty of Technology at NTHU, who will visit Prague.
One park, three quarters of the Czech budget
An idea of the success of Taiwan's chip industry can be gained from the financial results of one of several technology parks visited by representatives of Czechia: Tainan Science Park in the south of the island, home to the world's largest companies, including TSMC, achieved sales of USD 66 billion in 2024, which corresponds to almost three quarters of the Czech state budget. This economic performance underscores why it is strategic for Czechia to be part of global supply chains and to link education with research and industry.
FEE CTU at the center of semiconductor cooperation
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague plays a key role in Czech-Taiwanese activities, participating in the operation of the Czech Semiconductor Centre (CSC) and developing cooperation with Taiwan's TSRI (Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute) within the CTU–TSRI Joint Research Centre.
Joint projects focus on the development of new chip architectures and teaching in the field of integrated circuit design and optimization. The Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague also organizes international workshops and summer schools, such as the ACDRC Smart EDA & Analog Circuit Design Workshop and the Silicon Photonics Summer School, where experts from the Czech Technical University in Prague, NTUST, and National Central University meet.
"Our goal is to educate a new generation of engineers who understand both chip design and manufacturing processes. It is precisely our cooperation with Taiwanese experts that allows us to take teaching and research to the next level," says Prof. Jiří Jakovenko, Vice-Dean of FEL CTU and coordinator of the Czech Semiconductor Center's activities in the field of education.
Cooperation with Taiwanese institutions opens up new opportunities not only for academics but also for CTU students. Students can take advantage of the double degree program at NTUST, while other technical universities such as NTHU and NYCU offer generous conditions for exchange programs for foreign students.
