New TU/e collaboration with South Korea and industry on semicon

TU/e, ASML, ASM, the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, the Korea Institute For Advancement of Technology and Brainport Development today signed a Support Letter aimed at setting up the Eindhoven - South Korea Future Chips Academy, organized by TU/e. The signing took place at ASML in Veldhoven during a visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and King Willem-Alexander.

It was preceded by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between South Korea and the Netherlands for the exchange of talent and knowledge in the semiconductor sector. The MoU was signed by minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen and Korean minister Dukgeun Ahn, both foreign trade ministers. South Korea is one of the world's leading countries in microchip production.

Cooperation starts in Brainport

The subsequent signing of the Support Letter is the first step towards realization of the MoU. With this, the parties involved laid down that the pilot for the cooperation will take place in Brainport Region Eindhoven, which will be by means of the Eindhoven - South Korea Future Chips Academy in February. The partners also want to work on a structural talent development program in the field of semiconductors.

"Brainport Eindhoven is the ideal location for it, with its strong semiconductor companies and TU/e's strong position in the field of semicon, with high-tech systems and photonics," Robert-Jan Smits, TU/e's Executive Board President, says. "Semiconductors are increasingly important for the world. The EU, the US, China, as well as South Korea and the Netherlands, are all investing heavily in semicon. One of the key prerequisites for this is training talent, especially highly skilled engineers. We are going to make an important contribution to that, with our cooperation with South Korea and our new Eindhoven - South Korea Future Chips Academy."

Eindhoven - South Korea Future Chips Academy

Taking place during the week of 19 February, the Eindhoven - South Korea Future Chips Academy will target top talent from South Korea and the Netherlands with a world-class program. It is organized by TU/e's High Tech Systems Center, in collaboration with partners such as ASML, ASM, IMEC and NXP. The aim is to make the Eindhoven - South Korea Future Chips Academy an annual week. Earlier this year, TU/e already organized a similar Summer School in the field of semiconductors, together with partners from Taiwan and the Brainport region.

This collaboration underscores TU/e's prominent international position on semiconductors and future chips. TU/e ranks among the international top in research on devices, chip design and materials. Just last week, the university, in the person of Rector Magnificus Silvia Lenaerts and Professor Aida Todrio-Sanal, was part of an economic mission to the United States to strengthen ties with the U.S. semiconductor industry, led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Minister of Economic Affairs Micky Adriaansens and Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon.

This article was first published on 12 December by TU/e.