TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Inaugurating the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) Wednesday at the Hsinchu Science Park, Minister of Science and Technology, Chen Liang-gee (陳良基), envisions Taiwan becoming the world’s biggest contributor in a new era featuring advanced technologies.

Established under the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs), TSRI is an organization merged with the National Nano Device Laboratories (NDL) and the National Chip Implementation Center (CIC).

Both organizations were established between the late 80s and early 90s, following the foundation of the Hsinchu Science Park and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), representing a landmark for the country’s development of semiconductors and other high-technologies.

Chen remarked at the inaugural ceremony that the government had worked on merging the two research labs into TSRI over the past year, in hopes of providing better assistance for industries and other research institutes in Taiwan to better streamline semiconductor research and development processes, and thereby maintain global competitiveness.

In the face of future challenges and opportunities, Chen set three goals that he anticipates TSRI to achieve in the future. The most important being the ambition to keep Taiwan’s semiconductors in a leading position, as the world enters the era of the so-called forth industrial revolution, which is characterized by such emerging technologies as robotics, artificial intelligence, and a number of other fields.

In addition, Chen anticipates that TSRI will work with domestic research institutes and industries as “allies” and help develop strategies that will benefit both TSRI along with other institutes and firms.

The institute should also take up the responsibility of fostering talent, said Chen, adding that with more innovative ideas and R&D energy generated from the institute, Taiwan may become the biggest contributors in the world.