TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — German optics company Zeiss opened its innovation center in Hsinchu Science Park on Tuesday (June 18).

Zeiss Taiwan General Manager Cheong Peng Tat (章平達) said the company has innovation centers in South Korea, Germany, and the U.S., primarily serving the local market, per CNA. Unlike other centers, the Taiwan center will focus on advanced process development.

Cheong said Zeiss’s long-term plan in Taiwan includes continued investment of NT$10 billion (US$309 million) over the next decade.

“Zeiss is highly confident in Taiwan's industry and is willing to increase its investment,” the general manager said. “Besides semiconductor solutions, Zeiss also has medical technology, microscopy solutions, and vision care in Taiwan.”

The center in Hsinchu was built with an investment of over NT$300 million, reported UDN. It introduced Zeiss Crossbeam lasers, which increase cutting speed by 6,000 times compared to traditional means. This reduces the processing time from 117 days to just 30 minites.

Additionally, the center features GeminiSEM Electron Microscope for semiconductor failure analysis.

Since Zeiss began investing in Taiwan in 2018, the number of employees has grown from 121 to over 400, with plans to add another 50 to 100 employees next year, the company said.